Me an' My Blog

Yeah, I'm still here. And I'm still freezing. But hey, I'd rather look at snow than at dead, barren trees and grass-less ground. Yeah, I prefer the snow.

In the meantime... I have some new followers, and I was recently tagged in a "confessions of a blogger" post, so I figured it would be a good way for new readers to learn a bit about me and my blog. *WARNING this post is as little lengthy. Just saying. So here... we... go!



1) When did you start your blog?
          My first post on this blog was on September 11, 2011.

2) Have you had any past online presence before? (Other blog, youtube, etc...)
          There are a couple videos floating around on Youtube that I show up in. Some are recordings of my high school's production of the Sci-Fi rock musical Starmites. I was a banshee. Yep, you heard me. A full-out Amazonian woman. The other videos are some spoofs of Twilight that a group of us did for our German class in high school. I played the roles of Jessica and Victoria, as well as the role of Jane in our New Moon sequel. (Evidently, my group just liked casting me as the evil vampire each time. Cool.) I also had a blog several years before I started this one that I only posted on three times. Lame, I know.

3) Why did you start a blog?
          Confession time... I started this blog because there was a guy I really liked. And I discovered that he had a blog that he posted on every now and then. That inspired me to start a blog again because if that guy could keep a current blog, then why couldn't I?! Plus... I wanted to have something in common with him. That man is now my husband.

4) When did you become serious about blogging?
          For the first 10 months or so, I only blogged for the sake of blogging. I thought it was fun and a great alternative form of journal-keeping. (Plus, I wanted to impress that dang boy...) I was serious about blogging, but only in a personal sense. Then, around the end of July 2012, I told myself "Hey, why don't you push your blog out into the public world?" And so I gave my blog a little makeover so that it looked more presentable and gave it a push. And... look at it now! Half a year later... almost 400 followers!

5) What was your first post?
          Basically, I just talked about my decision to jump on the blogging train. I know... exciting, right?

6) What has been your biggest challenge about blogging?
          I have to keep reminding myself to stay true to myself. I started this blog because I was excited about it and I want to blog for me. I need to keep telling myself to always blog because I love it and not because I feel like my readers expect me to post something. If you don't like what I post about and think I'm boring, then you don't have to keep reading. I just don't want to lose sight of my love for blogging and write posts just because I think people will like it and just because I want more people to follow my blog. That's not what blogging is about (and that's also why I stopped doing ad swaps and whatnot).

7) Where do you see your blog in 1 year?
          It will definitely look different. This baby is overdue for another makeover, and I'll give it one once I have the time to sit down and do it. I also hope that I will have a readership that likes reading my blog because I enjoy writing it. Once again, this applies to what I said in question 6. I want my blog to be something I've enjoyed creating and posting on.

8) What is the most rewarding thing to you about blogging?
          I have kept an up-to-date journal since 5th grade. One of the reasons that I like blogging so much is that I can record my thoughts, experiences, memories, etc. in a way that is so much more creative and fun that a simple journal. There are just so many more doors open to you with a blog! Also, I like seeing my readership grow and knowing that people are interested in my weird life and in what I have to say, even if they are irregular readers.

9) What is the most discouraging thing that happens to you?
          It's a tie between writer's block and meeting those "fake" bloggers. And when I say fake, I don't mean  pretenders. I'm talking about the people who just blog because they want to have more followers than anyone else. They go around to everyone's blog and ask them "Will you please follow me?" and then don't even bother to get to know you, read your blog, or network. It's all about the numbers for them. I went through a phase like that, but stopped once I realized that it wasn't the best method. If I want people to read what I have to say, then I have to be willing to read their blogs and get to know them. I could go on and on about this, so I'll stop. And writer's block is pretty self-explanatory, right? We all experience it. So frustrating.

10) What's your lasting inspiration or motivation?
          There are a few choice blogs that I stalk on a very regular basis. I love these blogs because their writers are so down-to-earth and real. They blog about what matters to them, and they don't put on a false image. Their blogs are simple and tasteful. Not a lot of clutter and ads on the side, not too much color. When I read these blogs, it reminds me that I can create something beautiful on my blog too. I just forget that too often and focus more on trying to impress my readers. These blogs have a large readership, and it's not because they go out of their way to find followers. It's because they just be themselves, and that attracts readers like flowers attract bees. I love reading and getting inspiration/motivation from what they are able to do with their blogs. Maybe, with a little practice, I can create a blog work-of-art like they have.

Thanks for the tag, Meghan.