Sunshine Blogger Award

 

 

I've been nominated for this post by a lovely blogger over at Our Chaotic Mess, which I'm very thankful for!! I love these questions and especially the Octobery questions which are perfect for summing up October and heading into November!
Read her answers to the questions she was given (they're different for every post) and see who she nominated besides yours truly HERE.

 

Sunshine Blogger Rules

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link to the original post!
2. Answer the 11 questions they’ve asked you.
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 questions.
4. HAVE FUN!

 


1. What made you start blogging?

I started blogging originally in 2009, as a place to share train-of-thought posts and some exposition. I left it for a while after writing on there for a few years, and started this blog in 2016 as a place to share my poetry and artwork. 

2. What post of yours do you wish had received more attention? 

Hmm. This one is a hard one for me, because having only recently implemented a posting schedule, most of the post that didn't get as many views are my fault- at the time of posting them they weren't on a schedule and being shared on my social media with relevant tags and post labels.
That said, I do wish my post about my photography portfolio picks had gotten and would get more attention, because so often in conversation or in feedback I'll hear "Do you do photography as well?" or "Oh, I didn't know you liked to take pictures!" and I feel I must be misrepresenting myself somehow. (HERE is a shameless plug to that post)

3. What is your go to Fall recipe? 
 
Pumpkin bread! Would you like it? (U.S. measurements only, sorry!)






This recipe is from before I started on the Autoimmune Protocol diet, so it's not as health-forward as the recipes I usually use and share these days. I do also have a pumpkin carrot cake muffin recipe that's fully paleo and is really yummy and Autumnal, because it uses shredded apples.






4. What would you ask for if the answer was a guaranteed yes?

I think it would have to depend on who I was asking! I like to think this question is like a magic 8 ball that I know will answer yes, so my question will be "Will I sell every one of the paintings in my next series to raise money for my book?" 

5. What is one tip you have for promoting your blog/content?

The right hashtags, tagged promoters, and post labels! Using the right hashtags will not only promote your post to the users that follow those specific hashtags, but it will also allow the algorithm that directs posts to people who have already expressed interest in reading certain topics. 
Tagging the right promoters will allow your post to reach a wider audience as like-minded accounts share your post to an audience different to yours but interested in similar things, and so on until your content is reaching people who usually wouldn't seek it out but are interested enough to click. Isn't social media cool that way? It just has to be harnessed properly (I will soon be writing about why Comcast's "I voted... for you!" ads for sharing political ads based on viewing preference is a heinous misrepresentation of the Democratic voting system) . 

6. Where do you blog from? (office, couch, bed, etc)

I blog from my desk in our living room/office. We have a long desk that has my fiance's computer at one end, mine at the other, and our printer and router in between. My chair being at the end of the desk allows me to have a little nook in the corner where I hang my calendar and will have a bulletin board up to keep track of my projects.
It's also very PTSD-typical, it's in the corner furthest from and facing the two doors, between the windows and not in front, and with my monitor facing away from the rest of the room.  

7.  What is one thing about you that surprises people?

I think what surprises people about me often is how odd I am once opening up. It's not that I hide who I am, but I don't go controversial opinion- forward.  The thing about embracing your individuality is that it won't always be celebrated by others- you have to find a community you feel safe expressing yourself in. So, there are places I open up easily- LGBTQ groups, Unitarian Universalist churches, around other artists. But usually, within the limits of being true to myself (I will stick up for what I believe in), I keep rather quiet and gauge the people and the situations before expressing my opinions. It comes of growing up in a small town, in conservative communities, and hearing people with similar views as myself vilified.

8. What are three of your highlights from October?

I think, oddly, Blogtober was definitely a highlight although I didn't meet the goal I set for posting and reviewing every day. I got to write about a lot of my favorites in the spooky genre, and see some new things that I had been planning on and putting off.  On top of that, I was nominated in some really fun blogger tags that were a highlight of the month, and taught me a little more about my fellow bloggers. And then there's the paintings I've been creating this month, surprising me with what they turn into. Those have definitely been the highlights of my October.


9. Who’s your favorite blogger and how did you discover them?

Oh boy, I think this question may be a bit of a problem for me. As I go on blogging and interacting with other bloggers, I meet so many other inspiring individuals that, come Friday, I have tons more amazing bloggers that I want to promote that my Follow Friday threads are going to be ten tweets long. 
Soooo I think I will cop out and mention a blogger that inspired me to blog and go to school for photography back in my early days, a photography blogger out of Seattle, WA named Jamie Spiro. I'm not sure if they are even blogging still, but I remember when I started, and Blogspot was basically the interactive platform that Wordpress is now, I got a lot of inspiration from them and seeing the lifestyle of photojournalism. The platform aspect is gone from using Blogspot now, but the "next blog" button is still there and, if I recall correctly, it's how I discovered their blog while looking for similar topics using Blogspot and (showing my age?) Stumbleupon.


10. How do you wind down after a long week? 

Although I don't work a regular 9-5 job with weekends off, I do still try and treat the weekends differently. My regular posting day is Fridays, with other posts coming in on Mondays and Tuesdays if there's extra content for that week. So, once the weekend hits I've already posted what I need to and just need to share it periodically throughout the weekend.
On an ideal weekend, Saturday is cleaning day (vacuuming, refill the cat box, etc.) and then Sunday I'll relax and have a self-care day. Now that services are at the usual times (summer service starts too early for me to get a ride), I'll go to church at my local UU church in the mornings and the atmosphere of a sermon on charity, brotherhood, or whatever moral topic it is that week and singing with a community make me feel like I'm feeding my soul.
UU churches are a great place for people like me, who would rather be the friend that listens quietly than be the center of attention. I can sit in a cozy chair and listen as people talk about their families, humanist values, the books they've been reading, or whatever and just knit and chime in if asked a question. I also get a lot of spiritual healing and connection by going to groups on other faiths- one of my favorite things about UU churches. The one in my hometown often had buddhist meditation nights, regular Native American healing circles, and Pagan groups that met on the greater and minor Pagan holidays.
When I get home, I like to have a longer shower than just washing, exfoliating, and rinsing. I'll spend extra time with the conditioner in,  using a face mask or maybe a new lip scrub. Afterwards I feel nourished and glowy!


11. If you could create your own blogging tag what would it be?

After getting started on this blog and getting used to promoting it on various social media, I've used the tag #artblog hashtag probably the most, but it's a very quiet theme online still. I feel it's a perfect description of what I do, tying in my art to the other parts of my life and explaining how it's all connected, and it's also the type of blog that I'd love to immerse myself in and follow a lot more of.  So.. I guess I would make a hashtag-tag? The questions would be about how art ties into the rest of one's life- What famous artists inspired you when you were younger? Are there any songs come to mind in stressful situations that calm you down? Basically questions recognizing the wide array of what is art and how it affects different parts of our everyday life.

My Questions

 

I want to highlight the sunshine in the blogger community. There's so much support for one another and belief in one another's content. I think we all understand what it's like to go through chaos, whether it's physical or mental illness, traumatic events, loss- it makes us all so much more supportive of one another. 
We know how strong you have to be to make it in this world, and we're willing to help our friends be strong and step in and fight for our friends when they're not. That, to me, is the brightest light you can shine on other people.
 

1. Are there any posts you've done that you otherwise would have scrapped, were it not for the words of other bloggers or followers?

2. What bloggers do you see as your role models?

3. What new, up-and-coming bloggers do you think deserve more attention?

4. Have you surprised yourself with anything in your course of blogging?

5. What self-care tips have you gotten from other bloggers?

6. What topics are you excited to write about in the coming months?

7. Are there any collaborations you dream of doing?

8. What are your favorite blog niches/topics?

9. Is there a topic outside of your norm/comfort zone that you'd ever want to attempt writing about?

10. What tips would you give others about embracing your personal blogging style?

11. Did you have fun doing this tag and are you excited about coming up with your own questions and tagging others to answer them?



I nominate

@ItsNicoleCarman NavigatingDarkness.com
@TGirlWhoWrites thegirlwhowrites.co.uk
@the_rolling_20s therollingtwenties.com
@foreverwander12 foreverthewanderer.ie/wp
@BeccaBlogsItOut beccablogsitout.com
@navig8happiness navigationtohappiness.com
@medbus97 nadimame.wordpress.com
@BlanketFortBlog onlineblanketfort.com
@amywriteslife amywriteslife.com
@gpw_ria gettingpersonalwithr.co.uk
@samcomparone samspace1.wordpress.com