I saw a post over at Imperfectly Painted and Steph had asked and answered some questions about blogger identity. She does 'Talk it out Tuesday' each week to talk about subjects that matter to her and they're always thought-provoking for me. I thought it was an interesting debate and wanted to chip in. Here are her questions:
Who are you as a blogger? Hmm. I'm just a late thirties, glamour- and bargain-obsessed woman who likes to write about make up, life, my health and occasionally clothes. I'm just a normal woman in many respects - I have problem skin, I have wrinkles, I'm ageing, my monobrow is trying to take over the Universe, not just my face. Then there are bits that aren't so 'normal' - I'm fat and I'm disabled. So I'm Mrs Average with a side order of something a bit kooky and mangled! :)
I'm a blogger who blogs for my sanity. I've always had a need in me to write, ever since I could first grab a pen. If I wasn't writing here, I'd definitely be writing about something else, somewhere. The urge is too great not to. So I blog partly for my own good and partly to share with you. I hope that comes across. I LOVE hearing from my readers and always answer back. If I haven't answered a comment, my email notification has failed! Every comment I *know* I've had, I reply to.
What are your goals for your blog? A small, but loyal readership. I think if I had huge numbers I'd feel worried by the responsibility of it, probably down to my anxiety. I like knowing exactly who everyone is when they comment on my blog. You're like the friends who live in my pc! :) Other than that, I'm pretty much a 'take it as it comes' person so I just look forward to writing better, finding more content and interacting with everyone as much as possible. I haven't got a huge disposable income so there's not as much content as I'd like on the blog, but I do my best.
What type of relationship do you want with with your readers? A friendly one! I'm really bubbly and friendly in real life and I hope some of that comes across in my blog. I'm not here to preach or tell granny how to suck eggs, but if I've found something out that might be helpful to someone else, I'll share it gladly, even if it only reaches one person. If there's a delicious bargain to be had I'm keen to shout about it. Also, I sometimes write deep and meaningful stuff to help me process things and also to get across it's OK not to know everything. Sometimes just asking yourselves the questions is enough. It all leads to growth and learning and I think that's good for us all.
Do you want to be more than just a blogger? I don't think so, no. Blogging is my hobby, and that's the beauty of it. If I was being paid, it'd probably suck all the joy out of it. Having have said that though, I am considering writing a book. Many, many people over the years have told me that I have a way with words and should write a book. I'm considering writing my autobiography and I'm considering serialising it on my blog. Am I mad?! I've had a rollercoaster life full of highs and the lowest of lows. I've escaped childhood poverty, had three pretty serious accidents, lost loved ones, lost babies, lost my good health, but gained a husband, lifelong friends and a new appreciation of the simple things in life.
Where do you stand as far as other bloggers blogging on the same topic? Well, there are two ways this can go. There's blatant copying and ripping off of other people's entire blogs wholesale (even down to personal photos!) which I've heard about, and that's just abhorrent. Then there's getting inspiration from a post, just like I did here from Steph and posted this blog with her express permission. I think as long as you credit the person you're inspired by in your post, say how you were inspired, link to the relevant blog and make the blog you've written about it have your voice, then it's OK.
So, fellow bloggers or else blog readers, what do you say about blogging, bloggers and the whole shebang?
I'll tell you a bit about how I read blogs. It's my favourite part of the day. After our tea, hubby makes me a cuppa. I put my feet up and drink my tea while I read blogs for an hour or two. I love it. It's 'me' time. I read nail blogs, make up blogs, fatshion blogs, lifestyle blogs, and some that have a little bit of everything. It's just like reading a couple of dozen mini magazines. The variety of it is the beauty of it, for me. That and drooling over sparkly things, of course!
Over to you.
