blog thoughts

Featured Interview at If Found, Make.

08/23/2014 by Jennifer 2 Comments

Hi friends! Yesterday, my friend Angela at If Found, Make shared an interview with me for her new Q&A series! She and I both have very similar goals and ideas as bloggers and it has been wonderful to connect over our shared interests. Check out the interview here and then go take a look around the rest of Angela’s blog. She has such a great appreciation for the creative process behind blogging and handcrafting.

Hope this weekend is good to you. :)

ps. Happy, happy birthday to my mom who I love and miss so much!!

My Personal Rules for Blogging

08/15/2014 by Jennifer 24 Comments

In the blogging world, many pieces of advice are relative. What works for one person may not work for another. There are several factors to take into consideration including focus, goals, audience, etc. But I truly believe that no matter what kind of blog you have, there are few personal changes that can make anybody a happier blogger. Today, I want to share three “rules” I have been trying to live by.

1. Talk about your blog in real life.

I used to tell people about my blog as a very last resort. I would dance around the subject and mumble things about crafts when I should have just said, “I’m working on my blog.” Depending on what kind of area you live in, half the people you talk to to might be completely perplexed. They might even bring up “weblogging”. ;) But the more you tell people about your blog, the more you’ll hear people say, “I have a blog too!” And suddenly, you will have a real life blog friend. Piece of cake.

Recently, I have been challenging myself to talk about my blog here in Portland. Already, I have made a few friends at work who are also bloggers! It’s crazy and wonderful how one mention of blogging can spark a conversation and connect you to someone who may also be keeping their blog on the DL. When you talk about your blog enough, I promise that blogger coffee dates will be abounding.

2. Do not try to be passionate about something you’re not passionate about.

Think about something that is really cool right now. Pineapples? Everyone is so into pineapples. I personally only like pineapples on my pizza. But I keep looking at this pineapple patterned cardigan at Target and feeling like maybe I should have it. I genuinely think it’s adorable but I also know that I’ve been strongly influenced by the interwebs. Trends come and go every season and I fall under their spell every time. Say no to pineapples if deep down you want to say no to them.

Here is a more personal example: In high school and college, I was always the crafty girl. That was my thing. But as I said the other day in this post, I’m not too inspired in the crafty arena these days. It’s a bummer because I know people like DIY projects. But slightly changing the direction of my blog toward what I’m more passionate about has been so rewarding and has resulted in more growth than I expected.

3. Try not to minimize your statements or discredit yourself.

Through my psychology classes, I learned a lot about minimizing statements and I realized that I did this (and still do this) a lot! There is a big difference between being humble and being self-deprecating. I believe you can be humble and be happy for yourself at the same time. Here are some examples of minimizing statements (and alternatives) as they relate to blogging:

“I know I’m no expert at all, but today I want to talk about staying motivated as a blogger.”
(Today I want to talk about motivation. These are a few significant things I have learned through my experience as a blogger.)

“It’s super cliche and unoriginal, but I feel most inspired when I’m at a coffee shop writing in a fresh new notebook.”
(There’s nothing like a fresh new notebook and a coffee shop to make me feel inspired.)

“I just love web design. I don’t know, I’m so nerdy!!”
(I love web design!)

I literally said that last quote word for word the other night and my coworkers replied, “No you’re not, that’s so badass!” So…do your thing. Love what you want to love. Do what inspires you. Most importantly, stop putting yourself down. :)

Have any of these issues been relevant in your blogging experience? I’d also love to know how you go about bringing up your blog in the real world.

Thanks for letting me share!

Blog Thoughts | Make it Happen – Then Share

04/29/2014 by Jennifer 4 Comments

My mom has always called me an obsessive person. When I get a new idea, I just simply can’t be quiet about it. I wouldn’t call this a flaw because what’s so wrong about being inspired about new ideas? Nothing really. Unless you forget about those ideas the next day. A couple years ago, I went to Turkey and fell madly in love with the ceramics I saw there. I watched people effortlessly throwing their clay and making smooth, beautiful dishes that they would later paint in intricate, rich designs. Right then and there, I decided I would someday have a shop full of hand thrown ceramics. No big deal! So I took a little class on wheel throwing and made a few lopsided bowls. Then I worked more in a friend’s pottery shed in the sweltering summer heat and it was so difficult that I just completely gave up. The artists in Turkey made it look so easy, but I didn’t have the patience or upper arm strength. That dream was pretty short-lived for having been talked up so much.

source

I think technically there isn’t anything wrong with having creative ideas and then letting them go, because not everything is for everyone. It’s good to at least dip your feet into different crafts, tasks, or hobbies sometimes. If you dabble in it, at least you can say that you tried it. And trying new things is how we decide what we really love and what we just appreciate from afar, right? I have learned that it’s best to make sure I truly enjoy something before I announce to the whole world that it is going to be my full-time job, forever. This past week, I was inspired in a brand new way and took interest in some online courses. I told everybody I saw about it and they were like, “Oh that’s neat!” But my mom (who speaks the truth even when I hate it) said, “Okay, but you’ve said this before…” Basically, I’m the girl who cries wolf all the time. Do you struggle with this at all? There are currently a few things I’m so excited about, but I’m trying to keep them on the DL until I know for sure that they are real. It’s rough.

Learning How to Say No

04/07/2014 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

A big part of blogging is learning how to communicate well and especially how to say no. This is something I’m still learning how to do in every day life. Saying no is super awkward! I always impulsively say “yes” and then have to rethink things.

A couple years ago, I was contacted by a blogger to contribute a shop item to a holiday giveaway. I knew that I wanted to say no because a) I was busy and overwhelmed during that season and b) I wasn’t comfortable being associated with the blog and its vibe. Instead, I said something along the lines of “sorry I’m too busy right now!” hoping the situation would be forgotten. This blogger was consistent, man. A few requests later, I was finally straightforward and said no.

These are some things I like to consider in order to overcome or avoid awkward moments in the blogosphere:

1. Keep disclaimers or disclosure statements to build consistency in what your blog represents. Is it a for profit blog? Can just anyone apply to sponsor? Do you have rules for people who want to use your images?

My sponsor page has a very broad list of who should apply to sponsor. I love offering sponsor spots or reviewing products for people or companies who are doing what they love in a creative and thoughtful way. If I get a request that’s too far out there, I will probably have to say no. Remember to only support the brands you value. Saying no is better than having weird buttons on your sidebar that you don’t love. Yikes.

2. Develop a genuine, kind way of saying no. The word itself is negative and can come across as sounding mean especially via email. If someone approaches you and wants to collaborate but you’re not feeling it, find ways to let them know you truly appreciate that they reached out to you.

3. Be prepared to give people resources that will better suit their needs. A few months ago, I contacted one of my favorite designers to see if she would be interested in helping me design my blog. She told me that she didn’t do blog designs anymore and directed me to giant helpful directory of resources. I loved that. Even if you can’t help someone yourself, you can redirect them to people or places that will give them what they need. :)

Are you comfortable with saying no? If so, what’s your secret?

Blog Thoughts | On Staying Inspired

03/23/2014 by Jennifer 7 Comments

Two summers ago, I was in a discouraging place as far as blogging goes. I had just graduated college and my mom and I went up to Washington to visit family. We stayed in a yurt and it seemed like the perfect place to be inspired creatively, but I spent most of the week staring at the blank pages of my notebook. I wanted to add DIY projects to my blog but I didn’t know where to begin. Also, I felt like all of my ideas were too unoriginal or just plain boring. I remember feeling so sad and frustrated.The next few months were crazy as most after-college months are (or is that just me?). I’m pretty sure I had my quarter-life crisis early, so I’ll just skip over that season. ;) Eventually the ideas did start flowing. I went to the Whole Foods cafe one day that winter and filled a notebook full of potential blog post topics. I wrote down everything that came to mind and the ideas ended up building off of one another. Here are my favorite ways to stay inspired: 1. Keep a notebook with you all of the time! All the time. Even if it’s just on your phone. Make sure you can easily write down random ideas. Lots of my creative thoughts come to me right before I fall asleep. I have found that if I don’t write them down, there’s no way I will remember them in the morning. So I always sleepily grab my phone and make some notes of whatever comes to mind. It’s worth it. 2. Pin. A lot of people say things like, “Oh Pinterest, I waste so much time there!” However, I think it can be used as a very helpful resource. I have begun to discipline myself to go on Pinterest and pin a little every day. It’s funny to say that I’m making myself look at pretty things each day. Oh no, NOT pretty things! Haha. There is definitely a way to stay focused and productive while on Pinterest.

a) Only pin things that you genuinely love/are willing to try.

b) Organize your pins and refer back to them. Try thinking of it as “thoughtfully curating” rather than just gathering a hodgepodge of pictures.

c) Make a private “for the blog” board. I have one and I pin things that I want to use for my future blog topics. It helps me remember what posts I need to complete.

3. If you think of a blog post idea that has already been done, keep it on your list. It’s one thing to see a DIY project on a blog and replicate it exactly, and it’s another thing to think of the project before seeing it all over Pinterest. Sure it might be a bummer to find out that so many people have had the same idea as you, but remember that your perspective is original and unique. Think of ways you can modify the DIY project, recipe, etc. to make it your own. I experienced this while working on my Knob Wine Cork DIY. I realized that so many people had done it before, but I’m glad I decided to go through with it and figure it out in my own way. I talk to customers at work about this project almost every week and I have a few tips and pointers that worked well for me (that maybe weren’t listed in other tutorials). You never know what people can learn from your point of view. 4. Seek beauty in every day life when you’re away from your computer or creative workspace. I work in retail and sometimes I have to scribble my ideas down quickly on the back of receipt paper. I’ll be inspired by the pattern on a skirt or a layout in a magazine we sell. Getting ideas from places other than blogs, Pinterest, etc. results in more original ideas. Inspiration is everywhere if you look for it. Hint: it helps to go outside. :)Hope these ideas help you the way they have helped me! How do you usually go about seeking inspiration?

How to Find Image Sources

03/16/2014 by Jennifer 6 Comments

For the past year, I have been keeping a list of things I’ve learned as a blogger. Or I guess I should say, “things I am learning.” Everything about blogging is a work in progress, but maybe the best hobbies in life are those that continue to challenge us. I’m hesitant to start posting blog tips because I never want it to sound like I think I have lots of wisdom. These are definitely things I am trying to teach myself too. :) Today I want to share my biggest pet peeve about blogging: not citing sources! This is important not only because artists deserve to be credited for their work, but also because you can get into some real legal problems! That’s what the “Or else…” is for in this post title. Nobody wants legal problems. If a source is so far removed from the original photographer that you really can’t find it, I think it’s decent to say “source unknown” and leave a little note or disclaimer to let readers know that they can correct you. Before that though, there are a few ways you can go about finding the source of the photo. This is my favorite method: 1. Find an image that you love and see where the link takes you. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and it will lead to a blog post with the original source. But most of the time, it will just be a photo url ending in “.jpg”.

2. Command-click (or right click) the image and copy the image url.

3. Open up Google Images and click the camera icon in the corner of the search box. Paste the url you copied and press enter.

4. You will probably end up with a few pages of links to Tumblrs and Pinterest boards. Keep scrolling! Among those urls, there will hopefully be a gem that will lead you to the original source. I thought this last url looked most promising since it’s of a blog rather than simply an inspiration board. (BTW, Ses & Jen Stylefiles is the prettiest blog!)

5. Find and follow the source urls that will lead you to the photographer.

See? Piece of cake. A few other tips: Read this article about the real possibility of being sued for using photos that are copyrighted. It is painful to read as it states that we are in no way legally allowed to use images that are copyrighted unless we have written permission from the photographer. Even sourcing the images doesn’t even make it technically legal. Sharing images by others is a very blurry line since many of us love when our images are blogged or pinned (when linked back to our page!).

– Google is your best friend, always. Think of some keywords to find the source of the photo you love.

– Citing our sources also applies to recipes or ideas for DIY projects. If your DIY project was inspired by your favorite blog or a product from a store, share that source with your readers! It’s a wonderful thing to be inspired by others.

– Put yourself in the shoes of the photographer. When I was in high school, I had a friend with cotton candy pink hair. She got an adorable kitten and I came over and we took a bunch of artsy pictures. One day, out of curiosity, I looked up one of the photos on a reverse-image-search website, similar to Google images. Someone had edited the photo all crazy and was using it as a Livejournal avatar. It was super creepy.

– Try to avoid blogging photos from places like Tumblr and WeHeartIt unless you can successful find the sources. Pinterest seems to be a little better at keeping sources with photographs.

– Also, try to pin images from the specific blog post pages. For example, instead of pinning from http://www.earlgreyblog.com, you would pin from http://www.earlgreyblog.com/2014/03/recipe-box-earl-grey-ice-cream.html. It makes it easier to find the source of an image especially if it’s a source within a source. If it sounds like too much busy work, try thinking of it as a challenge! Or read that article again. ;) Who knows, you might discover some new favorite blogs while you’re researching sources.