Bonjour, Blogger! : Katy

Name: Katy
Age: 22
Location: Wiltshire
Blog URL: Counter-cultural. Counter-couture.

What is your blog about?
It’s simply my own take on fashion and style. I’m trying to figure out where I stand on the high street, alternatives and how it all relates my life as a Christian. Oh, and I love to give my opinion on my favourite articles from the fashion mags.

Is this your first blog?
No. I wrote a couple under pseudonyms about some of the stuff going on in my life. I’m now confronting some of those issues a bit more publicly. It’s easier as people are opening up to discussing previous taboos in public.

I’m also running a joint one with my friends. It’s called Our History Our Heritage, as we’re all historians or archaeologists and involved with the heritage sector. It’s another outlet where our passions/interests aren’t confined by rules.”

When did you start your current blog?
Last October. Three months after I’d graduated to keep occupied while looking for a job. I found that I just couldn’t stop when I did start work.

What made you do it?
Lots of different things. I’ve always been a bit of a cynic about the fashion world. At university I became friends with a goth at church (shock horror!!) who showed me that being feminine did not mean giving into girly, high street expectations. Instead I became more familiar with alternative styles, e.g. gothic and rockabilly styles. Then, in third year I read an article in Look about ‘Mipsterz’ and the penny dropped… It was possible to be stylish and different, to live by my beliefs and not have to dress in shapeless clothes. And the idea was formed to start a blog and share my opinions. To challenge other people about how they dressed as well as exploring my life post-university through my clothes.

What was your first blog post about?
My first post was called ‘Sports luxe with a geek twist’ because I was fed up with seeing girls walking round in sports jerseys with floral pencil skirts. So, as a self-confessed geek, I put my own stamp on it with my Wonder Woman top and denim jacket. I think it was my way of rebelling against some of the silly trends going on last year.

What do you think is the most useful tool to you as a blogger?
Can I say time? Or my parents? I guess they’re not really tools so I think it’s my tablet. I can blog on the go using the various apps, saving them as local drafts. It’s my main tool for checking my social media but more importantly it’s my diary. I plan everything in it from when I’m writing to when I’m having my eyelashes tinted. I even force myself to schedule in days off. So yes, the diary app on my tablet is my most useful tool for blogging sanity.

Do people in your real life know about your blog?
Yes

If yes, has your blog helped you career wise?
No it hasn’t helped me yet but I keep writing because I enjoy it. Then again, both blogs are on LinkedIn so if they do get me a job/career eventually I won’t complain.

What has been the one thing (blog post, project, etc) that you have been really proud of?
I was really proud of my first meeting with a retailer to feature on the blog. I loved meeting Helen from thewordis.co.uk. Her ideas behind the company are fantastic and I love that she wants to challenge the Church as well as society as a whole. Plus her bamboo t-shirts are the comfiest tops ever!

Where do you see your blog in a year?
I see myself still writing, preferably in my own place instead of my parents. I’m not expecting to make a living out of it but I would like to encourage other people who aren’t comfortable with the high street to voice their opinions too.

What do you wish you knew when starting your blog?
I wish I knew about all the different networks and groups out there dedicated to blogging. I’ve met some of the bloggers from Bristol and it made such a difference putting faces to the tweets I’d read. So yeah, I wish I had known about the real life community available to bloggers.

What do you wish you know more about now?
I wish I knew more about photo editing. I’m still using iPhoto to edit my photos and I get fed up having to move photos from the laptop to Dropbox in order to post them on Instagram. It’s such a faff and I would love to find an easier way to both edit photos and put them on Instagram.

How do you keep motivated to post?
I love writing, which makes it easier. Whenever I feel like giving up, I remind myself that if I can change one person’s opinions or lives then it would be worth it. And to be honest, I’ve been told I either talk too much. At least if I’m talking online I’m less likely to be told to shut up. ;)

Anything else you’d like to add?
I’ve become addicted to Twitter since I started blogging full time. I love getting to know bloggers over it but I don’t want to just self-publicise so I tweet about anything that interests me. It also means I have a really random range of followers but it also keeps me grounded. It’s difficult to float about blog planning when you’re reading tweets about mental health, persecution or what cake they’ve had for lunch. So I guess that would be my top tip; stay grounded and don’t become too absorbed in blogging. There’s a real world still out there.