Bonjour, Blogger! : Lynsay

Name Lynsay
Age 28
Location Glasgow, UK
Blog URL www.misswestendgirl.com

What is your blog about? I write all about life and style in Glasgow and beyond! Miss West End Girl is my way sharing my little slice of Glasgow with the world and you can find everything from local guides, styled (‘outfit’) posts, advice, travel and much more…

Is this your first blog? I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember and started writing online during the old days of web journals and of course, MySpace (oh, dear…)!

When did you start your current blog? My current blog started back in the summer of 2010 – though it really doesn’t seem like that long ago! In September 2013 I jumped ship over from Blogger to WordPress, taking all my archived posts with me and built a new site from scratch. It was hands-down the best move I’ve ever made for my blog.

What made you do it? My main drive is that I simply love writing and wanted a hobby that combined my passions for writing & photography and could act as a creative outlet.
I started my current blog after following so many fashion, food, beauty and travel blogs from all over the world. I loved being able to read all about New York street style and London events, but felt like there was a real gap in anything from a Scottish perspective. I’d been toying with the idea of a Glasgow lifestyle blog for about a year before I actually took the plunge and started it!

What was your first blog post about? I started my current blog with a post all about Jodie’s Jewellery boutique – which was (RIP!!) an adorable little independent shop that sold jewellery from the likes of Tatty Devine, Tarina Tarantino and Disney Couture. I went in the store and interviewed the manager (I still can’t believe how confident I was!) and took some snaps with a shaky old phone camera and jotted down some notes. Before I knew it, my first blog post was born and the rest was history!

What do you think is the most useful tool to you as a blogger? That’s a good question – I think keeping a blogging diary is probably the best physical tool a blogger babe can have. I have a Filofax designed by Temperly and it is literally FILLED with scribbles! From ideas, to schedules for my posts, to research and anything else that pops into my head. You never know when inspiration is going to strike and I love being able to plan out a week (or month!) of posts too.

Do people in your real life know about your blog? Yes, absolutely! I think that my blog is a vital part of my life, who I am and what I am about. Through blogging I’ve been invited to guest write at other websites, work directly with companies that really excite me and help organise and run events.

What has been the one thing (blog post, project, etc) that you have been really proud of? When strangers tell me ‘in real life’ that they love my blog, I still feel genuinely surprised and immensely proud. Having someone you don’t know walk right up to you and tell you all about why they enjoyed a particular post you’ve written, or how your blog makes them feel is the most wonderful feeling! I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of amazing opportunities so far through blogging, but sometimes it is the simple things that really stick with you!

Where do you see your blog in a year? Hopefully continuing to make people smile, and maybe even attract a few new readers as the world of blogging grows. There really is quite a lot of us now, isn’t there? It’s my belief that we are all completely unique and there’s plenty of room for everyone in the bloggersphere so I’m excited to see my blog continue to develop along with me over time.

What do you wish you knew when starting your blog? I think that I used to feel a lot of pressure to post as often as possible, when really the number of posts you write doesn’t matter as long as you have strong content that you’re happy with. Over the years I’ve found my ideal balance and blog about 3 times per week now – it’s a number that I’m happy with. I know some bloggers that post one really amazing article a fortnight – and others that post several times a day. It’s all about what works for you.

What do you wish you know more about now? I’m not a WordPress guru but I am getting there, slowly!

How do you keep motivated to post? Blogging is something I really enjoy so luckily I haven’t experienced any sort of lack of interest. Everyone suffers from writer’s block every now and then and the most important thing to remember is that it’s totally OK to feel demotivated or stuck for ideas every now and then – we are human! I NEVER post for the sake of it, so the best thing to do is take a break and you’ll most likely come back feeling refreshed!
I also find that regular or semi-regular features can help get creative juices flowing!

Anything else you’d like to add? Remember that your blog is an extension of you, so find your passion and share it with the world!

A massive merci and hi-five to Bonjour, Blogger for featuring me! If you’d like to read more from me, please feel free to pop by my blog and say hello, or keep up with my adventures on Twitter and Instagram.