Name: Michelle
Age: 36
Location: West Yorkshire
Blog URL: Edenfound
What is your blog about?
I would describe edenfound as a lifestyle and creative blog. I write about the things I get up to and the things I make. I believe that anyone is capable of ‘having a go’ at a craft and so any DIYs that I do are effective, but simple.
Is this your first blog?
Yes, although it’s had a few facelifts since I started.
When did you start your current blog?
I started writing edenfound in March 2012 on Blogger. I moved to WordPress about a year later and then it was a few months of re-jigging until I was happy with the layout and design.
What made you do it?
It was a combination of things. I started a shop on Etsy and I began my blog purely to drive traffic to the shop. Two years later, there’s no shop anymore, but I’ve carried on blogging!
Also, I’d been a stay at home mum for 4 years and my brain was needing stimulation of a different sort. I’ve always been the kind of person who made things and created things with whatever materials I had around me and by documenting them it was my way of saying, ‘Hey, you can do this too!’
What was your first blog post about?
Something cheesy like, ‘Welcome to my blog. Have I mentioned I sell vintage clothes…?’
hangs head in embarrassment“
What do you think is the most useful tool to you as a blogger?
I think Twitter is a great way of engaging with readers and other like minded people. Most of my friends don’t get what blogging is, so it’s nice to have people to chat to who ‘get’ it.
My camera is also fast becoming my best blogging friend (BBF – you heard it here first, folks). I recently attended a great photography workshop at Blognix and I left feeling totally inspired. I’d like to think that my images have improved since then.
Do people in your real life know about your blog?
Yes
If yes, has your blog helped you career wise?
At the moment I’m a full-time mum, so although my blog hasn’t helped me career wise, I’ve found it’s helped to keep me sane. and it’s been really important for me to have something to concentrate on outside of my ‘mummy world’.
Most of my friends don’t read blogs, so what I do is a bit alien to them. Thankfully I have one good friend who has recently started blogging, so it’s been really good to have someone to bounce ideas off and come to blogging events with me.
What has been the one thing (blog post, project, etc) that you have been really proud of?
Ha ha, I regard the fact that I manage to write anything down, whilst having a 3 year old demand my attention, as a triumph in my book!
Where do you see your blog in a year?
I’d be lying if didn’t say I’d like it to grow.
I’m also toying with the idea of organising a bloggers meet-up for bloggers in Yorkshire and the surrounding area. Whenever I read about meet-ups they’re always miles away so I think it would be good for a bunch of us to meet up, have a laugh and share ideas. Any takers…?
What do you wish you knew when starting your blog?
The importance of good photography. I would love to reshoot blog posts from even a few months ago, but I’m not going to because there’s not a lot of point in looking back, is there?
What do you wish you know more about now?
I wish I knew my way around my camera a bit more. It would be good to learn some html. I’ve just started reading up on SEO……basically, I’m always learning….
How do you keep motivated to post?
I’ve started brainstorming ideas in my notebook which has given me a supply of topics to cover. In fact, I seem to have more ideas than I have time for!
I’ve struggled in the past finding the time to sit down and write, so now if I find the inspiration isn’t there I sit down and edit photos instead. When I look at the photos the words always start to flow. It’s like a blog storyboard.
