hey you! it’s me again. i am like the postman that always rings twice… well i am the blogger that always posts twice! and this week i have been downing my posts to two poer day, not that these interviews have anything to do with that fact, but it has been such a busy week, i have put on stand-by all those second-posts-of-the-day. but be prepared my friends… lots of good news next week!
and who shall be our next guest? if you have read the last post about {cecile de vries} you may have guessed… blond, short hair, beautiful smile and has been sharing what she wears every day for 30 days…
{erin loechner from design for mankind}
“professional blogger and freelance magazine writer with a knack for design and wit for life.”
{a wolf tattoo from hudsalva via design from mankind}
let us read about the main subject {blogging} by erin… what does she has to say on this?
1. do you remember the first day you blogged? what did you have in mind?
i do, actually! i told my husband i was going to start blogging again, and he rolled his eyes. i had blogged personally when we first met (over 10 years ago now!) and swore i’d quit cold turkey. turns out i couldn’t stay away… i didn’t have much in mind, other than i wanted a crash pad for cool images and artists i spotted online. DesignForMankind.com became that crash pad of randomness and i updated it every now and then.
2. what does your blog represents for you? how many hours it represents on a daily basis?
you know, my blog represents community. it’s amazing how many people it impacts, and that’s because of our community as a whole. we really do have a voice online, and its often exponential in its reach. as far as hours go, i really spend very little time sourcing for new content (a lot of it comes to me, and i don’t like to overthink it), but emails related to blogging? that takes HOURS. a good 10-12 daily. luckily, it’s my favorite part!
3. when you started to wish to make it grow in a really strong way, what strategies did work for your blog?
i think the only strategy that worked for me was to not wish for growth, but to blog for myself and to fill in voids that i saw elsewhere. i like to make people happy, so if i saw that a niche wasn’t being filled, i wanted to fill it. i think that’s why i post so much art — i see so little of it elsewhere and there are so many creatives (fashion/graphic design, artists, makers) that thrive on visuals and need that stimulation. i’m far from a designer myself, but i do think relatively aesthetic-based, so i can see why it’s a need for some. it’s certainly a need for me! i do, however, coach others on making their blog succeed, so i suppose if i gave myself my own advice,iI’d say to add something relevant to the conversation. immerse yourself in your community, and give more than take. you can take that literally, or figuratively, but it works every time.
{off to san fran via design for mankind}
4. since which moment you believed that your blog was a successful one?
oh, dear — it’s so funny to read that question. i just really don’t think in terms of success, but i am proud of this wee little corner of the world i’ve built. i so love what i do. i‘d say when my college magazine covered me as their november headliner this past month, that was a pretty cool thing. i mean, it’s interesting to see people that you know in real life reading your blog. it’s one thing to have thousands of internet friends, but the second that veil is lifted and you run into someone you’ve known before you blogged that keeps up with your work online… well, that’s sort of crazy.
{inspired by… via design for mankind}
now… let us think about other blogs and blogging…
1. if there was a main rule about blog etiquette, what would it be?
i think there are a few rules, but i’d recommend always giving credit where credit is due. whether you’re sourcing images or you were simply inspired by someone else’s post, it’s nice to open that train of thought to the readers. there’s a stigma that if you link to another blogger or website, you’ll use your readers to their content. that’s the craziest thing i’ve ever heard! in fact, you just might gain a friend in that other blogger. be nice to each other and raise each other up — it’s what we’re here for.
{protect your floors via design for mankind}
2. publishing a story every day… main rule towards success or not at all?
i like consistency, so i’m drawn to blogs that publish every day or multiple times a day. there’s a fine line, though, as i find myself posting 5-7 times daily and i think that’s a little much. but then again, i like to think there are no rules. because i just can’t help myself — i love finding unusual things and sharing them with the world!
3. when you read a blog, what is “that” thing that makes you click on “add a comment”?
anything personal where the blogger is sharing something that he/she is truly passionate about. i’m not an avid commenter, but i do when i see that someone has poured their heart/soul into something. i think that deserves a response of some sort.
4. what does your eye catch when you are searching the web and you find a new blog?
i love seeing new designs, and i like seeing a blogger breaking the rules or doing something completely new and thematic, like pairing art with fashion or photographing numbers all day long. anything super niche-driven is cool to me.
{a year ago today via design for mankind}
so… now i want to hear from you? what do you think? this was our forth interview…
we had {brittni’s} on monday
we had {victoria’s} on tuesday
we had {tara’s} on wednesday
& today we had erin’s.
i wish for opinions so far… and i have learned so much. i think that this was a really good idea, sorry for saying this out loud, but i never thought i could pull something like this, that people would want to hear this, and that these sweet & kind bloggers which i admire would want to answer and be a part of these series.
one thing is certain.
blogging is about {community}.
twiggs
Kate Pabst says
I'm loving this series! While trying to get my own start it's fun to hear about the humble beginnings of the heavy hitters and also what catches their eyes. When reading the amounts of time everyone spends on blogging and blog related activities I thought it might be nice to have a similar series for the "minor league" bloggers: people who have solid, popular blogs but aren't yet doing it full time. It would be an interesting additional perspective and a bit easier to relate to (for me anyway).
{twiggs} says
hello kate! thank you so much for your feedback and point of view! that is something really interesting! i may give it a thought in a few weeks. because why not hear the other way around? :) have a great day and welcome to this place! ;) twiggs
Juliette Crane says
love reading about erin and her pov on blogging! thank you! i esp love the idea of building community and giving credit :)
thank you for the inspiration!
juliette
Lynn says
i've just read every one of this series and need you to know i am ever grateful to you for thinking it up and posting it! these ladies are incredibly open and all reads of mine so it's also huge respect i feel about their opinions/insights.
really interesting and 100% adored. ♥
erin / dfm says
oh thank you so much for having me, sweet dear! it was truly a delight. :)