Today, I'm continuing my series of interviews with my favorite bloggers, attempting to figure out just what makes the blogging world go round and just how they achieve content I want to read again and again. Next up is Helen from the lovecats inc, who has amazing hair and clothes and is basically my new style crush!
Your photos of products are always so beautifully
arranged. Do you have a particular process you follow to create these images?
first of
all, thank you! secondly, i don't necessarily have a particular process for all
photos. my 'makeup series' posts (which are still ongoing) have a certain
layout as i wanted the images to look like they were part of something, so are
similar in style. everything else is a case of throwing the products down on my
windowsill and shuffling them about
until they look presentable.
Your use of only lower case letters could be quite
controversial. It creates a standout aesthetic on your blog, but do you think
it affects your readership?
i'm not
100% sure if it affects my readership, as i haven't had any direct feedback
stating so. i mean don't get me wrong, i've had people tell me they wish
i would use capital letters where appropriate, yet they still read and frequently comment on my blog. to me
it's just an aesthetic thing, i like
the letters being on the same level as much as possible (maybe it's borderline
OCD, who knows?) but i doubt i'll change any time soon, as it's my personal blog.
How would you describe the aesthetic of your blog?
Is the design of your blog important to you?
i've just
changed the layout of my blog which i think has made it more 'me', to be very cliché.
i'm not sure if i have a specific aesthetic, as my last layout was a million
miles from this one, but i'd like to think clean
and simple is the thing i'm aiming at for now. i think the design of any blog is so important.
big, clear images, access to all important features (social media, categories
etc) and an easily readable blog are
the main things i look for in a blog. for example, if your blog has strange
text, in a bright colour, on a black background with tiny images, who is going
to come back to read it? your blog
design is your first impression, so you need to make it as easy as possible
for a reader to take everything in as they don't want to have to hunt around to
find info - they'll just go somewhere else!
What is your favourite part of the blogging
process- the writing or the photography?
i like a
mixture of the two, as there's nothing
more rewarding than seeing a whole post come together and getting feedback from
readers. i wish i was a lot better with my camera than i am, but that
(along with my writing) is something i can improve
over time.
Do you think doing a degree related to blogging has
helped you move your blog forward?
not at
all. i genuinely wish i hadn't bothered going to university as, to me, it has
been a complete waste of time. i have learned
more through my blog than i did in my full three years of my magazine
journalism degree. they don't teach you how to network, promote yourself or anything related to actually getting a
career in journalism in university and there's not enough feedback to know if
your writing is improving or not. maybe it was just the university i went to
and perhaps i should have went to london or another major city, but i would say don't do a journalism/media
degree unless you really have to.
How do you think writing a blog post differs from a
magazine article? Which medium do you prefer (print or online) overall?
i think
it differs massively as magazines
depend so heavily on advertising that what they say is heavily edited (hence
why you rarely see a strongly negative
review in a magazine). blogging offers the opportunity to be constructive and honest, regardless of
if the product has been gifted or not. it also offers a more personal aspect to the journalism world
which makes readers want to come back instead of a faceless writer in a
magazine. + even though i have mag subscriptions, i still much prefer the
online world.
What are your favourite types of posts to write?
i like
putting together outfit posts, as
i'm a huge fan of seeing personal style on blogs and they're the posts i get
the most positive responses from. though, deep down i do really like writing beauty reviews as i am a beauty junkie
and the beauty blogging world has helped
me so much with my skin etc, so i enjoy sharing what's worked for me.
What has been the main benefit of blogging for you?
i know a
lot of people say the opportunities are fantastic but being up north i have to
turn down a lot of press invites which does make me sad! i do really enjoy working with PR's though as some
are absolutely lovely and you discover a
lot of brands and products that you might not have otherwise. it's not the
be all and end all of blogging, but it's certainly a nice perk!
Do you see your blog as a long term career
prospect?
at the
moment it is my sort of my job as i've just finished uni and haven't started a
'proper' career yet. you can't guarantee
any money that comes in from blogging each month, so, just like freelance
writing, it's quite risky as a
permanent long term job. i am happy to do it part time along with a job when i
get one (which should be soon) and as
long as my readers keep reading, i'll keep posting.
Where do you see yourself, and your blog, in five
years?
i
honestly have no idea as no one can
predict the way the internet is going to go. new trends and ways to publish
content keep coming up all the time, so who knows if blogs will even be as
popular as they are in five years. i'd
like to think people will still be blogging and it'll be interesting to see who
continues on though. when i started taking my blog seriously in may 2012, i
never expected to stick at it but i have, so i will continue to do so even if
it's just to prove a point to myself. we'll
just have to see what happens!
(All picture credits go to Helen).
