BLOGS are a FABuLOUS read... We will be SHARING different BLOGS with our readers... I would like to introduce you to a blog about "building a beautiful life with great food, brave travel and inspiring photography" ...
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Sure! My name is Krista Bjorn and I am a 37-year-old Danish-Canadian girl beginning a new life in Australia after some traumatic events jolted me into starting over. :-) It was dreadful at the time but I'm so grateful for those events now. I love my new life and am excited to be back doing the things that make me happiest: traveling, writing, photographing, and cooking with people I love. I share these adventures through my travel, food and photography blog http://www.ramblingtart.com/
Over two years ago I had just gone through one of the most painful times of my life. A dear friend thought starting a blog might be healing for me. It was. :-) I met kind, lovely people who comforted, supported and cheered me on. Taking time each day to find something beautiful in my little world to post about did much to bring hope and light back into my heart and give me courage to start over building a beautiful life.
What do you find most challenging about blogging about your topic?
I find it challenging to know how personal to be. Part of me wants to lay bare my thoughts and stories to the world in the hope that they might give hope to someone along the way. But another part wants to hide behind pretty pictures of food and far off lands where I feel safe and protected. When I face this struggle I try to remember the people who have shared their stories with me, how their courage helped me to take heart and not give up. It enables me to be more courageous in my own writing and find a healthy balance in what I share.
Tell me about some of the people you’ve met while working on your blog?
Oh, so many amazing folks, but for the sake of space I'll stick to a few lovelies I've met face to face: Margo is my editor and dear friend at The Travel Belles http://www.travelbelles.com/ who cheers me on and always makes me feel loved. Katy of Starry-Eyed Travels http://www.starryeyedtravels.com/ is more than just a fellow travel writer, she is like a sister, a very English sister. Cailin of A White Picket Fence http://www.awhitepicketfence.com/ is a dear fellow-Canadian who met me in London for tea and a great visit and has become a treasured friend. Ozoz of Kitchen Butterfly http://www.kitchenbutterfly.com/ braved wind and rain to meet me for coffee and a heart-to-heart visit in Amsterdam just before she moved back to her homeland of Nigeria. Corrie of Sophia Ballou http://sophiaballou.blogspot.com/ is a treasured friend I met in Prague who never fails to inspire me with her honesty, bravery, and kindness. Breanne of The Vintage Box http://thevintagebox.blogspot.com/ met me for a Belgian feast in Vancouver, Canada and is a true kindred spirit in food, wine, travel, music and books.
How would (someone) describe your blogging style?
Well, people have told me it's descriptive, colorful, and inspiring, and that when they read it they feel like I'm talking just to them. If that's how my style comes across, I'm thrilled to bits.
What do you do when you aren’t working on your blog?
I work as a freelance writer and photographer, and a social media consultant for small businesses starting their online presence. When I'm not online I'm in the kitchen cooking up yummy things or looking after a menagerie of goats, chickens, ducks, and geese on the farm where I live in Queensland, Australia http://www.citadelkalahari.com/ . I'm the resident nurse, midwife, and water girl for the beasties. :-)
Are you a full time blogger?
Yes, I am a full time blogger. I generally post three times a week and use the rest of my time doing the work generated by my blog: writing, photography, recipe development, and social media consulting.
What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging (business)?
While I maintain a presence on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/ramblingtart , most of my networking is done through Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ramblingtart , Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/103218150826380603805/ , LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/ramblingtart , and commenting on blogs. I like to get to know people beyond a surface level and find it easiest to do that through consistent communication and, when possible, face to face interaction. As I get to know them they get to know me and what I'm good at and not good at. :-) If opportunities come up for my skill set, they pass them along to me, and I do the same for them. I also listen when I'm out and about. If people have a need that I can fill, I let them know in a pressure-free way and give them my business card.
How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog?
Many people struggle with coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.
I try to make my life interesting with new experiences and new information. These provide a never-ending wellspring of ideas for blog posts. I also travel, whether it's to another country or just down the road to a museum or National Park, read everything from travelogues and cookbooks to history tomes and ripping good novels. And I listen. I get so many ideas for thoughts, stories, or recipes just from listening to other people share their experiences.
What’s your strategy with your blog in general?
I try to inspire my readers to build a life that is beautiful for THEM through photos, stories and recipes. Although my life is beautiful to me, it might make some people miserable! :-) I post three times a week, filling each post with photos and stories of food, travel and daily life that hopefully people can draw from to create their own version of a beautiful life.
What’s the best thing a blogger can give to his readers?
Be kind. Be honest. Be real. Those are the things that mean the most to me, and I connect quickly with bloggers who are like that.
What has been your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?
Online I update Facebook, Twitter and Google+ with links and photos and follow people I think might share my interests. I comment at least once a week (I try for three times) on the blogs/pages/tweets I love to let them know I appreciate their hard work and creativity. I also email a newsletter http://www.ramblingtart.com/newsletter_signup/. In real life I carry business cards with me at all times (unless I forget ;-)) and connect with people in the places I love doing the things I love.
What was the most challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?
When I started this blog it was a healing tool for me, a way to focus on something, ANYTHING that was good at a time when life was very bleak and painful. It was mostly about food, a very safe topic. :-) As I worked through those awful years I became stronger and freer and happier. I began to figure out who I was and what really made me happy. As I changed, my blog also had to change. I tried this and that, figuring things out by trial and error until I learned what made me happy and fulfilled in this little space, namely building a beautiful life with great food, brave travel and inspiring photography. It took a while, but that very challenging moment clarified so many things and helped put me on the track I'm on now. Things will probably change again, but for now, it's right. :-)
Everyone has a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why?
I honestly can't think of a least favorite post – though I definitely cringe looking back at my first photos. They're ghastly! :-) I'd have to say my favorite post is “Celebrating A Year of Recovery in Australia” http://www.ramblingtart.com/2012/10/21/celebrating-a-year-of-recovery-in-australia-and-a-giveaway/ because it took the most courage to write.
Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?
My blog reader is full of bloggers who daily inspire me with their food, photography, travels, creativity and writing. But there are far too many to list here, so I'll focus on those who not only inspire me with the things they write and create, but those who help make my heart stronger. Jacqueline of Bliss In Images http://blissinimages.wordpress.com/ for her kindness. When she read I was going through a painful time, she sent me beautiful little Guatemalan Worry Dolls from her home in Canada to comfort me. No matter what difficult things are going on in her life, she always finds something beautiful to delight in. Susannah from Susannah Conway http://www.susannahconway.com/ who does what she strives to do: reawaken creativity and nurture self-expression. Hila of le projet d'amour http://hila-lumiere.blogspot.com/ because her posts never fail to make me think, take me out of my comfort zone and introduce me to writers, artists and ways of life I've never known before. Vanessa from Decadence for Divas http://luxuria-jewellery.blogspot.com/ for she truly cares about and invests in her readers and consistently shares things that strengthen what is good in my life. Rain from The Sacred Life of Rain http://www.thesacredlifeofrain.com/ because she comes from a similar background and constantly gives me courage and hope to press on and be fearless. All the amazing women in the Travel Belles Community http://community.travelbelles.com/ who inspire me to pursue what I love and take time to enjoy what makes my heart sing. And last but not least, The Brave Girls Club, http://www.bravegirlsclub.com/ whose daily posts strengthen my resolve, shore up my courage, and give me hope.
If someone was interested in blogging, what would be a few things you would suggest?
1. Just start and know you'll improve as you go along. Every single blogger was a poor photographer, weak writer, and dreadful networker in the beginning. :-)
2. Write about what makes YOU happy, then you'll never get bored.
3. Do your best with what you have. I have a tiny, cheap camera, an old laptop, and almost no money. It's OK. Sometimes your best work comes out of making do with what you have.
4. Do unto others. If comments, tweets, and likes make your day, be sure to spread the love and give them to others.
5. Get better. After a week or two, analyze your work or have someone do it for you. If your photos aren't that great, learn more about lighting and props. If your writing needs some oomph, borrow a vocabulary or writing book from the library and brush up on some new words or styles. If you don't have a single reader or follower yet, study up on using Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and use them.
6. Celebrate your achievements. First post, first comment, first reader. A good life is simply celebrating good things. And even little good things are worth celebrating.
