Since I changed my website about six months ago, I’ve enjoyed reading blogs and interacting with some cool people. But it still came as a surprise to be nominated for a Liebster Award by Alice from All I Love. Alice writes a great blog on literature, art and culture, and I was humbled by her nomination, so I take this opportunity to say, Thank You Alice!! To do my own part of love-sharing, I have nominated some new blogs to promote the great work they’re doing. My benchmarks here are quite subjective. These bloggers are all sharing their unique journey and pictures and are definitely worth a visit! But first, I need to answer some curly questions . . .
How did you get into blogging?
Initially I didn’t set out to be a blogger and still don’t consider myself one. My website brettmoffatt.com was about 5 years old and I wanted to convert it to a more modern platform. Much of WordPress’ functionality impressed me and I thought I could adopt the wordpress format and make it work for me. Additionally, once I started using WordPress I realised the potential for me to engage a bigger audience, than my artwork audience alone.
What has been the most surprising thing you have come across when blogging?
Not too much surprises me…
When you’re not blogging, what do you do?
When I’m not blogging I spend time with close family and working on my art projects and consultancy. I work on several projects in tandem and I do a lot of ground work researching and developing ideas for new paintings. My network of creative partners includes: galleries, patrons, suppliers, models, framers and other creative people, so I also spend a lot of time servicing my relationships with all the special people in my life. I help organizations with branding and marketing strategies. I like to exercise, go to the beach, goto new places, eat out, all the cool stuff that reminds me how interesting the world is.
What do you blog about most often?
I love art, painting, drawing and beauty, so I tend to blog about themes that relate to this. I think fashion is a vehicle for fanciful, imaginative ideas and the human body, so I enjoy looking at fashion editorials and posting on them. I like to relate my experiences and knowledge of art to themes of beauty, intrigue and voyeurism. I am hoping to add more depth and engaging material to my blog. Having a healthy, respectful dialogue with my audience is a relationship I’m keen to foster. It helps me relate and understand more about what I do and how it’s being received.
Do you promote your blog? How/why not?
I promote my blog through other social networking channels such as Twitter, my Facebook Fan page, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google +, LinkedIn and shortly on the Behance Network. I usually share posts that I think would suit those platforms, and each of those prospective audiences. I also create a newsletter every two to three months. This has a summary of news and is perhaps a little more personal than the other social network channels. Making art takes up so much time that I don’t get to work on my website as much I’d like to.
Is your blog private or do you love to share it with the world?
I am a very private person, but am comfortable sharing my blog with the world. I enjoy interacting with and seeing what bloggers are liking on my website. I think ‘like’ attracts ‘like’.
Where do you often do your blogging – at home, in private, on the go?
I often do my blogging on my iPad at the dining table, in my studio, in the office, in bed and in cafes – pretty much anywhere. I keep everything in Google Drive (on the cloud) then put it all together on my iPad or desktop computer in the office. I am collating all my images and ideas into folders, so I am hoping to make posts more insightful and rewarding for my viewers. This has taken a bit of trial and error and finding out what works.
If you could do anything and blog about it, what would it be?
I’m passionate about art, history and mysteries, so aside from painting I would divide my time up by researching lost masterpieces and travelling all over the world looking for them! Very old paintings, the kinds we see in major museums have what’s called a provenance. This is a chronology of past owners. Sometimes, for inexplicable reasons, artworks disappear in time. I would really love photographing and writing about the stories of my journeys in searching for these lost treasures. I enjoy new experiences, and would love interviewing, painting and drawing all the new people I meet.
What has been the most controversial topic you have written about on your blog?
I’ve posted a few nude images. These could be considered controversial, but haven’t written about anything controversial.
From the above, what were the responses?
The nude posts are usually very popular and that’s great – I really appreciate the support. Generally I keep my blogging really positive, and try to promote what’s great about the beautiful things I find.
What would you like to do if you had all the time you needed?
I love: painting, drawing, catching up with friends and meeting new people, cooking, travelling, listening to music, reading, seeing movies, writing about and discussing all of that with friends. I am a diarist. I rarely do anything without an intention, but think it’s healthy to try new things off-the-cuff; do stuff outside my comfort zone. I love mysteries. I’d travel to the ends of the earth to unravel a good mystery.
11 Random Facts about Me
- Always loved anything that flies and wanted to be an ornithologist when I was a child, and was always drawing birds, feathers, dinosaurs and trucks.
- Started flying ultralight aircraft when I was 16.
- Favourite aircraft are the: F111, F14, A4, Spitfire and F4U Corsair. My father’s uncle and grandmother’s brother both flew Supermarine Spitfires for the allies in WWII in the Battle of Britain.
- Fascinated by the lives of my forebears. My surname of Moffatt (originally de Montalto) is an old name that is mentioned as far back as 804AD by Emperor Charlemagne in France. It traces back to Scotland (11th c.), Italy and Spain as well.
- Enjoy studying all kinds of history, and studying strategies used in battles.
- Favourite movie is Casablanca.
- Favourite artist/historic person is Leonardo Da Vinci.
- I love the Charleston.
- Upon hearing Muse’s album The Resistance, within a couple days I wrote a screenplay for a film inspired by the music.
- I want to live and work in a big, romantic, dilapidated castle on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, with sprawling gardens, surrounded by lots of birds, cats and dogs.
- I have been very privileged to be able to paint, draw, interview, photograph hundreds of people from all walks of life. Just about anyone you can imagine. It’s been a tremendously engaging and rewarding experience.
11 Great New Blogs Worth Visiting!
http://mcculloughllc.wordpress.com/
http://rustbeltjournal.wordpress.com/
http://thomasheneage.wordpress.com/
http://shutterspeedaero.wordpress.com
http://fruttidiboscofirenze.wordpress.com/
http://deborahmartinfineart.wordpress.com/
http://blackandwhitefilms.wordpress.com
http://overdressedforlife.com/
http://antiqueandvintage.wordpress.com/
http://standardvintage.wordpress.com
To accept this award, all you have to do is answer my questions, nominate your own blogs, and the love continues spreading! My questions to you are:
- Why did you start a blog?
- Is your blog personal or are you blogging about wider interest topics?
- Do you hope to build a loyal audience or are you simply hoping people will find your posts?
- Of the items you’ve posted on/blogged about so far, what do you think has been the most popular?
- What has been your favourite blog post that you have written?
- Why do you think people visit your blog?
- Why should people visit your blog?
- Do you actively search for new subjects/content to blog about, or do you blog when you think it’s necessary?
- How do you relax?
- What do you do spend most of your time doing?
- What do you think are the ingredients of a great blog?
Now it’s your turn – get posting and nominating!
