Holy cow, I’ve won some blog awards (part 2)!

On Wednesday I revealed 7 things you don’t know about me in response to KnitNell’s blog award nomination.

Today it’s Sounds Like Orange’s turn. Here are his questions:

1. What inspired you to start blogging?

I always wanted to write a blog but was too scared. Who on earth would read it? What the hell would I say? When I signed up for a hypnotherapy diploma at the end of 2011 I had the perfect opportunity – I started a blog called Adventures of a Trainee Hypnotherapist. Then I rather annoyingly realised I didn’t want to be a hypnotherapist after all and my blog morphed into what you see today.

2.  How did you come up with the name for your blog? 

My boyfriend left this note for me on my computer one day:

I read the P.S. and thought “Hmm, that’s a rather good name for a blog!” (I’ve had my doubts since then so things may change, you never know…)

3.  Tell about your dream job. 

I’m kind of in the middle of figuring this one out. At the moment my dream job is a mixture of creative things including writing my blog, writing a book about creativity, designing a range of prints and cards…oh, and writing a bestselling children’s book which gets turned into an animation.  (It did say dream job.)

4.  Is your glass half full or half empty? 

Both. I am a pessimist on a project by project basis with a penchant for being overly optimistic about my chances of a bright future. Not sure if that makes any sense. I’m confused too.

5.  If you could go anywhere for a week’s vacation, where would you go? 

Right now I need a break so I’m thinking somewhere exotic where I can lie on a beach, wafted by the breeze, whilst I sip martini cocktails. After that I’d do something adventurous. I quite fancy doing the Inca Trail.

6.  What food can you absolutely not eat? 

I love all food so I am going to nominate a taste – I can’t stand coffee. It smells great. It sounds lovely. But the stuff is vile. I hate any form of coffee – cakes, chocolates, desserts, and drinks. If I pop a coffee chocolate in my mouth by mistake, I have to spit it out immediately (we’re talking a nanosecond later).

7.  Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? 

Dark.

8.  How much time do you spend blogging? 

Probably 4-6 hours a week, depending on my mood. If I am in a strop there’s no point writing anything. And then I go quiet. Of course, sometimes I go quiet because I am too busy. It’s really hard fitting everything in. But blogging is so rewarding – expressing yourself and connecting with like-minded people – so I inevitably find myself sitting in front of my computer, tapping away at the keyboard again (sometimes with a glass of wine by my side for medicinal or creative purposes).

OK, ON TO MY BLOG NOMINATIONS…

A lot of the blogs below are already very well established (some of them are even a tinsy bit famous) but I wanted to include them because I find them so inspiring. There are a few newbies in there too…

Blogs to do with art and design:

1. Simply Hue – art, colour and inspiration. The images on this blog are beautiful in a dreamy, enchanting kind of way. Go take a look.

2. Dirty Footprints Studio – Connie teaches ‘fearless painting’. She is a free spirit and earns a living by doing something she adores. What more do I need to say? Respect.

3. Print & Pattern – the place to go if you’re into surface pattern design. I am. I love it.

Blogs about doing what you love:

4. Free range humans – “a free range human chooses when, where and how they work and they get paid to do what makes them come alive”. Count me in! (Marianne’s newsletters are always really motivating – sign up if you can.)

5. Screw Work Let’s Play – John Williams founded the 30 Day Challenge (i.e. he is the man responsible for my recent joie de vivre!)

6. Selina Barker – Head Coach on the 30DC (ditto, Selina is a tour de force with a huge happy smile…I get smile envy when I watch her videos).
7. gaping void – Hugh draws cartoons on the back of business cards. He wrote the utterly brilliant book, Ignore Everybody (and 39 other keys to creativity). He posts one new cartoon a day. I’ve used a few on this blog.

Miscellaneous blogs, just cos I like em:

8. The Budapest Connection – This new blog is about one woman’s quest to learn Hungarian. If Hungarian isn’t your thing, you might be tempted to skip this one. But read Julia’s first post (cunningly titled, The Budapest Connection). I am intrigued. I feel a book coming on…

OK, I know, that’s only 8 nominations (hope you like them). I’ll back to you on the other two! Just pondering…