Behind the Scenes: Unique Style Study

In Kim Klassen's and Xanthe Berkeley's Behind the Scenes, we are encouraged to take a look at blogs we love and consider incorporating aspects that speak to us in our own blogs. This incorporation may take some time as I've already discovered a few things I love. In the meantime, I want to share some of my favorite blogs.

Header background: Kim's texture Phoebe

In reviewing the many blogs I follow, I chose a few to assess the qualities that draw me to return to them regularly. Sadly, I am unable to do this for all the lovely blogs I visit.

It is helpful to do this exercise to see what we find important and can then transfer what we learn to our own blogs. Click the images to go to the individual sites reviewed here.

In contemplating my own blog, I'm not sure why folks return. I can only speak to what I like about it. I find the background image calming and it reminds me of a trip I took to Tennessee to visit a friend. This was also the first time I created my own texture out of two images to lay over the image of the rocks giving it more depth.

I like to cover a variety of topics and insights gained from my experiences and hope there is something of value that translates to others in the sharing. I tend to be philosophical if I let myself get out of simple documentation. Through photographs and stories we touch people's hearts and allow them to accept who the are.

I love to connect to nature and my inner self through photography, then play in post-processing with Photoshop and InDesign to create my own little pieces of art.

To address Kim's question as to whether a blog can be successful not because you get a ton of followers or make a boat load of money, but because we pour out hearts and souls into it: I say absolutely it is successful simply because of the effort put forth. In addition, one never knows what is down the road.

In 2006, I had written an e-zine for over two years and what I realized was I had a book's worth of content. So what did I do? I published a book: Write from the Inside: Dig for Treasures, Discover Yourself, Leave a Legacy. I continued to write stories for two more years. Those remain unpublished other than in the e-zine I sent out to people on my list.

There is so much to learn in this life and I am truly grateful for all my fellow blogger buddies. I look forward to seeing what Behind the Scenes has to teach me as the next few weeks unfold.

Thanks for visiting, my friends.
Hope you'll be back soon.

laf