Who am I to pass up a meme? That’s a lame question. I saw the title of this via CommentLuv on Georgie’s comment and had the need to check it out. After reading her post I decided to follow and do it as well. 😀

Although I’ve tried in the past, if you have any questions for me, ask ’em and I’ll answer them in a post. ‘Cause I reeaaaallyyy want to.

When did you first start blogging and why?

I started around 2003 or 2004. If I say otherwise, or have said otherwise, it’s because I was guestimating and I just now did a chart thing with my age, the year and the grade, starting with senior year in 09 when I was 18. I started blogging at age 12 when I was in sixth/seventh grade. I ‘blogged’ on Matmice but it wasn’t actual blogging. Diaryland was my first blog that consisted of posts instead of one page of stuff. 🙂

Have you had any past online presence?

I dropped my first name, especially online, so my previous blog URL before 6birds happened is completely redundant and only few know of it. However, MatMice was the first real online presence I had. Then came Diaryland, Xanga, LiveJournal, Blogspot (known as Blogger now), MySpace (eighth grade), myYearbook, Twitter, Facebook, RP Book, Let’s Roleplay, RolePlayer.me and some forums here and there. My first TLD came right before ninth grade year and my first TLD that I got to manage on my own my happened in 2008 when my dad registered it in my name via his credit card and I paid him the money for it.

When did you become serious about your blog?

I think starting anew was one of the best things I could do. Sure, there are some totally lame posts since I have, but it really made me feel like I could change the direction in which I felt my blog was going — a never ending path with drama on every corner. It was something that made me feel fresh, and I needed that. 6birds is honestly the longest project I’ve ever had going, and it’s an ongoing thing, which is usually more challenging for me. I guess I became serious when I realized 6birds is more than just a blog and that it’s a way for me to prove to myself that I can do certain things that others don’t even notice or recognize that I do.

According to the expensive web designers, “only people who pay for a professional to design their blog are serious about [their blog],” but I find that to be BS.

What was your first blog post?

I’d written about how I was “in love” with my crush. All I remember is that his name was James and his hair was in braids with beads and rubber bands that rested against his back and past his shoulder blades, and his skin was light and kind of looked like honey with freckles all over (I called it confetti, heh). Brown hair, brown eyes. I don’t even know. It was sixth grade. I didn’t know any better. #dontjudgeme

What have been your biggest challenges blogging?

Worrying about how another person will perceive what I’ve written is difficult. Better yet, feeling the need to defend myself and my point when someone interprets my post in a way I wasn’t expecting and/or didn’t want for them do. Or trying to contain and possess patience after reading a comment regarding something I found to be a minor detail in the post. Or feeling like people expect me to comment back.

When people expect something of me, I feel obligated to do something and may dish out some low-quality thing. Sucks.

What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

I’ve got an escape. For some reason, when I write expressive poetry people aren’t always as alarmed as they are when I use a more formal/paragraph form for my thoughts. It’s irritating when I have to put it into a poem, but I deal with it I guess. It’s still an escape. I also make friends and get to connect with tons of people.

What is the most discouraging thing about blogging?

At times I feel boring and repetitive and annoying and as if people may find me too whiny — and think I should be working and in college and have my life all figured out. I really try hard to not let it bother me because it brings me down and crushes all that self-esteem I get from blogging.

What is your lasting inspiration or motivation?

Inspiration comes from my life, myself and stuff I see. For example, Grandmama and I saw a leaf that appeared to be crossing the street at a four-way intersection on the crosswalk whilst the light was red. If I remember it enough, I may write a poem about it later. I also try to keep my room kind of like my site — oozing ideas and splashes of color. Reading other blogs also gives me inspiration to write about some things I otherwise wouldn’t have thought of on my own (or at least not any time soon).

Motivation really comes from the people who I have grown the closest to who I have also confided in over the lifetime of 6birds — Steph and Georgie are my longest friends since and before 6birds was a thing. I feel like as long as I keep blogging I’ll stay connected to my ‘circle'[1. People whom I have confided in.] of friends: Hiro and Marshmallow, and as of this year: Kya, Robin and Sherry. I don’t normally name anyone on here, but I have been meaning to thank them in a special way and wasn’t sure how to do so. Many other people who blog(ged) mean a lot to me as well, though, don’t get me wrong. 🙂

What is your blogging dirty little secret?

I play with SEO stuff. 😡 I was gonna write a post about it, and I did, but afterwards I hated it and found it too lame, so I made it a different post instead. But I do. Sometimes I enjoy writing things I think will bring in tons of traffic. And then other times I just blog. I don’t to it to raise stats; I do it because it amuses me and just seems like a little game. And I’m pretty sure so many SEO-optimizing zealots out there are gonna come here and tell me I’m crazy. Probably. But maybe not. 😛

What is your current goal as a blogger?

I want to be one of those bloggers who people admire and find inspiration from and respect and find to be one of those super trustworthy bloggers. People have to start taking me seriously first, however. And I still want to just be able to blog about what I want to blog about as well without having the ‘fame’ or whatever it is that some of the bigger bloggers get lost in take over and decide what I’m gonna post about later. Also not to pine after more successful bloggers. Because I see others doing what I once did and just want to gag about how annoying it is.

Have you learned or become passionate about anything through blogging that caught you by surprise?

I found interest in PHP programming and subscription boxes. The latter is ironic because I’m a picky eater with food allergies — but mostly ironic because I’m a picky eater and would never try new foods before. These boxes are like monthly gifts full of goodies that I can’t wait to try. They’ve expanded my horizon as far as food goes.