This week's Behind the Blog is about a girl close to my heart...and brain! Jessica, who blogs at Here & Now, is a Ph.D student in biomedical research so she feels me on my lab coat pain but luckily for all of us, she has a great sense of style underneath it. Please give her a warm welcome!
Tell us what motivate you to start
blogging. Were you following a lot of personal style/fashion blogs before you
started blogging?
When I started
blogging in October 2011, I had been reading a few of the larger personal style
blogs out there (The Daybook, Kendi Everyday, Atlantic-Pacific), & something
clicked in me that said, “I want to stand in my backyard & photograph
myself”… but seriously, blogging started as my way to document my own personal
style journey from college grad to grad student… as I say, I’m no longer a
college student, but I haven’t really yet entered the “real world”, so I am
finding a style for myself that works for the “here & now” and will stay
with me as I transition over the coming years.
Which blogs do you read every
day?
I actually just cleared out my Bloglovin’ blog roll, keeping only my
absolute favorites while making room for some new reads to be discovered in
2013. I enjoy reading blogs of the bloggers that came on to the “scene” at the
same time as me, &/or are of the same size as mine (like my blogging
sisters!). A few standout favorites include (but are certainly NOT limited to): Obviously Obsessed, Currently
Coveting, It’s An Easy Life (her Awkward & Awesome Thursday posts SLAY me!), Sam Ipsa Loquitur, Because
Shanna Said So, Still Being Molly, The
Other Side of Gray, & of course my
under-the-lab-coat-fashionista blogging soulmate Franish!
Oh & because I am about to go
blind from reading those little word verification thing-a-ma-jigs, those blogs might be the next to get the
ax from my blog roll – update that comment verification ladies! For the sake of
blogger’s eyeballs everywhere!
Who takes your pictures? What camera
and lens do you use? Have you ever been caught in the act of taking these?
I
take my own photos using a tripod/remote/occasional self-timer set up. I have
had my Canon Rebel T2i for a year with the kit 18-55 mm lens, & just
ordered a 55mm f/1.4 portrait lens that I can’t wait to start using! So far I
have only ventured as far as the alley behind my apartment to take photos &
survived the occasional awkward double-take by my neighbors, so hopefully I can
get some bravery to take photos in more public spaces… maybe 2013 is the year
for that!
Do people in real life know about
your blog? What were their reactions when they found out about your blog?
My
close family & friends know about my blog, but I prefer to not share my
extracurricular activities with my co-workers. I think highly of the blogging
community, but I am not so sure my boss would feel the same, & so far I
have successfully kept my two worlds separate. Consider me the Ph.D. student
turned fashion blogger version of Superman…
You are currently in graduate school
– how do you work within the confines of school and work towards a wardrobe
once you enter “the real world?”
Being
a grad student in a biomedical research Ph.D. program means that I have to wear
boring things like closed toe shoes, conservative cuts, & clothes that
won’t catch fire on my Bunsen burner, but I chose to not wear grubby jeans &
sweatshirts everyday. That being said, I spend the majority of my clothing
budget towards these 50 closet staples that are very
versatile, & then pick up smaller trendy/flashy/not-lab-approved items
(i.e. my liquid leather leggings) to spice up those
classic pieces.
Many fashion bloggers hop from one
trend to the next. How do you manage to stay on trend without breaking the bank
and just blindly following each trend?
I
am never going to be a super trendy girl – harem pants, 5 inch platform shoes,
skorts, ear cuffs – just not for me. Trench coats, flattering dark jeans, chic
ballet flats – that is more my style, & seeing that it worked just as well for
one of my icons – Miss Audrey Hepburn – over 50 years ago as it does now, I
think I am going to stick with my classic pieces! Seriously though, harem pants should be burned.
Putting yourself on the internet
comes with the expectation that not everyone will always love what you are
wearing and writing. Have you encountered any of these criticisms, and if
so, how do you handle it?
I
make my blog a positive place, & so far people have respected that &
given me nothing but positivity in return. I am a sensitive soul, & one
time got a little bruised that a commenter called my style “simple”, but after
picking my ego off the floor, I realized that I do have a more “simple” style, &
I should just rock it and make it my “thing”. Done & done.
What has been the best thing to come
out of blogging?
Creative Outlet! I am literally
bursting at the seams with posts I want to create, looks I want to style, &
blogs to read when I come home from the lab. I get to exercise my serious
scientist brain everyday at work, so during my “me time” I love to be girlie &
explore my passion for fashion.
When it comes to promotion of your
blog, what methods do you use? Do you spend a lot of time commenting on other
blogs, pinning your looks, doing link ups?
When I first
started, I spent my free time commenting on successful personal style blogs
that I aspired to be like, creating relationships with other start-up bloggers,
& making sure I was putting myself out there on the best foot with my own
unique voice & style. Now, I focus my “promotion” attention on purchasing
“advertising” on other popular blogs, offering giveaways, & social media
interactions. I’m not in this business of blogging to make truck loads of cash,
& the meaningful relationships I have made with fellow bloggers & my
sweet readers keeps my passion burning. Currently any money I make from
blogging goes back into my blog (blog design, giveaways, sponsoring other
bloggers, etc.), & I have learned that the easiest way to make money is to
shop my own affiliate links (you want other people to shop your links, so why
aren’t you!?)
What tips or suggestions do you have
for your fellow bloggers?
If you aren’t having fun, you
aren’t doing it right.
Isn't that the truth. Thank you again Jessica! Come back next week to read all about Dash Dot Dotty!
