Leta Joy

To finish up the week, let me introduce you to another Evansville blogger. Leta's kinda the bonus interview because her name and quotes didn't make it into the article, so y'all never even knew that she impacted my article at all! But she did. Her answers to my few questions helped to solidify some ideas and also helped me to reframe a couple of points. Just having the extra perspective was invaluable.

Without further adieu...

What introduced you to blogging? What was your initial motivation to start your own blog?
My husband first introduced me to the concept of a "blog" in 2000. He is an art director and spends a lot of time on the web researching new media. He thought I would find it intriguing. I opened a free blogger account and skimmed a few blogs. But back then blogs were not anything like they are today. There were no fancy layouts or widgets. I wasn't really sure what to write to begin with and I felt kind of silly writing something that no one would ever read. The few blogs that I did read seemed rather mundane and I wasn't convinced that blogging was something that would take off. (Boy, was I wrong!) I gave it up after a few weeks.

Fast forward six years and suddenly blogs were everywhere. There were famous bloggers. There were blogging conferences. People actually made a living by blogging. I had quit my job to stay at home with our first baby in 2004 and without a career to define me, I didn't know who I was anymore. I didn't want to be "just a mom". I was searching for people who were experiencing the same things I was. A lot of my friends still worked or didn't have kids yet. I needed a creative outlet that I could pick up whenever I had the time. I started to read multiple blogs, blogs about parenting, crafting, cooking, photography, fashion. You name it, it was out there. And these weren't just boring online journals. These were well written, thoughtful sites that people poured their heart and souls into. I was smitten. My bookmarked list of blogs continued to grow. Finally, after several friends and loved ones continued to urge me forward, I started my own blog in April 2006. If only I'd listened to my husband, I could have been a blogging pioneer!

Do you spend most of your blogging time reading or writing blog posts?
I currently have 128 blogs in my RSS feeder, so I would have to say that I spend the majority of my time reading rather than writing. There are so many great sites out there, covering such a wide array of topics, it is difficult to narrow down the list. A few outstanding ones that come to mind are dooce.com, soulemama.com, thepioneerwoman.com, angrychicken.com, rosylittlethings.typepad.com, www.weewonderfuls.com. I typically write after the kids are in bed, and sometimes it takes a few days to cobble together a post.

Do you have hopes for growing an audience or do you like to blog for yourself?
I do enjoy writing for myself. However, I think I write in a different voice when I know that I have a wider audience. I'm wittier, more likely to cut through the fluff and get to the heart of the matter. I would love for my readership to grow and to have a site that brought in revenue, but I will continue to write whether that happens or not. Blogging has expanded my involvement with the outside world. I read blogs written in England, California, Oregon, Maine, Texas, Utah, Australia, Africa, New Zealand, France. The list goes on and on. I have online friends who I have never met in person that are very supportive of me. Blogging has become a part of my life, a part of my creative process. I no longer have the time to fill journals with script but I can hammer out a few paragraphs on the keyboard in my pj's if I want to. Blogging has given me a voice and a platform for my voice to be heard the world over.

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Leta is currently posting daily about finding grace in small things. It's a quick daily read that reminds us of the blessings all around us. But she also intersperses fun posts like this one that shows of her creativity and this one that presents us with her adorable kiddos.