The Secret Life of Kat, et.al.

I found Kat through Shlog and others in that niche who talked about the 40-Day Fast. She was the mastermind behind it (or... she was the tool that God used, whichever.) I visited her site off and on, here and there until this post's lead-in cracked me up so hard, I had to subscribe.

But Kat's not just funny. She's also deep. Seriously. I'm pretty sure this woman is as multi-faceted at a valuable diamond.

Check out her interview to see how she combines both of these to create some pretty darn entertaining inspiration.

Can I use your full name in my article? If not, how would you like to be referred to? Her Royal Highness, The Queen of Blogdom. Or you can just call me Kat. :-)

How long have you been blogging?

3 years in January. Happy Anniversary to me. What is that paper...or wood? Off to google I go...

Apparently, it's leather.

What was the initial motivation to start?

I'd just discovered Shaun Groves blog and I was deeply challenged by his thought provoking posts. I started my personal blog as a place to air my ideas and questions. It was a wonderful outlet. I stopped talking my husband's ear off and started to use writing as a way to iron out my thoughts and make sense of my crazy days. I turned exhausting and sometimes frustrating situations with my kids into stories that made me (and others) laugh.

What caused you to begin 3 separate blogs rather than just sticking all your content on one site?

I think the main reason that I started 3 different blogs instead of just 1 is because I didn't want to waste people's time. I planned to post regularly on all three and I knew not everyone would be interested in all of the topics (family, faith, social justice and music). My music posts also tend to draw a pretty random crowd and wanted to keep those readers somewhat separated from my family posts.

What part did blogging play in your development of your passions?

Oh my goodness. Blogging has revolutionized my dreams. Writing has forced me to think deeper and plan more thoroughly. I've found that I love to inspire people and be inspired by them. For example, last year I ran my first half marathon. While it's always been a dream of mine, I don't know that I would have done it if it weren't for the encouragement and accountability of my readers and blog friends. At the same time, many of those same people told me that they were inspired by my efforts and signed up for their own races.

Another benefit of blogging is that I can continue to be a part of my field of interest and even influence it - while I'm still a full time stay at home mom. I would venture to say I've done more networking in the music industry from the corner of my couch with my MacBook than I ever did in the office.

How integral is the blogging community to what you aim to do with your blogs?

I thrive on the interaction. It inspires me and challenges me. I honestly don't think I'd write if it weren't for the community aspect of blogging.

What do you hope your blogs accomplish?

The Secret Life of Kat - I would love to inspire those who read it to pursue God more deeply than they ever have before. I'd love to help them organize their life, priorities and activities - resulting in a greater sense of simplicity and accomplishment. And I want to make them laugh.

Inspired to Action - This is a team blog and right now, a blog friend named "Euphrony" is taking charge of it. He and the rest of the team are working hard to help people learn to live in a way that positively impacts those in need. We often hear stories about people in need (around the country and around the world) but it's hard to know how to help. That's the goal of Inspired to Action. To help people take action on behalf of those in need and give them practical ways to do it.

Bloggable Music Network - I want to see this site become a thriving community of bloggers who are passionate about spreading great music. We've got an amazing group of musicians who have jumped on board with the idea and we have some huge plans for this year. It's only a month old, but I'm really excited about where it's heading and the impact it can make on the careers of hard working musicians.

Do you mainly blog about how your already live or does your blogging have an impact on your daily life?

I do both. I blog about things that have worked for me AND things that I'm working on. That's really the beauty of blogging - it's a two way medium. Whereas a magazine writer only shares her knowledge, a blogger can share her knowledge AND ask for wisdom from her readers. I've gotten amazing parenting advice as a result of situations I've written about.

Blogging also impacts my daily life by helping me enjoy those crazy moments in life (with 3 small kids, I have many) because I look forward to translating them into funny posts for my readers.

How much time a day do you tend to spend blogging?
Technically, I try to spend 30 minutes a day writing and then I probably spend at least another hour or so reading blogs, formatting posts and replying to readers.