Happy beginning of autumn! And what better way to celebrate fall, than with some seaside pics? :p JK, I didn't have the time to edit them for like two months, and now, since I have a new travel adventure coming, I think it's high time I upload these. Since my last text post was pretty long, I'm not gonna write much today, only that aside from Kavos, we visited a few other places on Corfu and nearby islands as well, such as Corfu Town, Parga and Paxos. Here are some details, I hope you like them, and expect new autumn travel pics really soon, but that'll be a surprise! ;)
You know when you write a ton of texts for other people, but then when you have to write one for your own blog you get nervous? No? Well, that’s me right now. Maybe because this story is personal, and on other websites I’m just a fashion reporter (which is also fine, I like to expand my knowledge).
First I should let you know how this post came about: our little Alternative Fashion Bloggers FB group has reached 100 members, and Steffi of Anti.Muse suggested a blog parade, and who am I to turn down a blog parade?!
The suggested theme was how we got into alternative fashion, and what we like and dislike about it, so let’s jump right into it!
This post is essentially an epilog to my Blogiversary story, so check it out here!
About Alternative Bloggers' Scene...
Now, I said I wasn’t gonna talk about other bloggers and what they do. I’m still not gonna mention any names, numbers, phone number, links… But the thing is, back when I started following blogs 5-6 years ago, I just felt like the bloggers’ world needed a bit more glamour. And today I feel like it needs a lot.
You see: on one side we have the classic goth bloggers, and on the other side the hippy-dippy/boho vegan bloggers. Then we have the minimalist/normcore bloggers who wear nothing but white shirts and jeans, and the grungy hipster Tumblr kids. And all of them are doing REALLY well. So basically when I started blogging I accepted the fact that I’m never gonna be one of those rich bloggers, and I wanted to remain true to myself at all costs. But as it turns out, fortune favors the bold, which we’re about to see later…
Besides the above-mentioned styles, we have a somewhat smaller group of rockabilly/pinup and Japanese style bloggers. Now don’t get me wrong, of course there are more and less original people among goths etc, and also people I like to follow, but I just feel like the alternative world needs more “alternative”, or – diversity.
What I dislike about the alternative bloggers world is that there’s a certain level of elitism – I remember when I started out and wanted to make connections, most of them didn’t even bother to reply, let alone show interest in your blog, or, I don’t know, God forbid, like your FB post! :o The whole point of the Alternative bloggers' group was for people to find new interesting blogs, but no one seems to give a damn.
My Story...
Now back to myself, I wouldn’t know how to describe MY style, but I’ve been called everything from cyber-goth to pin-up. My best description would be glam punk/rock/metal. All in all – glamorous and full of details.
The weird thing is, although I’m mostly wearing skirts and dresses, my fashion icons are actually mostly male: shock-rockers, glam rocker and modern glam metal/industrial bands like Deathstars, Negative, Escape the Fate and don’t forget the Marilyn Manson! The point is – I like people who are not afraid to experiment and incorporate for example “fancy” details such as glitter and animal prints into a classic metal/goth wardrobe, I like the element of surprise.
The one video that probably defined my fashion taste - Mr Manson
About My Work...
Now comes the second (motivational :) part of my story. I feel like I owe you an explanation why I’m not around so much anymore. Well it’s because I finally found a career that I love, and it’s in social media and writing.
One day an opportunity knocked on my door that I wasn’t even aware existed. Literally, I didn’t have to go and find a job – the job found me, it was so strange! But when there’s a will there’s a way, and it’s not up to you to know how that perfect opportunity will come.
The thing is, we were all raised to believe that you can’t make a living doing what you love, but deep inside obviously my faith was stronger than my doubts. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not all fun and games. Working in social media is an everyday all day job, although it qualifies as “part time”. But as long as it’s something you love and are passionate about, it doesn’t really matter.
Also, writing for someone else is both a blessing and a curse – it takes incredible courage to write 2000 words and not know if someone’s gonna like any of it. But that’s the risk of working in a creative field. I still take it a little personally when someone says “Change that sentence”, but I hope I’ll get used to it.
Now, I do my best to share my story, not to brag but to inspire others around me, but unfortunately, not everyone will see it that way. A lot of times I see that people just don’t understand. That’s probably because 90% of them don’t know what they want to do with their lives. But if you’re reading this you’re probably not one of those people. I’ve even recently been called a freak by a “friend”, which had never happened to me before. That’s the price of success I guess, and by success I mean the freedom (and courage) to do what you love.
Luckily, you don’t need humans’ approval - why would their opinion be more relevant than your own? You only need Universe’s approval, and the Universe knows what you want and who you are inside. Not to get all metaphysical here, but yours is only to decide what you want and the Universe will find the best way. The key is only not to feel pressure and not to put any deadlines! In fact, the things that I wanted the most had come to me even before I planned it!
So, what’s the recipe for success?
I’m not gonna tell you do this, or eat this, or share this and this on social media, because none of that crap really matters! The only thing that matters is your state of mind, the rest are just insignificant details.
1. Decide what you want
2. Don’t listen to ANYONE (I mean anyone, not your friends, not your family, not the people you live with…).
Stop analyzing. Stop making statistics. Forget the laws of probability (probability is for basic people anyway :p). As soon as you start thinking “what are the odds of this happening?” you lose. In other words, stop being “realistic”, whatever that means, since everyone’s reality is different. 3.Take the first step, even if you don’t know what you’re doing and what you’re doing it for, the path will unfold itself
4.Relax and wait and the right people will come along and recognize your talent and potential
5.Don’t sell yourself short (money is energy, and so is your work!). Celebrate every little success, even if nobody else sees it as a “big deal” – one day it will be.
There you have it – started from the bottom now we here. I can honestly say that since I’ve chosen my career my life has radically changed, I’m a different person, I value myself and don’t really need anyone. I have a career that I love – and what could be more important than that right now?
What do you think? Do you have a success story to share? Do tell!
<3
P.S. Don't forget to check out other alternative bloggers' stories! As soon as I saw Steffi in a band tee and leopard fur, I knew she was my girl, her glam-punk style is really a breath of fresh air!
Go like her FB page as well!
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If you have just a little bit of passion in you to becoming a fashion blogger, then you should know how competitive the line is. Even the experienced ones have to come up with a method to lure in audience who read their posts online with a lot of dedication.
It is a good way to keep check on the rivals and learn how they are working on their blogs for getting results. So, going for the best in the fashion blogging world is not a new thing. We dug out a number of things that you might not know about fashion blogging and bloggers. These will let you be aware of a unique side and tactics of the famous fashion bloggers while offering you a quick tip on how to be successful when there is so much competition in this field.
Finding a unique idea:
Most fashion bloggers are successful because they have something unique for their audience. You got to let your freaky flags fly in order to attract readers. Every successful fashion blogger has a reason behind her blog. Plus, the reason ought to be a compelling one. Difference in perception, method, and innovative approach is important to make the world curious of your fashion sense tips and guide.
Targeting your audience:
Most successful fashion bloggers have a target in mind. If you keep writing posts and do not care about the response from your fellow readers then your efforts will be futile. In addition, you do not even have to cover up the whole fashion world. Pick a few favorite fashion trends that you have good knowledge about and express yourself to the fullest for your audience. Engage with them and see how they respond to you in return. Paying attention to them is important which will help you target your audience better. You can occasionally or periodically look forward to their inquiries and learn about what they want to read.
Posting pictures:
Fashion blogging without pictures is somewhat empty. Just think of a beautiful dress you are explaining in your blog. If you do not have a picture of such a dress, then your readers my feel frustrated as the blog post might not offer full description without a clear image. While adding pictures to the blog is important, you can practice other tricks used by famous fashion bloggers as well. For instance, publishing a collection on Pinterest or Instagram would be a great way to promote your creativity on the web. Success requires expanding of your premises to bring in people who can appreciate your work. So, do that.
Never compromising with the content quality:
The ultimate success behind being a successful fashion blogger is high-quality content. The best of the best know this thing, which is why they are famous today and are making millions. Keeping the content optimized for the search engines lets the posts be more visible to the audience which are then able to find you easily. If you have a good fashion sense, but lack the talent to write — hire someone who can write it for you. A confusing post will decrease your traffic. So, why block the path to becoming a successful fashion blogger?
Being original.
While it is good to research and take tips from various successful fashion blogs, it is not a good move to copy their ways and ideas. You got to prove your worth by being original if you want maximum success. Even the big names in the fashion blogging world had once researched other blogs to come up with ideas. But, if they just gave up there and copied existing blog ideas, they might not have been this successful today. Originality is an important aspect that most newcomers in the fashion blogging world miss. So, avoid that and try to come up with your own idea after researching.
Many new fashion bloggers are unaware of such things which could help them become more successful otherwise. Following one or several of them could be the key behind their inevitable success in the world of fashion. It is all about expressing through the right approach. And, readers will surely approach you for learning more about your fashion sense for them.
Happy 1st of September! It's been a while since I've done a shopping post, so here it is today. I picked out some items from RoseWholesale, a great online store with even better prices!
They offer a large selection of very affordable women's and apparel, kids and men's fashion, plus size fashion, shoes, accessories, and a whole lot of jewelry, so check them out!
They also have a buyer's show, my fave part of every website, so you can get inspired on how to wear the items by real customers, and also earn some bonus shopping points!
I can't wait for the fall, so I chose all black everything, including military inspired pieces and lace dresses! I think I'm also starting to like these "round" chokers!
What's your fave?
