Posted by: Elena Grama - 14 December 2010 / 17:04
Welcome to Behind the Blogs, where we take a moment to get to know the bloggers in the Scribnia Community on a more personal level. We’ve read their words, but now it’s time to learn a little bit about the person behind the keyboard.
Today’s interview is with Antonia Harler who writes for the Social Glitz. Antonia lives in Innsbruck (Austria) but she would like to move to London. She has a degree in Management, Communications & IT; she has a passion for social media and finds the concept of marketing things to the general public intriguing. Antonia adores all quirky things that make life so interesting. She speaks two languages and dreams of being a rock star/princess/author/horse whisperer.
She believes in fate and the power of defining moments; everything happens for a reason and the decisions you make and can’t take back are those that might just propel you into something greater. The bottom line is that she is a free spirit who loves all things “new”. She’s a planner, thinker, organizer, and strategist. She has lived in Amsterdam, London and New York. Her big love is Canada and writing is her way of expressing. Her blog is another outlet to share thoughts, random facts, rand and everything else that influences her life day in and day out.
1) Why did you start blogging? Why do you blog today?
To be honest, I didn’t start blogging because I I felt the urgent need to express myself online. I needed a place for marketers to get information about my diploma thesis and convince them to take part in a survey. In the beginning, the blog really was a means to an end. Before long, however, I decided to keep writing. It’s always been a passion of mine and my blog quickly became a place where I could express myself. I was naive about blogging, the actual effort that goes into it, the skill it takes to make a blog compelling and especially what a big commitment it is. Many things keep me going. The love for writing. The incredible community I’ve built. The network my blog allowed me to build. The opportunities it has opened up. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it when people say “I love your blog.” It’s the biggest compliment one can give me. I often doubt my skills as a writer because English isn’t my first language. German is and when I read all the other blogs whose authors have incredible writing skills, doubt often creeps in. But when people tell me they love my style of writing and the things I put out there the doubt vanishes and is replaced with pride.
2) Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope that in 10 years time, I’ll have found the place where I want to grow old, have a family of my own.
3) What is your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is being stuck. In life, mentally in terms of losing the wish to learn as much as I possibly can and also being stuck geographically. I’m too big of a free spirit who constantly craves information and considers life to be a crazy ledge that all of us continue to climb up and down.
4) Who are your biggest inspirations in life?
People that live their life to the fullest without hesitation.
5) What is your idea of a perfect blog?
I think perfect is overrated. Striving for perfectionism and being perfect are two different things to me. Striving for perfectionism allows one to grow. Being perfect implies being infallible and often goes hand in hand with an unhealthy dose of arrogance which shows on a blog. I like writers that own up to their mistakes, question themselves and add a healthy dose of humor to everything they write. A “perfect” blog to me is one that is perfectly imperfect.
6) What advice would you provide someone looking to start a blog?
I believe that the most important thing is to write for yourself first and foremost. I am my biggest critic and don’t publish posts I’m unhappy with. If you make yourself happy with what you are writing, the readers will come. It will show in the posts and the blog overall. Also, being yourself is crucial. It’s trial and error that makes you human and approachable. In short: Be your most important client/reader & be yourself.
7) What are 5 things you would want to do before you die?
Kiss a stranger
Achieve peace of mind
Experience the kind of love they portray in movies.
Travel to Australia and ride through the desert on a donkey. A small stretch of desert will do.
Own 2 dogs.
What is one unique fact your readers don’t know about you?
I hate mirrors. I find them incredibly irritating. Oh, and I named my iPad Willfried.
9) How do you define success?
Success to me is a funny thing. All my life I’ve undervalued the things I do. I always consider them “normal” rather than special or outstanding which is why I had to think hard about how to answer this question. Ultimately success, to me, is being happy with myself and having the ability to put a smile on someone else’s face.
10 ) Have you ever faced a challenge that helped define who you are today?
Everything in life shapes a person but challenges are the ones that leave the most prominent mark. My biggest challenge in life is fighting the urge to run when things become difficult. That’s what I’ve done over the last 5 years. I moved to several different countries, worked and studied and ignored the things that were too difficult to face. Each new country brought new experiences and new challenges that made me the person I am today. However, the biggest challenge of all was and still is facing up to the things I’ve been running from.
11) Who is the most important person in your life?
It’s difficult to pinpoint one specific person. However, my family is incredibly important to me. They are my rock and helped me through the most difficult times of my life and deserve to all the credit I can give. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without them.
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Antonia. Your blog may be random but it’s one of the most interesting blogs I’ve read in a while. Keep up the writing.
Again..Make sure to read Antonia’s Blog, follow her on Twitter and review her.
If you know of an interesting blogger/author that we should interview for the Behind the Blogs series, or if YOU are that blogger, send me an email at Elena [at] Scribnia.com
Tags: antonia, Behind, blog, glitz, harler, Interview, Scribnia, social
