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Posted by: David Spinks - 26 August 2010 / 16:39
Tim Stiffler-Dean was kind enough to invite me to do an interview for his sweet site twintrview.
We discussed a lot of basic community concepts. You should check out the full interview here.
Here are some of the things we discussed related to Scribnia and our community:
Q: What is the importance of being so vocal on the@Scribnia blog and social media accounts? Should other companies follow that lead?
As a start up, it can be really tough to gain traction in a space… especially one as noisy as the blogosphere. Being active on the blog, on twitter and on other platforms is a way for you to gain loyal users early, and to establish yourself. We also use the @Scribnia blog for community efforts. In the “Behind the Blogs” series, we interview interesting bloggers from the community. It’s just a nice way to promote the bloggers in our community, while creating interesting content.
As I mentioned before, the ability and willingness to help is really important when interacting in online communities. Social media platforms like twitter, like blogging forums, etc… have been a great method for finding people who need help, and helping them.
Should other companies follow that lead? Hard to say on such a broad scale. Chances are, there are potential customers or users interacting online, and seeking information. Creating useful content and being active on SM is the best way to reach them.
Q: What are some tools that a company or person getting into professional blogging can use to be successful (like Scribnia)?
Depending on the resources they have, there are a few options.
The simplest tool would be a tumblr or posterous. They’re built for simplicity so you’re limited on what you can do but many companies have used these tools effectively. The next option is wordpress.com. It’s a bit more professional but it’s still free… which means you’re limited on options.
Most sites are using wordpress.org for their professional blogs these days. You’ll have to pay for hosting, but you have a lot more freedom in how you’d like the blog to look, features you can use, etc….
As far as getting your blog going with readers and comments, you should be using social media tools. Using twitter and facebook to share your content is fine as long as you’re not just sharing your own shit. Also check out tools like @commentluv and @disqus that will enhance the reader’s comment experience.
In the end, starting a successful blog is less about the tools, and more about the content/ how you’re getting it out there.
Q: What are some things that we can expect in the future from @Scribnia? (And how can we keep in touch to find out more).
Glad you asked. We have a lot in store for Scribnia. In the next few months we plan on really improving the overall site design and user experience. We will simplify the site a great deal, to make it really easy for users to get started, and start getting recommendations.
As I said, our goal is to enhance your online reading experience, and we’re working on a number of things to do that. We’ll also be launching a new product in October, that will be free for bloggers. It will provide them with quality story leads and professional opportunities to work with businesses.
You can stay updated on everything we’re working on by following @Scribnia, , subscribing to the blog or just signing up.
Posted by: David Spinks - 2 August 2010 / 10:44
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 Robert Boylan who writes for The Stir-Fried Dinosaur. Rob is 28, born in San Francisco and raised on Long Island (Strong Island ftw).
Rob’s blog is a about as real and random as it gets. If he has something on his chest, it seems there is very little you can do to stop him from blogging about it. It’s refreshing. Let’s find out a little bit more about the writer behind this dinosaur…
1. What do you do when you’re not in front of a computer screen?
I play guitar and read books and watch movies and flirt with pretty girls and hang with my family and try to convince my friends to hang out with me. I shower a lot, and I pace around smoking cigarettes, and I work. Haha, I forgot about that! I work 40 hours too. That’s a lot of time.
2. Who are your biggest inspirations in life?
I am a sponge. I am maybe the most absorbent person you’ll ever meet. So inspiration, for me, comes from everywhere. Sometimes, it’s all too much. I can watch a stupid movie about baseball and it will make me cry my eyes out. I am just… highly affected. By everything. So I think, more than being inspired, I am highly influenced by my environment at all times. And yes, I’m starting to wonder if I’ve made sense in answering even one of these questions. I sure hope so.
3. Have you ever faced a challenge in the past that helped define who you are today?
Absolutely. Tons of them. I was homeless for a good amount of time. I was in drug rehab at 16, battling hallucinations that were making me feel homicidal. I found my dad’s dead body in bed when I was 5 years old. I’ve had various sleep disorders since I’m 5 or 6 years old. On and on. Life is a series of weird struggles that I’ve had to learn to deal with and accept and eventually smile/laugh about. I will say that, despite being a little eccentric and a little sad inside, I have grown up to be an extremely strong person. And I smile a lot more than most other folks who would walk in my shoes. So. I’m pretty stoked. I mean, I feel good. Life started out rough for me, but it’s taught me everything. And as the years pass, it’s all getting easier for me.
4. Have you ever written anything on your blog and then regret it afterwards?
Yes. Almost every day. But what can you do?
5. What is the biggest challenge you face in your life today?
The struggle to be myself in a world that I’m clearly not cut out for? Haha. It’s terribly sad when I’m not laughing about it, but it’s really difficult to be myself. Because my values and ethics and concerns, at every turn, seem to be so very different than most of the others’ around me. I mean, I’ve clashed with family and friends for my entire life, because they just don’t understand why I won’t ever stop swimming upstream.
6. How has music impacted your life?
I’ve been playing musical instruments since I’m 8 years old. I’ve been obsessively listening to music since I’m 3 years old. I’ve been a pirate radio DJ, I have worked in record stores and in guitar shoppes and in live music venues. I have worked on street teams. I was briefly doing marketing for a small label…. Music is pretty much just… what I do. When I accidentally cut myself, I bleed in the key of F#.
7. What is your idea of the perfect blog?
http://nostomanic.blogspot.com is pretty damn close to perfection. I wish I could do what Amber does.
8. What are 5 things you want to do before you die?
Kiss a midget on the lips, spend a year in Ethiopia or Kenya, adopt a sugar glider, get a decent band together and go on a real tour, and eventually find the kind of love that I have always idealised up in my head (the kind of love that exists only in Beatles songs?).
9. What makes you and your blog unique?
I don’t know. I assume I’m a neurotic mess, and people like that kind of thing. I mean, look at how popular Woody Allen is. But then, I am like a Woody Allen that came from the wrong side of the tracks, and did a lot of LSD as a kid. Haha. Yes. No, that’s it: people love train wrecks. I am definitely a train wreck.
10. What advice would you provide for people looking to start a blog?
This is terrible advice, I know, but I’d say: Just start doing it. Stop all the thinking, stop all the worrying, and just write. Every day. Twice a day. Nine times a day. Whatever you have to give, give it. It’ll feel good.
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Rob. 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 Rob’s Blog, review him, and follow him on twitter.
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 David [at] Scribnia.com
Posted by: David Spinks - 26 July 2010 / 9:39
Photo cred: Rachel Johnson
The question comes up all the time.
“How often should I reply to comments on my blog?”
My response is always the same and I’d like to explain why. I think that bloggers should reply to every single legitimate comment they get. By legitimate, I mean, it’s not spam or one of those “omg great post I totally agree” comment.
A general rule of thumb: Respond to a comment with equal effort to the commenter. That means, when a reader really takes the time to read your post, and share their thoughts, you owe it to them to respond with a thoroughly thought out response.
So why should you, a busy blogger, take the time to read and respond to every single comment? Here’s 7 reasons:
1. It shows your readers that you’re listening.
When someone comments on your blog, they expect you to read it. Responding to every comment shows that you’re reading each comment.
2. Drives the conversation further.
Maybe you don’t care about driving conversation. If you do, then as the host of the conversation, it’s up to you to get it going. Responding to every comment will help get a discussion going amongst your readers.
3. Builds a connection with more readers.
By responding to every reader who comments, you create a connection with each reader. I probably don’t have to tell you, but you never know what a simple connection can lead to. If you’re a business blogger, you can create valuable networking opportunities. If you’re a personal blogger, it’s still great to get to know your readers.
4. You’d appreciate the same treatment.
When you comment on a blog and get a well thought out response from the blogger… Feels good yeah? Yeah.
5. It will encourage more readers to comment, knowing that they’ll get a response.
If a reader sees that you respond to every comment, they can feel confident that they’ll get a response if they comment too. This will drive readers to comment on your blog more often.
6. Makes your posts look more popular.
This really shouldn’t be your reason for responding to comments, as it’s somewhat misleading, but it’s still worth noting. If your comments are included in the count of comments on your posts, it will look more popular. Of course, as soon as they see the comments, they’ll see that a lot of the comments came from you.
7. Improve the quality of comments.
If your readers know that you’re likely to respond, they’re likely to put more thought into their comment. It holds them to a higher standard.
You may not care about any of these things. If you do, then give it a shot. Respond to every comment. It’ll pay off.
Posted by: David Spinks - 14 July 2010 / 11:25
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 Johana Hill who writes for The Mercurial Wife. Johanna is a 20 something blogger that discusses her day to day experiences as a “stay-at-home-wife”, shares some stories involving “honey lips”, and mixes in random jokes, blog tips, and whatever else she can come up with.
As you can see from her picture over there, she does not reveal her true identity. That’s alright, we’re going to poke and prod to see what we can learn about the blogger behind this blog.
Well, lets get to know Johana a little bit better!
1. Where is your favorite place to go to write, read or think?
When I’m in the bathroom! It may sound funny to some but that’s where I let my mind go, or sometimes when I’m sitting outside on the porch in the mornings. Also, when I’m alone at night-time, my creative juices kick up then.
2. What was your life like growing up?
Fun! I never took anything serious until I left home to pursue my studies overseas. My mother always tells me, “Remember, there’s always a way out.” And I think I lived by that. And still do. So I tend not to worry about petty stuff. Que sera sera. Right?
3. How do you continue to find inspiration and ideas for blog posts?
My husband inspires me. Things he does, stuff he says, the fights, the lovemaking, the comfortable silence between him and I while enjoying each other’s company…
4. Who are your biggest inspirations in life?
My parents. I envy their money-saving abilities. Ha!
5. How do you define success? (I love this answer)
Success to me is like cooking good food, and even if you don’t feel like eating it afterwards, you feel happy seeing the content and satisfied expression on the faces of those who do.
6. What is the biggest challenge you face in your life today?
Trying to become a mother. I love babies. I want babies. But then, I think of all the responsibilities having a baby brings to the table and I feel defeated.
7. What are 5 things you want to do before you die?
Skydiving, own a library, go to Australia, Egypt, and Peru, make my parents proud and become a millionaire!
8. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned since you started blogging? ( REALLY love this answer)
Nobody cares until you start caring.
9) What do your friends and family think about your blog?
My blog is anonymous. My husband and best friend know about The Mercurial Wife, plus a few. As far as I know, they like it! ;p
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Johana. Keep up the great work and good luck making babies ^_^.
You can read Johana’s blog here, read/write reviews of her here, and be sure to follow her on twitter here.
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 David [at] Scribnia.com
Posted by: David Spinks - 7 July 2010 / 9:25
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 Estelle Nagel aka Essie who writes for Loch Ess Monster. Essie is an extremely unique person and writer that I met through the always amazing, 20 Something Bloggers network. She’s 27, and lives on a wine farm in South Africa. Her favorite instrument is the vuvuzela (kidding) and she’s a Marketing Manager for a UK company (not kidding).
She has an amazing story, and it’s bloggers like her that first intrigued into me in the blogosphere.
Well, lets get to know Estelle a little bit better!
1. Where is your favorite place to go to write, read or think?
I live on a wine farm and we have this huge old tree that sings when the wind blows on the property. There is a back story to the tree that I don’t remember, so I enjoy making things up.
2. Why did you start blogging? Why do you blog today?
I found myself hopelessly depressed due to a lot of unfortunate circumstances…I tried writing about the things that were depressing me, but that seemed to make me feel worse. So instead I decided to toss all the Sylvia Plath out of the window and rather find something to laugh about each and every day. And I started to write about that instead. Blogging is my therapy. So I suppose my blog started with Japanese subculture and ended with the zombie apocalypse…as I’ve said, that’s where it’ll ALL end.
3. What was your life like growing up?
I grew up in the 80s in South Africa, which was a pretty violent and confusing time for a child. Seeing riots and protests and petrol bombs wasn’t out of the ordinary, but other than that I had a “normal” uneventful childhood. We were a tight-knit, bluecollar family and still pretty close. I remember the old apartheid flag go down and the new South African flag go up. People were crying in protest. All of a sudden I was exposed to all these new languages and cultures and ideas. Even our history lessons swung around dramatically – we had gone from the good guys to the bad guys in less than a week. We had been sheltered from all that before.
4. How do you continue to find inspiration and ideas for blog posts?
I don’t know. I have a twisted sense of humour and tend to see things differently than most people. Part of it was growing up religious and brainwashed in apartheid South Africa and then having been forced to see it from a different angle. Plus the Internet’s dark nooks and corners are awesome. I occasionally just do some “mad libs” browsing where I type random phrases into Google and see what pops up.
5. Who are your biggest inspirations in life?
My sweetheart Matt. He doesn’t let me feel sorry for myself. He’s survived horrible child abuse, two divorces, losing 3 kids, losing custody of two more, drugs, alcohol, homelessness, jail and then turned his life around 360 degrees. He reminds me daily that you can change your life. You can be happier than you are.
6. How do you define success?
Definitely not in monetary terms or titles. My mother is the most successful person I know – she was a housewife but she’s learnt to be spiritual, happy, balanced and loving. I don’t admire Donald Trump – he’s got money, bad hair and no life. I admire my mother.
7. Have you ever faced a challenge that helped define who you are today?
Plenty. I joined an extremist religious sect when I was 18. It consumed my life and finances and alienated me from my family, and it was exhausting. There was plenty of abuse on the inside. It took me six years to leave and I had no way of adjusting to the real world. I also found myself stuck in an unhappy church-sanctioned marriage I had to get rid of. Hard as it was, ultimately it taught me that I am responsible for my own happiness and that you shouldn’t give up your rights and freedom to others willy-nilly.
8. How has music impacted your life?
Well I married a professional drummer, so it meant I’ve wasted countless weekends sitting in smoke-filled backstage rooms. Music is not glamorous for me, it’s not a passion.
9. What do you have in stock for the future of your blog?
I will keep doing it until it stops being enjoyable for people. That’s about as far as plans go. I don’t want to do it for money or fame. I like making people snicker and that’s how I want it to stay.
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Essie. Keep up the great work.
You can read Essie’s blog here, and read/write reviews of her here.
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 David [at] Scribnia.com
Posted by: David Spinks - 1 July 2010 / 18:08
Scribnia is very proud to be sponsoring the Famous Bloggers + Comluv blogging contest. We believe both of these sites have created lively communities of bloggers and we were honored when they reached out to us to contribute to the more than $3000 in cash prizes.
We also loved how this contest works because it’s a lot more than just “omg tweet this link for a chance to win!”. In the true spirit of a good blogging contest, the only way to win this contest is to blog!
On top of that, the posts aren’t meant to support the hosts of the contest…they’re meant to support the community. The topic that you have to write about is “blog comments”. It’s general enough that you have creative freedom, but focused enough that we can come out of the contest with some great content to help bloggers on an important topic.
The best posts, based on a number of factors, will win one of many prizes.
So it’s an honorable contest, with noble goals, and cash prizes. What more could we ask for?
Ready to enter?
You can read the official contest blog post here. It includes:
- The announcement
- The rules
- Topic ideas
- …and any help/resources you’ll need.
So go on! Enter, write some good content, share it around, and win some money.
Happy blogging!
Posted by: David Spinks - 29 June 2010 / 12:11
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 Andrew Norcross a great writer, father and friend who opines at Restless Like Me and works as a web designer and developer. He writes a lot of opinion based content about the social web, his field of work, and life in general. Personally, I love the honesty that you can always expect from Andrew. He always seems to know where he stands and will stand by his beliefs.
Well, lets get to know Andrew a little bit better!
Hi Andrew,
1. Why did you start blogging? Why do you blog today?
I started blogging some time in the mid to late 90′s, although I can’t remember exactly when. I have no real idea why I started. I’ve never considered myself a writer, but I occasionally get the urge to put something down. I’m much more of a real life conversation person. I blog today for the same reasons.
2. What was your life like growing up?
Pretty normal. I grew up in your standard suburban neighborhood in Florida. My dad is a minister, so there was always the idea that people thought I was some sort of pious kid. I clearly wasn’t. Granted, he wasn’t a fire and brimstone sort of guy, either. Very liberal and laid back. I played sports (football for 6 years and swam for 15), did really well grades-wise, but got in a fair amount of trouble due to my willfullness. Some things never change.
3. How has blogging helped you in your life/career?
Hard to say. I used to work in finance as an accountant, then a money manager. But I’ve never blogged about finance at all. I now work as a freelance designer and developer, but aside from a few tutorials, I’ve never blogged on that, either. It has helped me get in the habit of writing things, but that’s about it.
4. Where is your favorite place to go to write, read or think?
My back porch, although I don’t write or read there. I just grab a pack of smokes and maybe a cup of coffee (depending on the temperature) and let my mind wander. To be honest, I don’t read much. I keep up with a few blogs and sites, but otherwise the newspaper is where I do most of my reading.
5. How do you define success?
Never having to defend what you do to anyone. And being able to live how you want without giving a thought to what people think. Oh, and a pony. Having a pony is a true sign of success.
6. Have you ever faced a challenge that helped define who you are today?
I had to re-learn how to walk again when I was 20. I had a real bad leg injury (shattered the ball joint of my femur) and had to do a lot to get back to regular life. It’s still fucked up, though. Also, having to kick a massive booze, cocaine, and pills addiction at the age of 22 wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
7. You’ve introduced me to a lot of great music. How has music impacted your life?
Greatly. I’ve played a few instruments over the years, and I used to sing as well. Much like people pair a wine with a meal, I pair certain music to parts of my life.
8. What is one unique fact that your readers don’t know about you?
Well, most don’t know I had a career in banking and finance for a long time. Or that I’ve been sober for almost 7 years.
9. How has your life changed since you had a son? What does it mean to you to be a father?
Being a dad has meant that I have a real responsibility, one that has no comparison. A job, a blog, even a relationship can’t hold a candle to what comes with being a parent. It’s my job to make sure my son has what he needs in life (not what he wants, although he gets most of that right now since he’s a toddler). It’s the only thing in my life that I would drop anything and anyone to deal with. It’s non-negotiable. It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Andrew. Keep up the great work.
You can learn more about Andrew here, and read/write reviews of his writing here.
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 David [at] Scribnia.com
Posted by: David Spinks - 23 June 2010 / 11:08
“What is it like to work with a remote team?” It’s a question that I get asked all the time. It’s a relatively new movement that is growing exponentially as a model for business teams. It seems like every day a new tool comes out that allows people to connect and communicate in new ways, recreationally and professionally.
Our entire team at Scribnia works remotely. We don’t have an office and we’re scattered across the globe from NY, to Montreal, to Romania, Ukraine, Dominican Republic and back to New Jersey. So we know a thing or two about working remotely and I’d like to share some of our experiences and tips with you.
Photo cred: Colin Wright
First the tools. Here’s what we use:
1. Yammer
Yammer and email are used pretty interchangeable for us. We try to use Yammer as much as possible though, so that the entire team can follow along with what everyone is working on. We use it regularly to share and provide feedback on new projects and ideas.
2. Skype
We have team meetings as well as meetings with others on skype. Conference calls are a lifesaver for us. Skype is also the little bit of pseudo face to face interaction we get thanks to video chat.
3. Jira
All new projects are added as tasks to Jira and assigned to specific members of the team. It is our organization and reporting tool to make sure projects are on track.
4. Google Wave
This tool is still experimental for us. I’ve started to create new waves for individual projects so that we can organize new mockups and feedback coming in throughout the course of each project.
5. Email
duh.
There are tons of tools out there that may work better for you. I hope you’ll share some in the comments if you know of any.
So what is it like have a full team working remotely? Is it beneficial or detrimental? I’ll break it down for you.
The positives:
Photo cred: Joel Telling
- Flexibility. We can all work from home. My boss can spend time with his new born baby in Montreal while I get to stick around in NY and do my thing. The freedom of working from home and not having to relocate is definitely a plus.
- Dollah Dollah billz yall. It saves a lot of money not having to pay for an office space, for the commute, and we can outsource a lot of work.
- Access to more communities. Big blogging event going down in Montreal? We’re covered. One in New York (like every day)? We’re still covered.
- Experience. Since businesses love to save money, and running a remote team saves a lot of money, it’s pretty clear to me that more and more teams are going to go virtual. Better to get the experience now of working with a remote team and learn how to use the tools efficiently.
- Mobility. Many of the tools we use are available as mobile apps as well. Since our entire team is using these apps, as long as I can access them from my phone, it’s not that different from working at my desk. It allows me to attend events, and be on the move, while still staying on track with my team. With a team that works in an office, odds are they don’t work primarily on applications that you can access from your phone.
The negatives:
- Team collaboration. It’s much harder to collaborate with your team members when you’re not collaborating in person…for a few reasons.
- You can’t see a persons face, which means you can’t fully understand their reactions and emotions in a conversation.
- Quick and easy tasks are no longer quick or easy. It’s much easier for me to walk over 5 feet, point something out on a screen to my colleague, and have them fix it up really quick. When working remotely, you have to get in touch with them, set up a time to meet and discuss, and use a screenshare to explain what you mean.
- When you’re surrounded by your coworkers, you’re more motivated. Surrounding yourself with other motivated and energetic people will inspire you. Sitting by yourself in your bedroom, not so much.
- Time zone issues. My colleagues in Romania probably hate me for all the late night messages I send them. ”The sun is still shining in NY!” They get me back by waking me up nice and early on occasion.
- Office relationships. I don’t know about you, but I’m the type that really appreciates being able to go out and grab a beer with my team after a long hard day of work. Getting to know your colleagues on a personal level is a lot harder with a remote team.
So like everything else…it’s a trade off.
Here are some tips for staying efficient:
Photo cred: guccio
- Meet with at least one person on your team every day.
- Have a weekly team meeting with as many of your team members as possible.
- Have a home base tool where everyone can see what other employees are working on. As I mentioned, we use Yammer.
- Use project management tools to keep all your projects on time and on track. We use Jira.
- Try to maintain as much personal interaction as possible. When we write out emails, they tend to lack emotion. So, use skype’s video chat whenever possible, or have actual phone calls.
- Establish an efficient recording and reporting structure. Your boss isn’t there with you, so it’s important that they’re aware of what you’re working on.
It’s been an iterative process for us. It’s not something you can just implement and see the same kind of efficiency you had with an office. It’s a learning experience and we’re getting more efficient over time.
It’s up to the managers to keep the team on track and maintain ongoing communication. It’s up to the employees to stay motivated and get their job done without a manager looking over their shoulder.
Do you work on a virtual team? What tools do you use? What has your experience been?
More resources for remote teams:
Posted by: David Spinks - 21 June 2010 / 10:29
Welcome to the first post in the renewed Behind the Blogs series, 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 Henrik Lamark who writes for Tights and Tiaras, ”a blog introducing outsiders to the world of ballet through the voice of a male norwegian dancer.” If that doesn’t make for a unique blog, I don’t know what does. Let’s get to know a little bit more about Henrik…
Hi Henrik!
1) So why did you start blogging? Has your reason for blogging changed?
I started out because I felt I had something to share with the world, really. Through years, I’ve met so many people that, when told I’m a ballet dancer, they just don’t know what that means. Some might make some funny remark (usually turning, with their hands above their head in a sad attempt to imitate a pirouette or something down that road), but most are curious, asking what I do on an every-day basis, what it’s like, being a dancer.
I realized, most people don’t have a clue, and that a blog would be a good way to tell the world what we do, so I started out. I guess I have a little writer in me, I liked working on new features, I started up some of the columns on the site, and little by little, I built what is today Tightsandtiaras.com.
The reason for my blogging stays the same, I still feel I have more to contribute with. But I’ve discovered other reasons as well, and I am really enjoying participating in the communities around my, and other great pages on the web.
Every comment on my site, every retweet on Twitter (I’ve gone from a harsh critic of Twitter to an active tweeter) and thumbs on Scribnia gives me inspiration and new reasons to continue writing.
2) Interesting…and what do you have in stock for the future of your blog?
I just started collaborating with two other amazing authors, David Hunter from Ballet for Men and Catherine Tully from 4dancers, and we’re planning some really cool features. It’s all still quite secret, but we’ll be coming to a page near you soon, so look out for us! : )
Lately I’ve been adding some features for dancers to my site, and I wish to expand the site further to reach out to more people. I’d love to see Tights and Tiaras working as a portal to people that want to get to know more about what I do and the world of dance, and at the same time be a place where dancers meet up and discuss and share topics. It’s hard to achieve interest on both sides of the “line”, but I still have some aces up my sleeves.
3) What is one unique fact that your readers don’t know about you?
I’m a mean poker-player?! At periods this season I have won amounts nearly matching my salary by playing cards with my colleagues. But then again, the beer-bill increases as well, and we’re nice guys, the winner pays the tab : ) Another thing they might not know is that I don’t have a TV, never did. Last time I lived in a house with a TV in it was 6 years ago.
4) How do you define success?
Success relates to goals. Everyone has their own goals and self-expectations, and success is to reach those, or sometimes, the strive for those goals itself is a success. For me, success is to develop. As long as I’m learning new things, meeting new people, seeing new perspectives, I’m successful in not stagnating my development as a person. I always try to keep an open mind, but it’s harder than one ought to think, sometimes.
5) Where is your favorite place to go to write, read or think?
I take notes on thoughts and ideas that comes to me throughout my days. I find much inspiration in other people, both around me, and in other writers and bloggers on the net. I try to keep my eyes open, and to relate stuff I’m seeing to Tights and Tiaras. When I have the time (dancers are normally on a quite busy schedule with rehearsals, long days in the theatre, and performances at nighttime) I sit down with my computer, usually with a great mug of tea, and write out several posts at once. Then, I let the posts ripen for a while, maybe making some changes in free moments, before looking over it again before it goes up on the blog.
6) What are 5 things you want to do before you die?
1. I want to travel. A lot. I’ve been fortunate to have been to quite some places already, mostly touring with a ballet company, but I want to see a lot more. I want to die knowing that I’ve seen as much of the world as I could!
2. I want to have that “wow” moment, on stage, where I just suddenly realize the meaning of all, the beauty behind all the hard work. Think I’ll be searching for that one still for some while.
3. I want to have a child. I think the ability to get kids and raise them to become great persons is a divine ability. I want to love, and be loved.
4. I want to help someone reach their goals in life.
5. I want to drive a mean motorcycle : )
7) As a male dancer, you’ve spoken on your blog about how you are sometimes the victim of insults or ridicule. Do you get a lot of trolls commenting on your blog and how do you deal with them?
Actually, I haven’t needed to deal with negative comments at all. I guess people that isn’t interested, or would write negative comments, simply don’t get to my page while surfing. I’m happy not having to deal with it yet, but I wouldn’t have a problem with it either. I find answering people honestly and straight is the best killer of all critique – you can’t really criticize male dancers as a group without generalizing a lot – we’re just as different from each other as any other group of people.
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Henrik. Keep up the great work.
Be sure to check out Henrik’s blog here, and you can review him here.
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 David [at] Scribnia.com
Posted by: David Spinks - 18 June 2010 / 11:21
Photo cred: DerrickT
That’s right…we are relaunching the Behind the Blogs series. If you’re not familiar with Behind the Blogs, it’s a series we started last summer where we interview your favorite, most unique and interesting bloggers, to get to know a little bit about the person behind the keyboard.
It was put on hold for a while for various reasons, but we’re bringing it back.
We’ll be asking questions like:
Have you ever faced a challenge that helped define who you are today?
What was your life like growing up?
What is one unique fact that your readers don’t know about you?
…and lots more.
So join us every week to learn a little bit more about the people who inspire us with their words from day to day.
If there’s a blogger you’d like to learn more about, that you think we should interview, please leave a comment, or email me at david [at] scribnia [dot] com.
Hell, if you’re that blogger…drop me a line too. It’s a great way to give your readers a little behind the scenes look at who you are, while also getting some solid traffic. Just ask Cecily Kellogg who says she still gets traffic from her Behind the Blogs interview.
The first interview will be kicked off next week with Henrik, the 24 year old professional ballet dancer from Norway.
See you there!