Today’s Confessions of a Blogger features the lovely Nikki from Between Daydreams! Although Nikki and I have never met in person, I have gotten to know her through the amazing platform that is social media!
My name is Nikki, I am a 30 year old blogger based in Cape Town. I am also mom to the adorable baby Sophie (she’s 1, not such a baby anymore) and fiancé to the always busy art director Regan.
- When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started blogging in 2007. I had moved to Oslo, Norway and my blog became a way to keep my friends and family back home updated.
- Do you blog fulltime or do you have a 9-5 as well? Blogging full time sounds like such a dream! Alas, it’s not for me. I work as a content manager. I’m so lucky to be one of the few people to do what they love. Writing is both my job and my hobby.
- Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? I blog to document our lives as new parents and our adventures in the beautiful city we call home, Cape Town. I guess in a pinch I’d call myself a mommy & lifestyle blogger. I know the mommy blogger title often gets a bad rep, but you know, when you have a child for the first time you become obsessed with all things related to your child, clothes, lotions and potions, etc. My blog will always be a true reflection of my interests. Right now those interests are very much rooted in parenting and Cape Town and home making. I can’t promise that that will never change. As I grow, so does my blog. That’s what I love so much about blogging.
- Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? I once read that writing is not an art, it’s a need. That’s where my motivation lies. I have a need to express myself and share my success and failings and even if no one reads it, I need to get it out.
- What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Posting consistently has always been, and truthfully, continues to be a challenge for me. Right now I am struggling to achieve that elusive work/life balance and my blog usually suffers. Any tips would be most welcome!
- What do you love most about being a blogger? I love connecting with other bloggers, I love engaging with my readers and hearing their thoughts or sharing their experiences… Being a part of an engaging community is so rewarding.
- Do you have any blog related or social media pet peeves? {things that other bloggers or social media peeps do, that really annoy you} I have only one: when bloggers host competitions and tweet: “RT to enter” when in fact they actually mean retweet, like, comment and share to enter. I feel like this is misleading. Saying “click this link to enter” uses more characters but is far more honest.
- What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? I’ve become much more conscious of what I do. Especially since the arrival of Sophie. I look at my life like a content manager, which experience I can turn into content for my blog. This might seem like a weird approach to life, but truthfully, it has resulted in exciting weekends and lots of wonderful memories. I also photograph and document so much of my life, every milestone has an image or video attached to it. I know that later in life, I will be really grateful for this.
- If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Write like someone is listening. When you start blogging it can often feel like shouting into an empty room, don’t let lack of a following discourage you. Write well, write what you know, be true to yourself. Your readers will know when you’re writing something just for the sake of publishing something. Be mindful of what you say and how you say it.
- In three words tell me what blogging means to you: Life lived well.
Thanks Nikki for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Nikki and connect with her here:
Blog link: www.betweendaydreams.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betweendaydreams
Twitter: @nikkilincoln
Instagram: @nikkilincoln
If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.
Images: Nikki Lincoln
This is the very first time that I have read one of the Blogger interviews and I so enjoyed it. I love what Nikki has to say about writing – that it is a need. I have also discovered these past few years that actually my desire to write, write and write some more is actually a talent that I arrived with. Can explain my rather long compositions at school. And I write because I love it so much. Thanks for such an interesting read.