Triple J's Hack, my blog in the classroom and Ichthyosis resource page

It's a bit of a mixed bag today. While its a short working week, I am quite tired. lots on my mind and many things to do. I've been to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to see Hannah Gadsby and will see a few more shows tonight. I've also been writing a speech for the AYAD conference next week.

The other night I spoke on Triple J's Hack program. I think Hack is one of the best current affairs programs going and it was lovely to be invited by journo Alex Mann. The discussion was around disability and employment - many of the guests spike about the discriminatory treatment they've received from employers when disclosing their disability. Really terrible situations. As I tweeted, it's not right that we need to weigh up whether it's worth disclosing our disability in employment - a suppression of identity. You Listen to the podcast here. I am speaking towards the end, but I recommend listening to the whole podcast!

-

A friend of mine is a teacher and she's been using some of my blog posts in her year 9 class - educating the students about diversity and bullying. She sent me this message today. Made my week. It's really good to know that I'm making a difference.

If you want to use any of my posts in your classes, let me know.

-

I am asked a lot of questions by patients and parents of children with Ichthyosis and visible differences. There are a few great resources about Ichthyosis and visible difference, and of course, I've written a lot here about my medical and social experiences. I wanted to collate them so I have a page at the ready to send people.

Last night I created a new page - an Ichthyosis and appearance diversity resource page, containing links to information about my own treatment, plus Ichthyosis support groups and blogs, heath communities, appearance diversity information, tips for talking to people with disabilities and visible differences, disability media, and links to mental illness support services. Of course, as with everything I write about Ichthyosis, please seek your doctor or psychologists' advice before trying anything new.

You can view my resource page here.

-

Voting for the Australian Writer's Centre Best Blogs Competition is open for 2013. There are so many entries - I am very excited to read some new blogs on this list. Please consider swinging a vote my way - my blog is listed as Tune into Radio Carly - and vote for some other fantastic blogs while you're at it. Thank you!

 

Blogging tip: Are you driven by statistics or the desire to write?

Blogging can make you feel great. Your writing develops to a point where you beam with pride. Your words on a screen look so shiny! They're quality. You make new friends. Oh my god, so many friends! It’s perfectly acceptable and sociable to spend a Saturday night at home, talking to your friends you made in Blog Land, while drinking a bottle of cabsav, LOLing in your loungeroom over hashtags while your family and cat look at you like you’re a little bit weird.

Having a blog is instant validation. You write something and 10 minutes later, you have an email telling you what a wonderful piece you wrote, what a wonderful person you are, that your reader can relate to your story, and how your style is fabulous, darling. You receive five hundred likes. And you feel pretty damn good about yourself.

I love looking at my stats – mostly seeing how readers reached my blog, but also seeing an increasing readership from a wide range of locations. I seem to attract a lot of people interested in Callan Mulvey, short shorts, disability sex workers and Icthyosis. And those personal Googles – at first it was freaky knowing that people were entering my name into the internet. But then I became comfortable with it (I’m on someone’s mind!), though still find it strange when I see a Google search like “Carly Findlay Depression” (as was searched for on Sunday 24 March) – and I wonder what made them think that I have depression, and subsequently search the internet to see whether I do. (I don't, FYI.)

High readership and social media followers can buoy bloggers (and bloggers buy page views and Twitter followers - who does that??!). As readership increases, confidence can increase too. The more friends you have, the more popular you are, right? And popularity seems to equal happiness and success. At least on screen..

But then when the popularity and validation reduces, it can leave bloggers feeling like they’ve got no friends. And drama can ensue - who's unfollowed who, whether disagreement is trolling or just disagreement, and passive-aggressive tweets and blog posts. Bloggers get caught up in the tangle of worrying about lack of validation, and perhaps the writing comes second. And I think this is dangerous, particularly when a blogger may already be lonely or isolated in the offline world. While contentious, I'm going to call it: I think there's a danger of validation social media heightening insecurity and worry. I've seen many examples of it.

While blogging can be great therapy, sometimes it becomes too introspective, and hanging out too much online can fuel a cycle of sadness. The instant contact and validation can make you feel very wanted and loved, and lack of it can make you feel low. I have been there - when I first started using the internet and had more friends on ICQ than in real life, and also when I felt addicted to words in online relationships.

I think constant commenting on a reduction in validation by blog comments, social media fans and page views indicates insecurity. I see conversations about losing Twitter followers and Facebook fans. Bloggers pretend they’re not worried about their statistics (especially a reduction in visitors or subscribers), but harp on about them anyway. This seems tedious to me. And a little narcissistic. So much is invested in a follower count.

When blogging stops being fun, stop, at least for a little while! I think when you feel a little excluded because your page views are lower than they were last week, or you lost a couple of followers, switch off your screen. Disconnect from social media for a while – spend time with your family and friends in person. Enjoy your own company. And remember, your blog and its statistics do not define you. It’s ok to take a little break – the world will continue without your online presence.

The resurgence of the 'slow blogging movement' encourages bloggers to let go of the immediacy of blogging - the immediacy of posting and the immediacy of receiving validation and blog when inspiration strikes. I really like the idea to reject page ranking:

"Slow Blogging is a response to and a rejection of Pagerank. Pagerank, the ugly-beautiful monster that sits behind the many folded curtains of Google, deciding the question of authority and relevance to your searches. Blog early, blog often, and Google will reward you. Condition your creative self to the secret frequency, and find yourself adored by Google; you will appear where everybody looks – in the first few pages of results. Follow your own pace and find your works never found; refuse Pagerank its favours and your work is pulled as if by riptide into the deep waters of undifferentiated results. Its twisted idea of the common good has made Pagerank a terrifying enemy of the commons, setting a pace that forbids the reflection that is necessary to move past the day to day and into legacy."
(From the Slow Blog Manifesto)

I asked my friends on Twitter what switching off from the Internet means for them.

Amelia_Draws says "sanity... talking less crap... not getting mired in shite that doesnt count. Living gives you stuff to blog about."
Adam Samuel says "disconnect and recharge. Fresh air and find new ideas. Then when you come back your readers will be there waiting :)."
Billy Greene says "perspective. That, and balance. Living a life gives experiences and fresh material."
Kelsey Cooke says "the big one for me is having more time to live out the things I'll later write about."
I Am Evil Cupcake says "Stepping away from any drama. Helps to refocus."
And Mrs CeeCee says "It's always good to have a 'holiday' from anything that takes a lot of your energy."

When you do return to your blog or your social media platforms, have a think about your initial motivators to blog. Was it for the instant validation you’d receive by statistics, or your desire to write?

I really like what Undead Dad has written:

"...I have to remember my priorities. Although I love seeing a new “like” on the screen or a new person following my work, I have to remember that blogging is about giving my thoughts the chance to expand, and extending that process into my personal relationships. That is where the heart of the growth lies. I am forever indebted to readers with whom my words resonate, because they emphasize that this process of growth and learning is a valid one, and one that deserves further investment.
I would chance a guess that this process motivates the writing of many other bloggers. Blogging is a chance to expand upon one’s thoughts in order to develop further as a person. It gives the writer an opportunity to reflect on one’s self and perhaps carry those insights into other, more personal relationships. For this reason I have a new appreciation and, dare I say, love for blogging."

Looking back on my thesis, I thought about what motivated me to start writing this blog:

Nardi et al (2004, p. 9) raise the idea of the “blog as a muse: thinking by writing”, and discuss bloggers who have been “forced to keep writing” because of their blogs, and who believe “material in their blogs might have another life in future magazine articles, scholarly research or other forms of publication”. This idea of the blog as a muse certainly applies to my experience.
(Nardi, B, Schiano, D, Gumbrecht, M and Swartz, L (2004), 'I'm Blogging This: A closer look at why people blog', Submitted to Communications of the ACM.)

A brand new blogger, Melissa Savage, has been blogging since late January 2013. We met last year, after working at the same organisation for a year or so, and I've encouraged her to start blogging because she's a great writer, active on social media and she also enjoys reading blogs.

She enjoys the validation, writing about how quickly came to love blogging here. “At first I kept the blog private and didn't want to show it to anyone, and then one day I accidentally linked it to my Facebook and Twitter, and then people read it, and then I got addicted to seeing how many people read it, and getting their feedback”, Melissa says.

But the pride she has in her writing means just as much. “Then I wrote a series of posts that connected, and I suddenly got comments and messages from everywhere and it was amazing. I am still trying to recapture than magic and build an audience that is bigger than just my family and friends on social media.”

“Most of I all enjoy making the blog better, working on my writing, engaging with people and learning about linking it all up and using my networks to get people to read my work. And as long as I keep putting my heart into it, my readership will keep growing”, Melissa told me. I love her attitude!

Sometimes people will visit your blog, sometimes they won’t. People are entitled to unfollow you on Twitter or Facebook. People are busy, with online and offline lives. Sometimes current topical issues will win you readers, sometimes personal stories will resonate, and sometimes being shared in a wider network will too. Other times, none of these things will work. I haven’t yet found a formula for writing a post that’s successful – other than writing from the heart.

It you've got any questions about blogging, do send them my way.

Previous blogging tips:

Write like someone's watching

Invest in those who invest in you

Being a responsible employee and social media user

Taking your blog to the speaking circuit (guest post on Styling You)

What I know about writing (Tale Teller podcast)

Homegrown - whole foods, Theatre of Ideas at Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and sausage making.

I've become really conscious about what I eat. I haven't become a diet fad bore, cutting out total food groups, but I am keen to cook and eat whole foods where I can. I love the simplicity of fresh produce - it's so tasty and I really do feel better for eating it. I also really love knowing where my food comes from. I get excited talking about food, especially when I find out people have grown their own. One of the managers at my day job brought in the blue chicken eggs, below. They were laid by Lavender Araucana chickens. The camera didn't pick up the true colour of the eggs, but imagine a pale Tiffany blue.




Earlier in March I was a guest at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's Theatre of Ideas. Hosted by chef-journalist Jill Dupleix, the Theatre of Ideas featured three farmer-chefs talking about their passion for sustainable food, small scale production, mindful eating and powering the body and brain with wholefoods. In summary, they discussed the journey from earth to table, highlighting the change we need to make to our producing, sourcing and eating habits.

Canadian Michael Stadtlander talked at length about his farm, restaurant and bakery (read a great article about him here). Michael owns and operates Eigensinn Farm and Hasai Bakery. The Theatre of Ideas showcased Michael's restaurant sculpture projects. As well as raising and growing the produce on his farm, he creates thematic sculptural gardens and kitchen areas for dining and food preparation. He and his team created hand potted plates, a treehouse and a giant wine dispenser made of recycled wine bottles. His ideas are lavish, a little outlandish, but very interesting. He believes heaven is on earth and demonstrates this through his food practices.

Next up was Matthew Evans, former food critic turned Gourmet Farmer, based in Tasmania. He hopes there is a shift in conscience in how we source food, and encourages the average person to "have a crack" at growing their own produce. He moved from Sydney to Tasmania, on a 12 hectare farm with a garden, pigs, a house cow and sheep. He now also has Fat Pig Farm - an industrial farm with 40 pigs, 16 cows and 12 sheep, plus a mobile food caravan which he takes to food events. He believes farming is an art, and said it is important to showcase Indigenous people, the older generation and real farmers on TV because they understand the complexities of the earth and food producing. It was interesting to hear him speak about his passion for fresh produce and flavours - he said "if you can source good produce, cooking is really easy."

Both Michael and Matthew spoke about death being the hardest thing about farming. "I had no idea how many animals die for us to have commercially grown food", Matthew said. "Death is grim. It makes me feel like a failure when baby animals die", he said, noting that he is against hunting as a blood sport. Jill Dupleix assured him that being sad about death on a farm is healthy for a mindful farmer to feel.

Swedish Chef Magnus Nilson spoke last - he spoke about the unsustainability of meat production. I had to leave part way through his talk for the Rickshaw Run.

I met Matthew over a glass of champagne in the media room - I spoke to him briefly about my love for fresh produce and learning about the food journey.

A few bloggers were in attendance, including Bern Morley, Heidi Apples and Gourmet Girlfriend (you have to check out her bread challenge on her blog and Instagram (follow the hashtag #ggbreadrevolution - it warms my heart that she's encouraging people to make their own bread!).

I came away from Theatre of Ideas feeling inspired to eat fresher, more mindfully and to go to more food lectures.

I thank the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival for sending me along to this event.

-

Over the past two weeks I've been making smoothies for breakfast - green (or orange) and fruit/dairy ones. Some of the great combinations have been spinach, pineapple, celery, grapes, lemon juice and mint, and an awesome pumpkin pie smoothie, inspired by this recipe. I cooked some pumpkin and a carrot in the microwave, chilled it overnight, and added cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup, a couple of dates, nut butter, chia seeds, a frozen banana and rice milk. It was so delicious!

This long weekend I went home to my parents' house in country NSW. It was blissfully relaxing - spent reading (Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller - engrossing, heartbreaking and beautifully written), napping and cooking and eating. We went to the farmer's market - smells of bacon and egg rolls and hot coffee and children's laughter filled the air, and we bumped into old friends. I bought some brioche (beautiful toasted with butter and eaten for breakfast with a berry and peach smoothie) and boutique cordial made my former paediatrician's wife, and a hand-potted bowl from the adjacent art gallery.

In the afternoon, my parents and I made sausages. So much fun! Mum and Dad recently went to a sausage making class, and although they had previously made sausages in their old Breville mixer, they learnt some tricks of the trade such as ensuring the air pressure is ok and professionally twisting and looping the sausages. Dad's really big on buying things on eBay, and he bought a sausage making machine last week. It's a simple contraption - a heavy metal body, barrel to hold the mince, a handle to feed the barrel across the body, and a number of nozzles for different sized sausages. (Photos courtesy of my Dad.)

Mum prepared the mince the night before to maximise flavour - fresh local pork amd suet - minced up in the food processor, roasted herbs and spices - soaked in wine. The sausage skins are natural, and there are no preservatives.

When I was young, I didn't appreciate the process of making (not cooking) food. My parents bottled homegrown fruit, grew rows and rows of vegetables, collected eggs from the chicken coop, made sausages, and raised chickens and sheep for meat. I just thought we should buy food ready to eat from the supermarket, as often the hard work made my parents swear, and tending to the garden and animals in the dry heat of summer was arduous for them. But now I see the pleasure in the homegrown. Making our own food tastes better. The ingredients are known and often grown with care. And it brings us together. It's fun! I enjoyed making sausages as a family - we laughed, taught each other and were proud of our efforts.

I had fun feeding the sausage out of the nozzle, ensuring it was a consistent thickness.

My completed sausage was around 1.5 metres, almost as tall as me! Mum showed me how to twist the sausages in alternate directions so they'll hold when cut.

And last night I had some of the sausages for dinner, with roast vegetables and steamed greens, followed by a tart filled with pears in vanilla, maple and ginger sauce. All made fresh from scratch - thanks to Mum for the pastry, and to Camille's sister Rachael for the herbs.

Plated up! Really tasty.

Honey, I baked! The tart had sweetness and zing, and I served a piece of it with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

For me, cooking is a way of life. I feel better for knowing what's in my food. I ate a burger from McDonalds on the bus trip back to Melbourne. It tasted strange - artificial - and I regretted it. Eating whole foods feels so much better.

Something.

As I crossed the narrow road at a roundabout in Covent Garden I saw a man that looked like him. Maybe a version 20 years older than him - disheveled and street-wise. He'd lived life, maybe not dissimilar to the man I loved. I was on my way to see Matilda on the West End. This man startled me as I marvelled, yet again, that I was in fact in London.

I don't recognise people very well. I worry that I'll forget what he looked like, if it wasn't for that pesky photo of us on my phone, that all the synching of the Apple can't seem to remove. This man in Covent Garden, he was a dead ringer. The same features - nose, bright blue eyes, wide smile and thinning hair. And I felt sick (so much so that I sat down and wrote these paragraphs into my phone, I knew there'd be a story down the track).

He said hello, offered me his arm to guide me across the road. He spoke to me, friendly and tripping over his words and curious from the drink. He asked me what was wrong with my face. Concerned and curious. Frustrated that I couldn't change things.

And so was I. Though I was frustrated I couldn't change a different set of things.

-

It's been a long time since things changed between us. I am all the better for it, and I know he is too. I've had just over six months to get used to this milestone in his life. Last September, I wrote him a letter, farewelling him from my life. I signed off:

So I'll leave you be, remembering you with fondness, sadness and love. I am glad that I played a part in saving your life.

And just like that, he was gone. Sort of. Of course, he's still here in my heart. I think about him sometimes. This week especially. One of his dreams has come true. He's happy.

I imagined this week would come at me like with a thud, that I'd be worn out by emotions and over thinking, and that my tears would make my face hurt. But none of that happened. Is this it? There was no emotional catastrophe. But there was something. Something less than I expected and something bigger than I thought I was capable of. I felt a mixture of something.

While I no longer feel like I love him, it's hard not to feel something. Reflection. Happiness for him. Wondering and a little sadness at what might have been. Sick of carrying the cumbersome yet beautiful memory of him with me - though the load's becoming lighter. It's as though I've made progress.

All of the relevant song lyrics are floating through my space. For a little while, all I could do was play this song over and over.

And I'm relieved I feel something. It reminds me I have loved. I've given myself permission to feel something, rather than beating myself up over feelings I cant control, even though I constantly worry that it's not right to feel so much over someone I had very little time with - to miss somebody that I never really had. Because when others are suggesting I haven't moved on, I know my heart is full (for me and for him), and my skies are no longer grey.

Glen Hansard and The Frames at Melbourne Recital Centre/ Once on Broadway

Last year, on my last day in New York, my Mum and I saw a Broadway show. It was Once - the award winning film. And it was one of my favourite things about my trip away.

 

Once, written by Glen Hansard, who also stars in the film with Marketa Irglova (they were in The Swell Season together), is about an Irish busker/vacuum cleaner technician who falls in love with a Czec pianist. it is a beautiful story, complemented by music that both Hansard and Irglova write and play.It features the beautiful song Falling Slowly, which you may be familiar with.

 

The stage was set up as an Irish bar so before the show, audience members could buy a drink.

I took these sneaky pictures during the show, and was almost evicted...

The performance was so lively, so uplifting, and I felt the music in my bones. The live Irish music was played so well. It felt like we were at a pub, watching a scene at a bar. I preferred the live performance to the film. Absolutely mindblowing.

And I had 'Falling Slowly' in my head the whole flight home.

So when I saw that Glen Hansard and The Frames were playing in Melbourne, I had to buy myself a ticket straight away.

Glen Hansard was supported by Irish singer Lisa Hannigan, whose voice was a bit like Lisa Mitchell. She later supported him on a few songs, including a Woodie Guthrie cover of which neither of them could remember the lyrics and so giggled hysterically.

I sat behind the gorgeous Julia Stone at the show - I had a chat with her during the break between Lisa and Glen.

The Melbourne Recital Centre was so beautiful, and my photos don't do it justice. I had previously been there when I won a Yooralla Media Award. At one stage, Glen spoke about how imposing a venue like the Recital Centre can be, and encouraged us to relax and have fun.

I went into the concert not knowing many songs - I do have The Swell Season CDs and the Once soundtrack and DVD - and came out wanting to devour everything Glen Hansard and The Frames had ever made. I loved 'Falling Slowly', 'When Your Mind's Made Up', 'Star Star' and 'Leave'. Scrap that, I loved all of the songs!

He indicated embarrassment that the ads for his tour placed him front and centre, and gave lots of credit to his band The Frames, part of which have been playing together for many years. The Frames were made up of percussionists, a keyboardist, a brass band, a string set and guitarists. It was a wonderful arrangement.

Glen, with a bushy ginger beard (noting during the show that his mate and he grew big beards last year - "beards that said "I hate women") told lots of anecdotes on the stage. He's really proud of his Irish heritage and talked about the way Australian celebrate St Patrick's Day. He was very funny. He also talked of a friend dying of cancer, biut living his last six months to the fullest, and dedicated a song to him.

They played for almost three hours, Glen said that "we wrote a long list of songs, and played a longer list". After one encore, a few of his band members and he did an acoustic set on the edge of the stage. Below is a picture of everyone doing a cover of Leonard Cohen's passing Through. The previous night, the band played in a procession through the foyer and took the audience onto the street (see video at the end of this post).

 

I loved the way Glen Hansard gave it his all. He is such a passionate performer. And my other favourite thing was his interpretation of covers - a R.E.S.P.E.C.T at the end of 'Love Don't Leave Me Waiting' was fun, and the string players' renditions of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' and the 'Willy Wonka World of Your Imagination' song were magic.

Glen Hansard can whisper and he can roar. His voice is electric, and as I expected, I felt it through to my bones and soul. The concert left me feeling alive. This is what music is about.

 

Blogging tip: Write like someone's watching.

 

There's that saying, "Dance like nobody's watching" - where you're encouraged to let yourself go and just have fun, be silly and not be self conscious about what you may like when you're dancing. I'm a big believer in doing the opposite of this when blogging. As in, Write like someone is watching. Actually, write like someone influential is always watching. Write like someone's going to find you. Especially if being a published writer is something you've always aspired to. (This is not to say don't have fun with your writing.)

This mantra could mean be mindful of what you blog about. I believe this is very important as an employee, a parent, a friend, a partner and within the blogging community because you need to protect your reputation and privacy, not reveal too much about your family, friends and employer, and maintain good netiquette. But in this instance I mean you should write in such a way that others would want to publish your work. Blogging is such good practice. I've heard it being described by a prominent writer as "an apprenticeship". Use your blog to prove to an editor why you should and can write for their publication.

Write blog posts that can be pitched to other publications.

Ensure your blog posts contain correctly spelled words, good grammar and punctuation, and original content that has some currency, relevance and interesting and unique perspectives. And make sure your pictures are quality too - clear, and the right way up! While I tend to write more conversationally than formally, I follow a style guide to an extent - for example, using UK English, spacing after full stops and paragraphs (sometimes paragraphing is tricky when using HTML, especially blogging on blogging apps on the iPad, so do take care), the way I write numbers, and capitalisation in headings. I base my style a little on the style guide I use in my day job (a variation on the Commonwealth Style Manual), and a little on the journalism techniques I learnt at university.

Some online publications don't pay their writers, but they will take previously published blog content, and I believe this is a great way to get a start with freelance writing and get noticed more widely. I've submitted my original unedited blog posts to The Peach and Mamamia, and they've republished them, often with a little editing.

Other publications take original blog posts and ask the writer to edit them or have their own editor edit them - and offer payment. Last week's publication on Daily Life was an example of this - I had such a great response to my original blog post that I pitched it to the Daily Life editor, she suggested some changes, and I spent two hours editing my original piece to suit Daily Life. The spelling, grammar and content was already fine, so the only editing needed was reducing the word count and rejigging the order of some paragraphs.

Editors are also great at offering writers advice they can use for future pieces. I used to have a mentor in my day job who would make red pen corrections to everything I wrote and distributed to staff - after I'd distributed the messages - and then I'd review her corrections, and take these on board for the next time I wrote to staff. Each subsequent piece of writing was corrected less and less.

 

And other publications pay their writers but only accept previously unpublished content. So your blog is a great portfolio to show to prospective editors (and also PR companies if pitching for a sponsored post - like I did when pitching to the publicists at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival) when submitting a pitch.

 

When I started this blog, I did it to develop my writing skills and also to create some sort of portfolio. And I refer to it in almost everything I pitch in my writing, speaking and TV work. Writing this blog has worked for me. Many people ask me advice on how they can get their message out there. I always recommend they start a blog, write a few pieces on their blog and use them (and the contacts built through blogging) to pitch to relevant media outlets. Your blog is your resume.

 

It's hard to write consistently. It takes practice and if you're writing from the heart, it can wear you out emotionally. I joked that writers (especially personal bloggers) should receive emotional compensation for giving a piece of themselves to readers. Sometimes you may write a blog post that comes from being inspired by a joyous or an upsetting event, or you're spilling your emotions onto the screen. I find these posts are always from the heart and often make me feel like I've run a marathon writing them and give me shivers when I read the ones written by others. They usually get the best reaction from readers because they're relatable and evoke empathy in the reader. And they deserve to receive a wider readership.

Here are some bloggers who write consistently high quality blog posts that could easily should be picked up by a range of other publications. They are well written and some have beautiful pictures accompanying the writing.

Edenland

Tiny Savages

Apples Under My Bed

Rellacafa

The $120 Food Challenge

Anna Spargo-Ryan

Big Words Blog

Jouljet

Be your own promoter.

A friend told me I am a good self promoter. I told him that if I don't promote my own work, who else will?! I use social media to promote my writing, and this has got me noticed. Don't be afraid to tweet your posts, share them in relevant Facebook groups, and pitch them to editors of relevant publications (I highly recommend doing a course at the Australian Writers Centre to learn about editing and pitching). Include social media sharing buttons on your blog too, so readers can easily share your work.

By promoting your writing, it gets seen and shared by a huge amount of people - some who could help you with your writing career.

Keep the testimonials you receive.

Screen shot blog comments, tweets and Facebook comments, especially testimonials from editors or prominent people, or members within the community or area of expertise you belong to (I keep positive messages from those in the Ichthyosis community for use on my resume).

Thank people who have helped you.

Finally, if someone helps you with your blog post or freelance writing, such as providing information or a quote, write back to them thanking them and including a scan of or link to your published piece. You never know if they'll offer to republish it or send it on to someone who will, or better still commission you to write an original piece for them!

I can no longer count just how many opportunities have come my way because of blogging. And it's all because I've made a conscious decision to write like someone's watching - and promote my blog posts so that someone does notice. Have confidence in your ability and don't be afraid to promote your blog.

It you've got any questions about blogging, do send them my way. I'm thinking of making blogging tips a regular feature on my blog. What do you think?

Previous blogging tips:

Invest in those who invest in you

Being a responsible employee and social media user

Social media and employees

Being a responsible patient on social media

Blogging as therapy

Taking your blog to the speaking circuit (guest post on Styling You)

What I know about writing (Tale Teller podcast)

Finding the blogging balance

Six tips for new bloggers

 

Sunday Snippets

I've spent the weekend at Camille's house - being her nurse-slave. I've not had to do any nursing or slaving. It's been really lovely hanging out with her, and the best thing is, Camille is doing so well after her transplant.

We've been shopping...

And eating...

And crafting - I made brooches and a hairclip...

And watching reality TV. I can always count on Cam to have a number of fashion, food and interior design shows saved up - though she thinks I'm weird because I said watching Hoarders will make me itchy!

Camille also designed me a new blog header - how awesome is it?! I've given my blog a spring clean too.

Must dash, we are catching up on Come Dine With Me. I fell asleep during last night's reality TV marathon, so I need to ensure I make today's marathon!

Happy Sunday to you!

I'm playing along with Tinniegirl's Sunday Snippets.

 

Losing some but winning heaps more.

Last night I told someone to fuck off as they were very rude about my appearance.

This is how it went:

Man at tram stop, staring: "What have you done to your face?"

Me: Nothing. I was born like this."

Man, shaking his head: "I don't believe it. Where were you born?"

Me: "Australia."

Man, laughing at me: "I don't believe it."

Me: "Fuck off."

I don't swear at people often but man, sometimes they deserve it. And it feels good.

(And it's ironic - or is it? Alanis always makes me wonder - when I've written this piece about having a conversation with people with visible differences that's generated so much discussion.)

While its important to educate people, it's also not unreasonable to want a break from it all. I'm not always polite when I get questions, especially when someone mocks my truthful answers. Sometimes a big "Fuck Off" is all that's needed when people are extremely rude, and that's ok too. I don't have to endure or be polite all the time.

But it's funny for all the rude people I meet (which aren't that many really), the wonderful people outweigh these tenfold. I was out last night to see the wonderful Glen Hansard and The Frames play at the Melbourne Recital Centre - a review is to come. In short - it was amazing.

Just before Glen came on stage, I popped out to get a drink, and on the way back, I saw someone who looked familiar sitting in the seat in front of mine. It was Julia Stone! She saw me, leapt up and gave me a big warm hug and we had a five minute chat. She's so lovely. And that little gesture, from someone I really admire, meant the world after the fuckwit I encountered earlier.

I lose some, but I win heaps more. Life's good!

 

Doing what I love. Jumping from the sky.

The more writing and speaking I do, the more I realise that's what I want to do. I want to make a living as a creative, I want to influence peoples' perceptions about visible difference and appearance and I want to be proud of everything I produce.

Yet after being securely employed for now over one third of my life, with a regular salary that allows me to live a pretty active life, very good conditions that support my sometimes unpredictable illness, managers that support my career goals - both in my day job and outside, engaging work that I know is contributing to the greater good, and a wonderful group of colleagues, I am too comfortable, risk averse and scared to make the transition from a full time day job, working for the man, to doing more of what I love.

I can't imagine giving this day job career totally away, but if I am honest, I'd like to work so that I can work for the man and for myself comfortably. I want to write more away from this blog - and I have so many drafts but sometimes run out of energy to finish them. I spend so much time out of work working on my writing and speaking that I feel guilty when I take a break. I stay up late, I wake up early, I read and network and write down ideas. I never switch off. (An example is that it's not yet 7.00 am and I am writing this blog post, and when I am on the train, I shall draft some tweets to promote my blog in the day.) While doing what I love has never felt like work, I shouldn't feel bad when I take time out to watch the whole season of Girls in one sitting or go to a movie in the day.

Tell me, creative types, how do you do it? How do you put food on the table? If you have an agent, how do you make it work for you? Did you make the transition from the corporate world to working for yourself? How do you balance your day job with doing a lot more of your creative work - enabling yourself to make a decent income in both, and most importantly, without burning yourself out? And how do you keep up the motivation without regressing into full procrastination mode? I may seem productive but there's a danger that I could while away my days reading blogs in between naps.

-

On 9 April I'll be speaking at the Youth 4 Human Rights Forum at Federation Square in Melbourne. It's free and if you're interested in making a difference, you should come! The forum is aimed at helping young people focus on development issues and volunteering during National Youth Week (and beyond). The forum will start the conversion about global issues. I'll be talking about how my blogging has made a difference to connecting and helping people with chronic illness and visible difference.

PS: today a dream has come true - my writing has been published on Fairfax's Daily Life website - it's something I've aspired to for a long time. Read my piece here.

Mixed business: blogging, Chin Chin, Business Chic, new Bob Evans.

It's been a big week for me and my blog! Thank you all so much for your support - it really does mean a lot!

Thanks for all the lovely comments on my One Million milestone - I remember when my blog clicked over 10,000 hits, and then 100,000. Who would have thought One Million?! And the post I wrote about talking to people with visible differences has touched more than I could imagine. Australia's Disability Discrimination Minister Graeme Innes retweeted it, lovely comments have been left, and DeDe was inspired to write a blog post about her own experiences with her little boy Evan who has Ichthyosis. We met in New York last August - she's on the left, and her cousin Kara is between my Mum and I - and have become firm friends.

DeDe has done wonderful things in raising awareness about Ichthyosis, fundraising and blogging about her little boy's progress. You can read her blog post inspired by mine here. She writes about the invasion of privacy when people feel the need to ask her questions about or comment on Evan's skin. The reality of this is that these questions and comments are tiring, no matter whether we need to educate people about diversity, and I really hope DeDe and my stories help others understand and change their ways a little.

That post of mine has also been listed in Schmutzie's Five Star Friday Roundup. What an honour!

The Voices of 2013 nominees have been announced this week. So proud to be on the list, and also so happy that many of my friends are on it too. There is a huge diversity of bloggers - it's exciting. Tonight I am kicking back on the couch, listening to music and plan to check out some blogs I haven't read before.

Today I had lunch at Chin Chin with Fran, a friend I've known for more than 20 years. She's down in Melbourne for the Grand Prix - her son races in the V8 Supercars, and her husband and brother in law have a racing business. We met when her eldest son was in hospital with me when he was 13 and I was 10 - we were both very regular patients. Sadly, he passed away aged 18. I've got such fond memories of playing with him in the playroom, and then sitting with him and his family in his hospital room. It is bittersweet how tragic circumstances bring people together.

Fran and I both love food and we did not stop talking about food. We had son in law eggs with chilli jam, pork rolls (similar to Peking duck)...

...and kingfish wings with Asian herb salad and nuoc cham sauce. The fried fins made the fish look like it had wings. Cute!

Our food was wonderful - light, spicy and so fresh. I loved the salad, though spicy to the point of stinging my lips. It was great to catch up - we really only do it around the Grand Prix time or at Christmas.

Then I checked out Hosier Lane for street art - isn't this pretty?! I love how the Indian dancer is peeking at the gnome!

I headed home via Melbourne Central - which gave me a great chance to check out The Little Black Dress Project. My friend Cheryl from Business Chic is a fabulous street fashion blogger. We met three years ago when she took my picture for her blog. She has a Little Black Dress exhibition at Melbourne Central for Loreal Melbourne Fashion Week until the end of March.

From the LMFF website:

"Everyone has a Little Black Dress (LBD) but how many different ways can it be styled for work and play? BusinessChic.com.au streetstyle photographer and stylist, Cheryl Lin, works in Finance and explored 52 different ways to style a LBD for work. View the exhibition for FREE at Melbourne Central and purchase a copy of the LBD Project book as a useful reference for yourself or Mother’s Day! Visitors who wear their own LBD to the exhibition have the chance to win their own autographed copy and style session with Cheryl Lin."

She styled a little black dress in different ways once a week for a year. I love what she's done with accessories. She's gorgeous. The exhibition inspired me to work with my staple items more.

Cheryl has her own banner. I cried tears of pride when I saw this. So proud of her success! She works incredibly hard - like me, she has a day job and her blog is her other job.

If you're in Melbourne Central, do visit her exhibition and pick up her book. She's signed my copy and I can't wait to read it and get some ideas.

Finally, I picked up the new Bob Evans album Familiar Stranger yesterday - actually I downloaded it for my phone and computer, and bought the physical CD too, because there's nothing better than sighing over the CD booklet on first listen. As expected, the album is magic. It's more pop music than his previous solo albums, but I am loving this progression. The upbeat pop complements the often dark and deep lyrics. It's made me laugh, made me sad, made me think. He's an incredible writer. My current favourites are Wonderful You - an ode to his baby daughter, Go - an upbeat love song with a funny video - and In Another Time - it reminds me of Clare Bowditch's The One. In Another Time could be about a person returning to interrupt life when you've moved on, or it could be a hangover from a previous point in life that follows you around, and you just want to shake it. I highly recommend the album - tell me what you think! Kevin also wrote a great piece about musicians on Twitter - it made me think of fandom and the mystery shed when interacting with idols on social media.

That's it for me now, I am off to read. Tell me about your day. Tell me about the music that moves you.