BLM Girls Present the Blogging Brilliance DMV Event

This was a great week Style Stampers! No, I didn’t meet a new boo or anything like that, but I did meet three awesome ladies in person that I’d previously met online through a blogging group that I’m in called Bloggers Like Me. Collectively we call ourselves “BLM Girls”. BLM is a community of bloggers that look like me. We meet daily on our Facebook page to discuss our blog issues, blog successes, provide encouragement to others, share a joke, or vent about crashing computers, lost blog posts, or lack of motivation. The key word for me this week is “Share”. We actually share in this group. We share tips, tricks, and a bit of ourselves. This organized group of talent is a wealth of information with over 2,000 blogging members, world-wide! So who better to write the book on blogging than this group? No one. So they did. “From Blank Space to Blogging Brilliance” is a compilation of knowledge for the experienced blogger and the yet to write one word blogger. In case you were wondering why I have an icon of this book on my site, this is why! This is THE book! Fast forward back to the present time….three of the BLM authors who live in the DC area and myself got together to host a panel to talk about blogging, share some of our experiences, and discuss the benefits of the Blogging Brilliance book.

This event was so much fun. Even more, it was informative. As the moderator, I kicked off the event, posed questions to the panel, and took questions from the audience. But even while standing up I learned so much from the ladies sitting on the panel. Kristina Denise of CurvyGirlChronicles.net, Skye Charlie of SkyeCharlie.com, and Valerie of UnapologeticallyUs.com were all full of personality, professionalism, and blogging brilliance. The quote of the night came from Kristina, who warned against comparing your blog to others by stating “Comparison is the thief of all joy.” Kristina wrote the last chapter of the book, “You Started Blogging, Now What?” and she had a lot of wisdom to share on the application of blogging. Skye’s chapter was on “Building a Brand on Budget”, so inevitably we spoke a lot about branding. Valerie, who is also a photographer, wrote the chapter on “Photography, Tips and Resources” which is so important since photography makes up the visual substance of most blogs.

Skye taught me that there is no limit to planning. As bloggers, we have the benefit of planning and writing in advance of a blog or twitter release. Skye shared that she plans up to 6 months out! I was in awe at this, being that I do nearly zero planning on my blog, or in real life for that matter. This is an area that I want to improve, and she gave me the motivation to do it! Valerie is just an all-around superhero with three small kids, a husband, a blog, a full time Government job, and she’s a photographer. Energy and dedication on fleek!

I admit, I enjoyed being the facilitator. It was a refreshing experience and I got to be myself, make jokes, keep things cohesive, and make sure the audience got what they came for. We had a hashtag for the event as well, which is always fun! #BloggingBrillianceDMV.

The audience blew me away with their questions and creativity. over 75% of attendees had a blog. Those who did not have a currently live blog had their ideas and plans ready to start any day. For me there’s nothing better than being in a space with other creatives as I’m sure you’ve heard me say before. All of the ladies in the audience were amazingly talented, and their blogs or blog ideas were so unique and individual, which is the main point of blogging!

This was a great time! We were all there to share, but in the midst of sharing we each had a lot to take away based on the shares of others. I can’t wait to do it again!

For more information on how to go from a blank space, to a brilliant blog, get the book!

Are you a blogger? Are you interested in being a blogger? If so, why? Leave your comments below!