Bloggers Behind the Screens is a monthly interview series, where fellow bloggers come together to answer a series of questions on a specific theme. This is a chance to get acquainted with a whole range of bloggers, some of whom you may not have encountered before, and learn a little more about them!
This month, we’re talking to bloggers about the very thing that makes them bloggers. Their blogs.
When did you start blogging and why?
I started blogging in January 2017 when my daughter was 3 months old. She suddenly became seriously ill at 2 weeks old and we thought we were going to lose her. The drawn out process of the hospital trying to find out what was wrong and the time leading up to her operation 3 weeks later was full of twists and turns. Having not been properly treated for blood loss during labour, I was also very unwell myself and less able to deal with the cards I was being dealt. All of this had a terrible effect on my mental health and starting my blog was cathartic and part of my way of trying to recover.
How did you come up with the name for your blog?
When I went to my first baby group a couple of days before I started my blog, I wasn’t referred to by my first name by the health visitors. Instead, I was referred to as “Autumn’s Mummy”. It was the first time someone had called me that and it really struck a chord. Now starting to heal from the ordeal we’d been through, it made me feel choked up and proud of my new identity.
What do you blog about? Has that changed from when you first started?
I blog about life as a first time mum and tips, as well as many things that interest me. My blog covers mental health, cars, weddings, beauty, home and all kinds of other things. It has perhaps changed a little since I first started, but that was always going to happen as Autumn grew, I think.
Is your blog your job, your hobby or your side hustle?
It’s a hobby mainly, but I do earn some money from it too.
What is the best thing or experience that blogging has given you?
It sounds cheesy, but the best thing is when people have said to me that a blog post I’ve written has really touched them or helped them in some way. It has also given me a lot more confidence in myself and encouraged me to push myself in ways I’ve never done before.
What is your favourite thing in the whole world to write about?
My favourite person in the whole wide world of course, Autumn.
What skills (the more unusual the better!) has blogging taught you?
The art of trying to get a toddler to stay still for one second, which I am still trying to master! Other than that, I’ve learned all sorts of things. There is so much to learn from writing, technical and creative standpoints and you continue to learn new things all the time.
What is your favourite post from your blog? Give us the link and tell us why it’s your favourite.
In a way it has to be this one about what we went through with Autumn when she was ill: https://www.autumnsmummyblog.com/2017/02/04/when-autumn-fell-critically-ill/
It took a lot of emotional effort to write it, but once it was done I felt a lot better. It’s helped a lot of other people too, and for that reason it’s my favourite.
Have you ever been on TV or radio in your capacity as a blogger? If so, what for? If not, do you think it’s something you’d like to have a go at?
I have been on both! I’ve been filmed discussing breastfeeding for BBC Breakfast. I’ve been on Radio Kent a couple of times, discussing the closure of children’s centres locally the first time and discussing whether we should ban children from sugar the second time. Recently I’ve also been on Cork’s 96 FM discussing why I’ve banned my child from watching Masha and the Bear.
What is your least favourite thing about blogging? There must be something you don’t like about it…
Sometimes I find there is pressure to post a certain number of posts on certain days, when it doesn’t necessarily always fit in with everything else going on in my life. I get a lot of spammy emails with people wanting something for nothing. Then there’s the mundane tasks of tags and SEO stuff, I think that might be my least favourite part.
Do you have any advice to give to anybody out there thinking of starting a blog right now?
Just go for it and start writing!
Where do you do most of your blogging? Do you have a home office, are you on the sofa or do you prefer to be out and about when writing posts?
I tend to be on the sofa. My sofa is too comfy, so I should try to create a special area in a bid to encourage productivity rather than getting cosy and tired!
Be honest. How many unwritten posts are in your drafts right now? How many are likely to see daylight?
4, but I reckon only 1 or 2 will actually make it.
What are you most excited about for your blog in the last six months or so of 2019? Anything awesome in the pipeline for the summer or are we forever winging it?
At the moment I’m not feeling that motivated and have a bit of writer’s block, so I’m winging it for now! I’m looking forward to that next burst of motivation to try and get my blog to the next level.
Finally, what is your absolute favourite thing about being a blogger?
The fact that people actually care about what I have to say!
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About Laura
Laura is a 27 year old first time mum who lives Kent with her high school sweetheart husband Dave, and their daughter Autumn. As soon as Autumn came into the world in September 2016, they knew that life would never be the same again! Over on her blog Laura likes to write about her experiences of parenting, as well as her plethora of interests including fashion, beauty, cars, weddings and the home.
You can find Laura over at Autumn's Mummy
Don't forget to go and find her social media platforms and give her a little like or follow
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