THE GENERATION OF BLOGGERS

Blogger's have taken over the world! Manufacturers send them the latest, hippest items in hopes that a positive review will pop up on their blogs. Designers send them coveted to-die-for invites to the latest most exclusive fashion shows, again, in hopes to be featured in a post. We excitedly do our usual "daily blog visits" at the end of the day, in hopes for an update from our fave bloggers, and get disappointed when there are none. Or maybe that's just me =S

In May of 2009, swide.com did an interview with one of my (and probably one of your's too) favorite bloggers, BryanBoy. Some of his responses were so point on about the online life, that after I read the interview, I felt the need to share, so here we go.

ONLINE IS A WAY OF LIFE. DO YOU OPT FOR A NON-WIFI SPOT IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

The act of blogging itself is not time-consuming. I could easily post something within minutes. What takes so much time though is the administrative work involved: cropping, editing & uploading photos, reading & replying to emails, keeping track of statistics, dealing with advertisers, writing proposals, research and implementing revenue streams, etc. You think it stops there? Nope. As a blogger, you have to be informed with everything that goes on around you – news, events, the latest trends. As a one-man circus, you could only do so much. (reminds me a little of someone I know? LOL)

DO YOU STILL READ PRINT MAGAZINES?

Yes. I try to, in spite of me getting all of my news on the internet. I mostly “read” them whenever I go to the salon or when I'm travelling. It's funny because even magazine scans are available online! If I were to strictly rely on magazines, I'd be totally out of the loop as it takes 2-4 months before something gets printed out. The internet truly revolutionized the speed and flow of information. You no longer have to wait to see photos of the new collections to appear in print. Some designers, such as Dolce & Gabbana, even show real-time!

I find it increasingly rare for me to actually buy (and keep) an issue. Magazines have become something like coffee-table art books. I buy them to get inspired from images of editorials and ad campaigns. Publishing houses have big budgets to hire the best photographers to capture the best models wearing the season's best clothes.

In any case, I still love my magazines. There's something nostalgic about flipping through glossy pages, to see and to hold such inspirational images in “flesh” versus staring at them on your computer screen.

FOR ANY BUDDING BLOGGERS - WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE ON MAKING IT WORK?

Eeek! I'm probably the worst person in the world to be giving advice to novice bloggers because I sold my soul to the devil a long time ago and I'm now living in a la-la-land where the only thing that keeps me going is keeping my pageviews and unique visitors up. Just kidding. Blogging changed my life. Not only it gave me a livelihood, it also opened so many doors and gave me so many opportunities I thought only existed in dreams! again, kinda reminds me of someone I know...

My advice? Have fun! Be spontaneous. Be silly. Be wild! Update often. Express yourself creatively. Play with different forms of media – photos,videos, audio and let your personality shine! Always keep in mind that your blog is NOT you but an extension of you. Don't be afraid to have your own perspective on things. Try not to censor yourself too much. Don't worry about grammar or spell-check. It's a blog, not a thesis.

Perhaps the best tip I could give to a young blogger is try to have a thick skin. Take everything you read online with a grain of salt, whether it's a compliment or an insult. We all can't please our readers. If you are not comfortable being talked about or your entries and photos criticized then perhaps blogging is not for you. Anything you put on your blog (doesn't matter whether it's a photo or a 5,000-word essay) becomes public fodder and negative feedback and detractors are part of the territory. Opinions are like butts, everyone has one and is entitled to so you should never correct how other people perceive you or else you'd go nuts! Maybe it's the masochist in me but I actually find it fascinating when people are talking and tongues are wagging. Any veteran blogger's worst nightmare is when nobody talks about their blog!

Read the whole interview here

CONTENT & PHOTO'S COURTESY OF SWIDE.COM