Today is a special day.
It is for no other reason than this - I am starting a food blog. As opposed to, you know, waiting for a day to be meaningful enough by its own right to give me an excuse for it.
See, the problem is, English is not my native language and I am a bit nervous about publicly butchering the language (but still it wouldn't feel right to me to write in Italian).
See, the problem is, English is not my native language and I am a bit nervous about publicly butchering the language (but still it wouldn't feel right to me to write in Italian).
Also I am an an awful photographer. I have a cheapo camera and no plan to get a better one any time soon, and there's no way I am going to splurge, dirt-poor as I am, to buy pretty dishware and vintage tablecloths - let alone pretty knick-knack to scatter about the place - just for the sake of presentation.
Then there is the fact that I am a lazy, useless slob.
No, for real.
I am inconsistency personified. I take fire easily, charging into projects with giddy abandon. For weeks or months - or years, on a few instances - my enthusiasm will burn high and my latest crafty crush will be everything I can think of... and then, for no reason in particular, it will be over. The very thing I was looking forward to the day before will suddenly feel like a chore.
(And yes, in case you're wondering: this is indeed one of the reasons for picking Efreet - a kind of fire spirit - as my alias. I have other, nerdier ones... but I'll save those for another time!)
Oh, and I have no free time! Did I mention that? I work full-time, and my job is shift-based to boot.
And most of the recipes I bake are swiped from other sources anyway.
And and and...
Then this morning, as I browsed my feed updates, I stumbled upon this post by one of my fave bloggers, the amazing Stef of Cupcake Project.
HERE IT IS.
Look, I'll go as far as pasting the salient bits below, just in case you're too lazy to click and go see for yourself. Because this stuff is inspirational in the true sense of the word, and it deserves to be read.
A virtual soapbox for me to rant from? COUNT ME IN!
Soooo... I set up this place during worktime, and to make sure I won't lose my momentum I subscribed to a blogging seminar that will be held in September (the day before my bithday actually, so I will have my meaningful date for the official opening in the end).
For the time being, I'm only messing about...
I am inconsistency personified. I take fire easily, charging into projects with giddy abandon. For weeks or months - or years, on a few instances - my enthusiasm will burn high and my latest crafty crush will be everything I can think of... and then, for no reason in particular, it will be over. The very thing I was looking forward to the day before will suddenly feel like a chore.
(And yes, in case you're wondering: this is indeed one of the reasons for picking Efreet - a kind of fire spirit - as my alias. I have other, nerdier ones... but I'll save those for another time!)
Oh, and I have no free time! Did I mention that? I work full-time, and my job is shift-based to boot.
And most of the recipes I bake are swiped from other sources anyway.
And and and...
Then this morning, as I browsed my feed updates, I stumbled upon this post by one of my fave bloggers, the amazing Stef of Cupcake Project.
HERE IT IS.
Look, I'll go as far as pasting the salient bits below, just in case you're too lazy to click and go see for yourself. Because this stuff is inspirational in the true sense of the word, and it deserves to be read.
Top 10 Reasons You Should Start a Food Blog
10. You will experiment more in the kitchen. Having a food blog and committing to posting at least twice a week will force you into your kitchen to try new things. You can't write about that same brownie recipe every week - even if they are your absolute favorite brownies.
9. Someone you don't know will leave a comment on your blog and tell you that they a) love your writing, b) love your photo, or c) love your recipe. Do you enjoy it when you get "Likes" on Facebook? Getting praise from strangers is even more exciting.
8. You are the boss! This one is huge. Your blog may be the one place in your life where you get to call ALL of the shots. Sure, common wisdom says that you shouldn't post a pumpkin recipe in July, but if that's what you want to do, YOU CAN!
7. A company may offer you something for free. When that happens, you will feel like you've won the lottery. We all like free stuff. Food bloggers have access to lots of it. As you get further into food blogging, you'll step back and take a long, hard look at the ethics of giveaways and product placement. But, when you get that first offer for something free, it's OK to do a happy dance.
6. Another blogger will write about your recipe. You will be completely flattered - and you should be. It's a huge source of pride to create a dish in your kitchen that someone else thinks is newsworthy.
5. You will never again say, "I'm bored." A food blog is the ultimate hobby. You can put as much or as little time as you want into it. There is always something you could be doing to improve your blog. And, and some point, all of that effort might pay off in dollars.
4. You will make online friends. At first glance, you might think being a blogger is a lonely activity. But, you will soon get to know others with similarly-themed blogs and you will learn and grow together.
3. You will make offline friends. Most cities have food blogger groups that do fun things like cook and eat! These people may end up being your new BFFs.
2. You can use your blog as a platform to talk about things important to you. If you are passionate about a charity, you now have readers who may be able to help. You could give your son a free sidebar ad to promote his new business. Maybe you think broccoli is a deity; it's your blog and you can preach.
1. You can use your blog as a springboard. Some food bloggers receive cookbook deals, others have an opportunity to write for local newspapers and magazines, some get online freelance writing work, and still others are offered jobs teaching cooking classes.
A virtual soapbox for me to rant from? COUNT ME IN!
Soooo... I set up this place during worktime, and to make sure I won't lose my momentum I subscribed to a blogging seminar that will be held in September (the day before my bithday actually, so I will have my meaningful date for the official opening in the end).
For the time being, I'm only messing about...
