I think I feel in love with Rory the first time I saw her blog and she commented on mine....and I'm not even sure how long ago that was. It took me a really long time to get up the nerve to ask her to be a guest on the Tuesday's Spotlight. You know how some bloggers just seem to have their stuff together? Rory is one of those bloggers! When I grow up I want to be Rory! You really need to check out
Time Out For Mom. The site is beautiful...her posts are amazing...and I don't think I've ever left her site without a smile on my face!
To top things off....this interview will just make you like her more.
I have one question: Rory --- were you voted most likely to succeed????
It is with a great deal of pleasure that I turn the spotlight on my friend RoryBore from Time out for Mom:
Buy This Allposters.com
How long have you been blogging?
My first post was March 2009. I had no clue what I was doing. Absolutely everything I did was based on learning as I go. Except, I could write. That was all I knew. I just recently passed 300 posts! There’ll be no living with those that say I have the gift for gab now.
How did you come up with the name of your blog?
After my second child, I decided to take an extended absence from work and be a Stay at Home Mom. I didn’t necessarily think it would be easy, but I also wasn’t quite prepared for exactly how hard it could be some days. The isolation and loneliness: just wanting to have 10 minutes of adult conversation; 10 minutes of time to yourself: it was overwhelming. I discovered mommy blogs through social networking sites and suddenly didn’t feel so alone! I soon discovered the most difficult aspect of staying at home (with #3 now on the way), was that I was losing ME. And I needed to rediscover that lost person Fast! I longed to be a whole person. And the best way I could think to do that, was to start taking some time for me. To have something – just for me. And I had always loved to write. Of course, my kids didn’t like losing me to something else and my frustrated daughter declared with a stamped foot one day; “Bad mommy! You go to your room!” Really? Let’s see...I base time outs on 1 minute per age of the child, so let’s see.....”Right....see you in 37 minutes!” And thus, Time Out for Mom was born.
Do you have more than one blog?
Not currently. I would love to have a gardening blog, however: a) I live in Canada, thus for half the year the posts would be about inches of snow received and the number of times I had shovelled my driveway, and b) maintaining a 2nd blog about gardening would probably take away the time I actually have to spend in my real garden. It’s my Zen.
What do you normally write about on your blog?
I consider it a “peek into our lives”: warts and all. My children obviously provide much blog fodder. Often my poor husband, my “Left Brain” will be an unwilling guest. Mostly, I loved the image of women chatting over coffee; just random topics, thoughts, and tips that would arise from such fellowship. I very much believe in women raising one another up with encouragement and love, rather than tearing down our relationships with judgement, criticisms, or mean spiritedness. I so appreciate many who have been so helpful and supportive to me in the blogging community. I enjoy participating in some of the hops too – like Hilary at Feeling Beachie’s Friday fill in, and Mama’s Lounge Tuesday Night Poets. Hops are great ways to discover new blogs, and discover more about the current blog authors in your Reader.
As a Christian, I will also talk openly about my faith. However, I am more interested in discussing relationship with God, rather than Religion. My blog’s purpose is not to convert anyone, or to judge another’s faith, but simply share my own spiritual experiences. If it helps someone, great!
How much time do you spend writing?
I am always doing some kind of writing, whether it is blogging, poetry, or a journal where I record everything from random thoughts, to the strange dreams eating cheese nachos before bed seems to invite. My degree is English Literature, so I spent a good deal of my life either reading, or writing. When home, husband and children came along and life got busy – something had to give. Unfortunately it was my writing, and I am sure that is why I felt so disconnected and disgruntled for a spell. My body was busy creating 3 lives over those years, but my brain was a soggy, foggy mass of trapped creativity! It wanted OUT! Now, I have to write at least a little bit every day. Even if it just a couple of lines for a poem in progress, or a spontaneous bedtime story for my kids. You will find me posting almost daily.
What is your favorite part about being a blogger?
Exploring my own potential is definitely a major motivation. Remember the blog title? I also love that I am learning to use a completely different part of my brain since I knew nothing about blog design, or HTML codes, or how to even choose a background. I am quite pleased that I have been able to learn how to do my entire blog design myself. (Left Brain is quite happy that the there is no requirement for a “blog budget”.) I feel that all the technical jimbo-jambo, coupled with the creative writing and prose, brings me a good balance. I am doing something I love, but also branching out into new territory.
Secondly, of course, it’s not just all about Me. I am so impressed with all the talented bloggers out there!! There are so many excellent writers. On any given day of blog reading, I can be laughing hysterically one minute, and sitting with silent tears charting a course down my face the next. I love that! So many of them are very helpful – my blog would be a plain white page on the internet if many of them didn’t share their wisdom via tutorials.
You’d still totally read it though, right?
What is your least favorite part about it?
The flip side to discovering so many other wonderfully witty and wise writers (wow, unintentional alliteration) is that there is never enough time to read them all! It’s hard when you want to be a part of that community, but the 3 loads of forgotten laundry are heckling your futile attempt to catch up on your blog reading. And you still haven’t done your own post. Or made the kids lunches. Oh, and the husband has offered a foot rub, or back massage. *wink, wink*
What draws you to other blogs?
The writing style is almost always what I notice first. Even if the blog is the prettiest little piece of bloggyland that I have ever seen, if the first paragraph doesn’t draw me in, I am usually clicking away. It is not necessarily that the technical aspects of writing are perfect, but more the tone. Can I sense the author’s personality in the posts? Being a fan of prose, I am naturally often drawn to some of the more poetic blogs, but more important is feeling a sense of authenticity. Some bloggers might not adhere to all the “rules of writing”, but their writing grabs you nonetheless. You are drawn into their world. Some bloggers that I am thinking of have an amazing ability to paint you a picture with their words. You are there, in the moment, with them.
But yes, I also do have rare moments of locking covetous eyes upon some beautifully designed blog.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting a new blog?
Just keep at it. Don’t give up because you may not have a lot of followers, or comments. I didn’t have any for the longest time. I almost gave up – what was the point if no one was reading? Then I had a forced time out from my blog when I was put on bed rest, then hospitalized for 6 weeks during my 3rd pregnancy. When the baby arrived, I tried to blog again, but my mojo had fled. I did give up for awhile, but mostly because there were more pressing issues on the home-front; but I knew once things settled, I’d be back. I still had the fever to write. When I returned, I did a search for all the blog tips and tutorials I could find. I read articles that told you what you should be doing as a blogger, and articles that listed the top 10 things a blogger does to drive away traffic. I think I had 6 of the 10. I joined Twitter, blog hops, I commented, commented, commented. And lo and behold, one day.....I got a comment back. And then a follow. Then some more. You have to get out there and show yourself to some extent. The most important thing is that I stayed with it because of the original reason: it was something for me. That’s where the true value lay. And when I started writing for me – not to attract followers - my true voice started to emerge, and people noticed. I think they responded to that authentic voice.
Do you think having a lot of followers is important?
If your goal is to make money and become somewhat famous, then yeah, probably. If, like me, you just want to explore and provide an outlet for your own creativity, and share some fellowship with other bloggers, then no. I see blogs that have thousands of followers, and I think, how on earth did they attract so many readers? Their homepage only has 2 reviews and a contest on it. A contestwhich rules state to enter said contest.....you must follow the blog. Hmm. Now there is nothing wrong with those kinds of blogs, they offer valuable information and I often do check out the reviews before purchasing an item. And who doesn’t want to win an iPad? For myself, I am more interested in ongoing dialogue and some meaningful exchange. Sometimes that means you may only have a small band of loyal followers. And that is okay by me.
Anything you like to add?
When I tell people I have a Blog, I often get a mixed reaction. On one hand, people are naturally curious. A blogger? Sounds so mysterious. What do you write about? Why, I wouldn’t have the faintest notion of what to say. But on the other hand, there might be this other attitude – “dontcha have a real life/friends?” I don’t like this negative assumption that I blog to escape the real world. To avoid meaningful real life relationships. Your virtual interactions can have as much meaning as you desire them to. It can just be a fun, few hours to pass an evening, or you can reach deeper. With all the online social media networking, this world is growing ever smaller. It may seem that you are blogging in a bubble, with no lasting impact. But digital is forever baby. Whatever you put out there – remains. And reaches. Far. You never know when the words you struggled to get onto the page, might be a life-line to someone else. How can I be hiding or avoiding when writing is such a personal thing, which leaves one exposed and vulnerable? Words can have such power as to draw us together, or pull us apart. The pen is truly mightier than the sword. When you wield it wisely and truthfully, readers will leave your blog feeling all the better for having lingered.
That’s a well played time out.
