Good morning and welcome back to another Wise Words Wednesday where we have the lovely Tina taking to the hotseat! I’ve been following Tina for a while on social media and reading her blog MotherGeek so I’m very excited to read that she has launched a new blog!
GirlsGospel is a place for Tina to be her and it is great, well worth a read!
For now though I’m handing you over to Tina for our questions.
What inspired you to start blogging?
I’m a mid 30’s mum of 2 kids, based in Salford, UK. Sam is 7 and has Autism. He’s not a fan of sleeping and can’t talk yet. Syd is 6 and a total diva!
MotherGeek was set up back in 2011. I started blogging originally to help relatives around the world follow our adventures. Blogging was a lot different back then. I began sharing the posts online and soon we were being asked to review items, and it all kind of snowballed. Blogging helped me get through my 2nd pregnancy, the sleepless nights that followed when our youngest was a tiny insomniac baby and then it helped me to get my head around our eldest’s Autism diagnosis.
GirlsGospel is my new blog. I found myself needing a space to be “Tina” rather than mum, so I set it up for more lifestyle type posts. There’s still a bit of parenting on there, but it’s more my thoughts and feelings, rather than our adventures.
What has been your highlight of blogging?
I think blogging has provided us with some amazing opportunities over the years. My personal favourite was getting to take my family and a blogging friend’s family to Center Parcs for a break in 2013. We had an amazing time and have paid to go back several times since.
Is there anything you have learnt about blogging which you wish you knew when you started out?
The stigma attached to bloggers. I’ve been called a “blagger” on several occasions when I mention my blog. I think people who don’t blog assume you get stuff for free – the don’t realise the amount of work involved in creating content and then getting it read or seen.
Bloggers sometimes get a lot of stick however many work really hard and are reaping the rewards, what has been the most rewarding part of blogging for you?
Being able to earn a living from home, which as a special needs mum is the only way I can earn a living. If it weren’t for blogging, I’d be on benefits by now and I suspect my depression would be much more of an issue than it is today.
What would be the 1 tip you would give all new bloggers starting out?
Don’t expect to make money or receive products to review right off the bat. Unless you’re extremely lucky, you’ll have to put in a lot of work before you start to see return.
Who do you find inspiring to read/watch in the blogging world?
When I first started out back in 2011, my favourite blogs to read were slummy single mummy, Susan K Mann, WitWitWoo, Red Rose Mummy, Ghostwriter Mummy and Hollybobbs.
Now, I’ve added a lot of different blogs into the mix. I love to follow photography blogs and a lot of special needs blogs too. I tend to read blogs on my phone, so mobile optimised blogs are my favourites, for sure.
Lastly – do you have any big plans/dreams for your blog in the next 12 months?
I want to continue to develop GirlsGospel. It’s very new so doesn’t have many readers just yet.
My 6-year-old has just started writing some blog posts for MotherGeek, so I want to support and encourage her to continue writing (If she wants to of course)!
I’d love for my blog(s) to earn enough to take the financial pressure off.
