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Inspiration

Inspiration ♥ June

The Perfect Time to Start Something Never Arrives

6 months in to the year and I figured it was time to revisit my intentions for 2013; stop waiting for the perfect moment, and just get sh*t done. And in that vein, this month stuff happened. I set up a new desk space complete with an Ecoya candle and Cocoa & Vanilla Diffuser (yum), started attending Body Balance regularly on Monday evenings, celebrated my 24th (!) birthday over BYO wine and Thai, Dani, Sarah and I hosted our second NZ Blog Collective, and we launched a new (and very much improved) website. So! In that vein, I figured it was about time I updated Style by Joanne, and share a few bits & pieces that’ve been inspiring me this month. Enjoy!

June 30, 2013 2,121 comments

Bloggers & Blogging

Re-Evaluate Your Blog’s Direction in 2010!

New Year by ~nuaHs on deviantART

First & foremost, HAPPY NEW YEAR! If I were to write a letter to 2009 it would be a love letter, and a thank you for the wonderful things it has bought me.

For introductions, and farewells. For learning, and inspiration. For new ventures and opportunities. 2010, you have very large shoes to fill!

This time of the year brings with it the perfect motivation for getting organized and giving your life a real shake up! It is prime time to mold and shape new ideas and re-evaluate where your energy is currently invested.

While I want to focus on blogging, these principles can still be applied to so many different areas of interest.

Take A Serious Look At Your Blog’s Direction

The heart of blogging is producing quality content for an audience you know & love to write for. It is about providing relevance and value, and being genuinely interested in your particular niche. This is your direction – and from time to time it is so important to take a serious look at weather you are continuing in that same direction you intended.

I started writing this blog because I wanted to share my knowledge of fashion and life style from the perspective of a New Zealander, and combine that with my interest in savvy marketing & PR for stylish ladies.

In many ways, I consider myself to be heading in the right direction, but like anyone I sometimes forget! I start writing for the wrong audience and wonder why I can’t get another paragraph out of myself.

Quite simply, I’m not passionate about those other things, and writing with inauthenticity does not quite do it for me.

Do You Need To Make Any Changes?

Remind yourself of why you are doing what you do in the first place – and who in particular you had been trying to reach.

You may have to take a step back in order to take a step forward, but it is so worth it and incredibly refreshing to feel that you have a clear cut direction.

On the other hand, you may not feel as if you had a particular direction in the first place. Now is the perfect time to establish one. Figure out what you are passionate writing about, figure out who your audience is – how are you relevant to them.

Some reading for the interested:

How to Choose the Right Blog Niche: A Simple Three-Step Method
How to Choose a Niche Topic for your Blog

Time and time again I find that the more focus I have, the more I enjoy publishing for JoanneFaith.com. Quite simply, I am more focused on what I am passionate about.

Be detailed, and be elaborate. Think clearly about what you really want to write about and blogging becomes 1000x a more rewarding and enjoyable experience.

I am so excited about continuing to fine tune my blog, and steer myself in the right direction for 2010. What about you, my lovely readers?

Goodluck for 2010! I can’t wait to see what the new year has in store.

January 2, 2010 433 comments

Inspiration

Things I Love and Look Forward To Over Christmas

via Visualizeus

Are you excited about Christmas?! I am, for perhaps the first time in several years. Things are different this time around. I am spending the holidays with not only my family, but my boyfriends family. There is going to be a lot going on, and it’s going to be different and interesting.

Also factoring in is that my sister is in Denmark this year for Christmas. I’m not happy about this, but she has been sending wonderful photographs of snow and all things white Christmas-y which has been getting me in the mood.

Here are a few things that I love about Christmas, and look forward to (although some have already occurred!).

I love the moment when you realize your Christmas shopping is complete. In fact, finding the perfect gift for anyone in the process of shopping is pretty amazing.
On that note, I can’t wait to exchange gifts with my boyfriend! I have bought him the perfect present, sticking within our budgeted limit on a technicality. He’s worried about this fact, but it is going to be completely worth it.
I love planning what I am going to wear on Christmas morning. Cute and ready for photographing. 🙂
Hoping for clear skies and sun, the summer weather that makes me, down in New Zealand, think that Christmas time is here. On that note, I love Christmas photography that features clear skies and pohutukawa tree’s.
Driving past streets full of houses done up for Christmas. Magical.
Carols churned out on loudspeakers. Despised by many, but I love them. They’re cheery and silly!
Walking into a room lit up by the lights of a Christmas tree. Also, magical.
The food and wine. I will not overeat, nor write myself off after consuming too much wine, but I love sharing food and drink with family and friends over the Christmas season. Special and delicious, I love the turkey, the gravy, roasted vegetables – and the cake, pudding and custard that follows. Mmm, yes!

The most magical of all things I love and look forward to is that moment when you wake up on Christmas morning and realize that it is, in fact, Christmas. New, exciting and yet to be tainted by the chaos that comes hand in hand with Christmas day. It’s a moment worth noticing, because it’s too easy to miss!

What are you looking forward to this Christmas?

December 19, 2009 1,027 comments