Sunshine Blogger Award

The Sunshine Blogger Award is awarded by bloggers to other bloggers who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.
Once nominated (and if you accept the award), a blogger is required to 1) write a post in which they thank the blogger for nominating them and link back to their blog, 2) answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you, 3) nominate eleven other blogs and 4) give them eleven questions to answer, 5) notify your nominees and display the rules and The Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post.

I have been nominated by Chloe from PearshapedLondon – one of my new followers and also a new blogger. I think its good to follow and support new bloggers, help them to grow their followers and motivate them to continue blogging. Chloe weaves her experience of living with a disability through her blog, and has an amazing story about a drunken night that led to employment in Sri Lanka. I clearly need to start drinking. Thanks for nominating me Chloe.

Chloe’s questions and my responses

what is your most embarrassing moment?

I am in my mid forties now so I have had way to many embarrassing moments. The one that always brings a smile to my face though is falling out of a tree as a teenager, whilst my cousin and I were playing. I landed upside down on a barbed wire fence and my trousers were snagged so I couldn’t move. My cousin was in hysterics. She was my closest friend, and we could honestly read each others minds. It used to scare our families.

how long did it take you to set up your blog?

Half an hour, but to be fair it’s because I began to study with the Open College of the Arts, and they have a blog theme that you can paste into WordPress. Although I have added menus of my own. The Open College of the Arts offers foundation level and under-graduate degrees across a range of creative fields. They welcome UK and international students, and as their courses are online/distant learning, which means that you can begin a course any time of the year that suits you. You don’t need to wait until a traditional term begins. If you think you cannot afford the fees, then be aware that you can apply for a bursary to cover part of the cost. Check out OCA here.

how long have you been blogging for?

Just over a year now. I can’t believe that it has gone so quickly. Through my studies I have developed creatively with photography, and also in other areas. I have developed an online community where I feel that I belong. But more than all of this, studying with the Open College of the Arts has improved my confidence no end. i have been able to ask people if I can make their portrait, go to events and photograph, and this has helped my mental health.

a sentence that describes you?

I do not live alone, I live with myself.

three words to sum up your blog?

Photography, Mental Health, Creativity through shared experience (eek – more than three words).

your favourite place in the world?

Redcar, Cleveland. More specifically the beach at Redcar looking at the wind farm. I love wind farms.

why is it your favourite place?

My mental health has been bad for a number of years and I found life incredibly challenging and frightening. I went to Redcar, maybe a year to 18 months ago, and I felt safe. That’s priceless. I couldn’t remember when I had last felt safe.

what did you want to be when you were a kid?

Somewhere and someone else. I have found life hard from an early age. I never felt that I belonged and I inwardly gave up on life early on. I self harmed and developed an eating disorder as a teenager. I didn’t have hopes/dreams or aspirations. To have found a passion in photography is such a blessing and it brings me so much pleasure. Its incredible.

do you still have a cuddly toy in your bed (I still have my blanky)?

No, but I do have four in the corner of my bedroom.

dogs or cats?

I don’t have either but I love both. However, I am allergic to cats, which makes them hard to be around cos how can you resist stroking a cat? (and then sneezing repeatedly for hours).

if you had to move country where would you go?

India, maybe Sri Lanka if you can get me a place to stay there Chloe.

My Nominees

I have had the pleasure of being featured on discover.wordpress.com recently and this has brought several hundred new followers to my site, of which I find humbling and awesome. So I have decided that I am going to nominate a few of them.

My questions to you are going to be the same as Chloe’s questions to me.