September 20, 2011

How I got rid of my ferocious editor on the journey of blogging

(The above picture is neither of me, nor of my family, nor was it even taken by me.)

When I started my blog a year ago, I took some time to think things over, and then I got rid of my ferocious editor. He put up a fight, and then he burst in tears. He bargained and pleaded. He promised that, if I let him stay, he would make me a great blogger – carefree and popular. He wanted to prove to me that he would always act in my best interest. He argued that, with him, I would make less mistakes, and create so many interesting posts that everybody will want to read them, and think “How does she do it? Her well of creativity must be bottomless.”
My ferocious editor insisted that I would always have positive self-image. No, I did not fall for this trap. I opened up an imaginary door and told my editor to try not to cross paths with me in the future.

I did not set any particular goals when I got started on blogging. As a person who spends the majority of her day by herself in front of the easel, my main objective was to meet interesting, creative people without having to leave the house. Because blogging is primarily about creativity.

Let me just tell you right away that I definitely got my wish. I love it your visits, my dear readers, and have lots of fun getting to know you. It’s also very enjoyable to visit your blogs and to make my own new posts. I know that this may come across as cheesy, but my world has expanded because of you.

Thank you, Tim and Sarah Elizabeth, for picking me to participate in Tripbase’s “My 7 Links” project. Here’s a retrospective of my posts, according to the following themes:

-Your most beautiful post
– Your most popular post
– Your most controversial post
– Your most helpful post
– A post whose success surprised you
– A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved
– The post that you are most proud of

Your most beautiful post The Royal Botanical Gardens



Flowers are one of the absolute and fragile joys of this life. To gaze at them, decorate your home with them, or to take photos of them makes for enjoyable moments that pass by too quickly.

Your most popular post - Blogging for Fame and Fortune



I suspect that certain readers really thought that the secret to achieving fame and forture through blogging will be revealed in this post. But instead, what they found was a small dose of sarcasm, and a beautiful ginger cat.

Your most controversial post - A risky post


I was so anxious about publishing it. I expected that, the next time I come out of the house, I will be greeted by a crowd of non-virtual older ladies with real umbrellas and no less real arguments. Everything seems to have turned out well.

Your most helpful post - Oh, those sizes!


Without a doubt, this post can lift up your mood. It contains some sweet treats and a true story on the subject of inner and outer beauty.

A post whose success surprised you - Today is a rainy day


Really, a post about a rainy day can be so enjoyable?

A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved - Early Morning in High Park


This is where you shouldn’t be surprised. I always feel that High Park should interest one and all, everywhere around the world. Does that make me an addict?

The post that you are most proud of - The Blue Mountain


There is nothing extraordinary about this post, except for the fact that I spent several hours in freezing weather, all the while enjoying myself tremendously, and I even managed to take lots of photos. That day, I was initiated into a real Canadian.

And now, I will nominate 5 more bloggers to share their 7 posts
French Girl in Seattle
HATTATT
Pencil and Box
Tinajo at home
The Vegetable Assassin 

It would be interesting to know their thoughts on the subject of their own creations, wouldn’t it?

47 comments:

  1. Thank YOU, Miss Olga, I very much appreciate it, although I actually did this a short time ago and you can find it HERE! Because I'm far too lazy to do it AGAIN you know. :)

    Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to read some of YOUR selected entries.

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  2. Hi The Vegetable Assassin,
    Okey-dokey! I am reading yours. Thank you for the link :)

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  3. I love this award! It is my favorite of all the blog awards out there because it allows bloggers to take a look back on what they've accomplished, plus it introduces new readers to the blog! :)

    I am definitely checking out these old posts, even if I read them already! All your posts are wonderful. xoxo

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  4. Hi Jennifer Fabulous,
    I have read your post and enjoyed your older posts a lot. They definitely deserve to see the light of day again:)

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  5. Thank you for thinking about me, Olga. I will start working on some answers and will publish them in a few days. I started blogging a little less than a year ago, but I should be able to find some material in French Girl's archives ;-) Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

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  6. Hi Veronique,
    I would love to read your seven links! As Jennifer said - it can be interesting to take a look back on what we've accomplished :)

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  7. I love all these posts and the photographs are really wonderful. The one of tulips is , actually, breathtaking, it seems to capture that wonderful springlike feeling when everything is radiant. You must be pretty pleased when you look back at these posts...

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  8. what a great post olga, I'll have to take the time to read through all those posts. And I agree, blogging to me is primarily about creativity and finding a voice.

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  9. What a great post. I love all the photos but the one of the Tulips is amazing.

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  10. Johan tarjoilit mahtavan Kuva-Kavalkaadin.
    Kaikki herkut ovat tarjolla - maku-hermoja kutkuttavasta - ruumiin-kulttuuriin - unohtamatta kauneuden tarjomaa nautintoa...!
    Syksyn pimeä-koleus alkaa täällä olla vallitsevana tilana...
    Siitä huolimatta 'Hyvää-Syksyä'...

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  11. Hi Olga, it is really kind of you thinking about my Pencil and Box blog for this task - should I call it game? - coming from you how could I refuse to play :-)
    I'm curious too about your other 4 nominees and of course about your own favorite Posts!
    Oh, I couldn't agree more, blogging is about creativity, at least it is about that for me too.

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  12. A nice trip down memory lane, Olga. A agree that the tulips post is stunning. Tulips are an amazing flower - so simple, so cool, so beautiful.

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  13. Oh, this is such a fun post and topic - love it and will read all of these!

    Have to ponder about my own answers for a couple of days - thanks for passing it on..! :-)

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  14. Hello Olga:
    We are so honoured to see our name 'up in lights' in your list of chosen blogs.Since finding you in the labyrinth that is the Blogosphere we have been captivated, enthralled, beguiled and touched by your wonderfully eclectic, lively and always beautifully presented blog. Our lives have certainly become the richer for knowing you and for receiving your loyal support as a reader and commentator.

    When we started our own blog, we promised ourselves that we would only write what came into our heads at any particular moment for our own amusement and, hopefully, to entertain any other readers who may pass by. We decided from the start to not take part in any award schemes or memes in order that we could be totally true to our original intentions.And so, flattered as we are, we must nevertheless decline your offer to participate and only hope that we can show our true personalities and share our lives with our readers through what we write.

    We are not surprised that your own blog has attracted so much attention and so many faithful followers. You are, dear Olga, always so positive and encouraging in your support of others and always show a genuine interest in what others have to say. Coupled with your discerning, painterly eye and your creative talent, this makes you a star of the Blogosphere and someone whom we have come to value enormously. We shall continue to look forward to every post and hope that if we were ever to come across each other in the 'real' world, we should meet as friends in the truest sense.

    With every good wish for the next year of blogging!!!!!

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  15. Olga your posts are interesting and you definitely do not need any editor:)

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  16. You described so lovely the idea of blogging, it´s about creativity, yes, and meeting great people with a huge baggage to share!! I have learned so much, too.Your text is fabulous!!!!

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  17. It is interesting to see your choices and I think you have chosen well. I was given this 7 links sometime ago but decided that I could not choose and time was short - it did not get done!!!! Keep well Diane

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  18. Toutes tes photos sont merveilleuses, Olga. Et la plupart pourraient faire de magnifiques posters ou photos de calendrier.
    Bravo!

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  19. To thine own self be true. To have fun and be creative should be a rule for success in blogging.
    Now, let us see some work from your easel!

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  20. Lovely to see the posts you've chosen, I love the story of the Spanish lady and those tulips are beautiful x x

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  21. Bela mensagem...Belas fotografias...Espectacular....
    Cumprimentos

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  22. What a lovely retrospective of your blogging adventure!

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  23. Your blog is always so fun, interesting and creative. Great post. I love all the photos of course. The way you write is also a delight. How can one have so much creativeness. Can I be jealous?=)

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  24. What a great post! lovely pictures, as usual.
    Hope you're having a good week.

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  25. what a fun way to look over your blogging over time...i like it. so glad you are awesome and you!

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  26. I always enjoy visiting your blog. You have very beautiful pictures and the accompanying text sounds so natural – just as if you were speaking to me. I am pleased that you started blogging when you did. I’ll check some of the blogs you mention.

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  27. Blogging definitely expands your world as you say, a wonderful aspect of it! I'm enjoying getting to know your world :)

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  28. Ольга, спасибо за эту подборку! Еще не дочитала всю, но очень понравился пост о не юных леди :))

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  29. Olga agree with you. to me the blog has made me meet wonderful people around the world through this medium and has been a pleasant experience.
    Your pictures today are great. I wish I could get some of the fifth, it must be buenisimo:)).
    a kiss

    Pd.Graas by the comment of My Father

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  30. Those tulips!!!What a beautiful image, transparent color!!!

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  31. It was lovely to look back over these images dear Olga, some I have not seen before and your photographs are always so interesting and beautiful.
    My world has expanded since I began blogging and though I have only met one follower personally I have certainly made some wonderful friends.

    xoxoxo ♡

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  32. Hi Olga, I love your description of flowers under your most beautiful post.

    I also didn't realise the wonderful benefits of blogging when I first started out. My blog has taken me to great places. Yours is one of the blogs I always look forward to reading!

    Duncan In Kuantan

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  33. Hi Jenny,
    Thank you very much for your kind words about my photos. I really love my old posts. In general, I stick to the philosophy that you should only blog when you're in a good mood. Even if you want to post about your negative feelings, it's important to be in a balanced mood.

    Hi hila,
    I'm glad you agree with my concept of blogging. In general, I dislike ramblings - in life, or in blogging.

    Hi Randy,
    I also love this photos of tulips. Although we visit the Royal Botanical Gardens every spring, it's rare to have such good lighting.

    Hi Eko,
    En usko että olet niin syvälle syksyllä Suomessa, kun katson kuviasi. Tänne, puut ovat vielä vihreitä, ja se on melko lämmin.

    Hi Pet,
    Of course, it's a game. I figured out that it's very interesting and important to take a look and revise what you've done over a certain period of time. Let's play!

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  34. Hi Sarah,
    I also consider tulips to be something extraordinary. I associate them with spring. I have just one complaint - they fade away too quickly.

    Hi tinajo,
    Make your post if and when you feel like doing that. Of course, I'll be looking forward to the result.

    Hi Jane and Lance Hattatt,
    I also think that, in your own blog, each person is free to do as they please. The individuality and originality present in your blog makes it so extraordinary. I have one request - would you mind posting the books you have read recently? I'd be so interested to find out :)

    Hi Ola,
    Thank you for your comment. I think that editors are inherently perfectionist. But they don't make life or blogging more fun.

    Hi Colores,
    The fact that people find each other in the blogosphere and communicate regularly speaks of the power of connection.

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  35. Hi Diane,
    I know your blog is award-free. I also wanted to do that, but I missed the moment :)

    Hi Richard,
    Je vous remercie. Il est difficile de contenir votre excitation quand vous voyez les belles choses autour de vous - je ne peux pas m'empêcher de prendre des photos:)

    Hi R. Jacob,
    I have just uploaded my new portfolio on my website. The process is not quite over - I'm very nervous.

    Hi Sarah Elizabeth,
    What are you doing here? I thought you're supposed to be in a completely different place :)

    Hi Fernando,
    Thank you for your visit and your compliments :)

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  36. Hi Ingrid,
    You're absolutely right. It was an adventure. I never thought I could keep it up for a whole year :)

    Hi Sandy,
    In reality, it happens naturally. I do it if I want to, and I leave it if I don't. Maybe that's why it lasts for such a long time and brings so much fun :) You shouldn't be jealous, because you have created a unique blog yourself.

    Hi Marisa,
    Thank you. This week and even this year has been very crazy and busy :)

    Hi Krystal,
    Thank you very much. These words will stay in my mind and boost my creativity.

    Hi Vagabonde,
    Thank you for the kind words. I really write the way I speak. I guess that's my style.

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  37. Hi T. Becque,
    Thank you for your comment and your visit. I love to visit your blog, and lots of interesting tips about photography in general.

    Hi patatinka,
    Это моя любимая аудитория. Они ко мне не равнодушны, а я не равнодушна к ним :)

    Hi Laura M.,
    The situation with my father's health isn't too good right now, which is why I'm taking your post personally.

    Hi Nikki,
    Yes, indeed! That's what it's all about.

    Hi artebaiao,
    I also love this photo, and love to remember that moment.

    Hi Dianne,
    To be honest, I'm really nervous about meeting a blogger friend in real life, although I'm sure it would be very rewarding.

    Hi Duncan,
    Thank you very much. Your posts are very interesting and intriguing to me. You live so far away, and it's interesting to learn about your life.

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  38. Okay, so I should have taken the time to check out the posts, but you gave a nice synopsis that covered the essence of it. Really pretty pictures, by the way.

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  39. Rest assured, dear Olga, your love for High Park has been imparted to readers...and I in particular have been enchanted by your photos and soul-words about it. I would definitely want to visit it if ever in your part of the world, you real true snowbunny Canadian you!

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  40. A great selection of posts... as a relatively new reader of your blog, I had a lot to catch up on :-)

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  41. As promised, I have now fully read your 7-LINKS. What a treat! "Today is a rainy day" is delicious. I remember clearly having read it when first published. The Post is so much you. And I can see you perfectly too through the hours spent on your own in "The Blue Mountain", enjoying the moment, finding beauty here and there, and fun too. I am the one who feels proud of having found your blog, in the middle of nowhere.

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  42. Olga, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you via blogging. The karma in the blog sphere is I think quite special. It was a treat to read this 7 links post today and revisit some old favourites.

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  43. Hi Sergio,
    Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

    Hi J.L. Campbell,
    I'm glad you've found me in this cold and vast blogosphere. And I'm glad you enjoyed my old posts!

    Hi Lydia,
    I am starting to fear that I come across as a maniac when I talk about High Park. Really, no matter how many times I visit it, it never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for your visit.

    Hi Nat,
    Thank you for your kind words about my blog. Despite the fact that we haven't known each other for very long, I really enjoy reading your posts.

    Hi Pet,
    Now you've made me all self-conscious with your words. I'm actually very shy. However, I'd like to add that I consider your blog to be one of the most intelligent and original.

    Hi Lindy,
    Thank you. I'd like to note that your blog gives me not simply a treat for my eyes, but a great deal of food for thought, especially when you discuss cultural events in the place where you live.

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  44. I enjoyed this very much Olga, it was fascinating to read your responses to the questions. Some I tried to anticipate which post you would chose for a particular question. Always nice to see a ginger cat included amongst your photos :) By the way, the photo of Deniska sleeping is pasted to the folder I use for the Professional Practice in Craft & Design module in college. It is rather a dry module, and seeing him napping makes me smile :)

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  45. Hi Dolly,
    Thank you, dear friend! Deniska sends you a hug,a kiss,a smile :)

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