To continue my series celebrating three years of blogging I've asked one of my oldest internet friends (and now real life friend) Mattie to answer my questions. Mattie started as a young girl with long flowing blonde hair, writing about festival outfits and DofE. Today she is a blue haired punk princess, about to go to Uni and (possibly) start her roller derby career. Although she doesn't blog anymore, she has a twitter feed that never ceases to amuse me.
What do you remember about your early days of blogging as a teen?
I started blogging when I was about fifteen, purely out of love for clothes. Although my intentions were initially for blogging to act as a bit of a creative release, once I started gaining an audience it very quickly became the tight-knit, supportive community of bloggers and blog readers that made me fall in love with blogging! Making Internet (and real life) friends with girls with such similar passions to mine ALL over the globe, as someone who no longer blogs, is the lasting and fondest memory of blogging that I have (and will have til I'm old!).
What has changed for you and your blog over the last 3 years?
Whilst This is From Matilda was predominantly a style blog, as the relationships I formed with my readers (many of whom also have/had blogs that I read avidly!) became more established and personal I branched out into writing far more about music & my personal life too - for me, the blogs I cared most about reading were always the ones with most personality, and so I like to think that's perhaps where my audience came from too! I think the biggest change over my years of blogging though had to be my confidence. I'm an avid feminist & lover of body positivity, yet I don't think it was until blogging that I began to properly accept & appreciate my own body & style - the visual side of style blogging meant that I had to confront my appearance perhaps a little more than the average person & I think learning to accept my 'flaws' & differences through broadcasting them on such a public yet supportive platform did wonders for my confidence.
What is your forecast for the next three years?
Sadly, at the moment at least, my blog is a thing of the past - though I treasure the memories & friendships that blogging gave me, my passions have since shifted and I've found new ways to keep myself happy and occupied! In September on my way to study Politics & Sociology at Newcastle for three years, which is something I've been hoping to do since I was young. But for now I'm just travelling & making the most of the beautiful city I've grown up in (yay Brighton)!
Thanks to Mattie for her gracious presence.
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