We’ve got a sweet interview today, folks!
Sorry, I couldn’t help it. I’m a dork. But remember…I’ve never claimed otherwise.
Seriously, I’m extremely excited to be “chatting” with Lara Rossignol, a professional photographer and the creator of one of the most beautiful blogs in the blogosphere, Piewacket.
Since I know you want to ask, Lara named her blog after the cat in one of her favorite movies Bell, Book and Candle (which I’ve added to my “to watch” list – thanks Lara!).
I LOVE Piewacket – your photographs, the topics you write about, your color choices, the design of your blog, your typeface – everything!
I’m still in the process of tweaking Inward Facing Girl, both the design and content, so I always wonder how long it took my favorite blogs to take shape. How did Piewacket in its current form come to be? Did you go through many different versions of your blog, or were you pretty sure what you wanted Piewacket to be from the start?
I started Piewacket on WordPress with a more standard template. I really liked the ease of using WordPress, but it was too restrictive design wise. So, after about six months I decided to move it to Squarespace which offers more customization.
I don’t have any knowledge of CSS, but Squarespace gives you the tools to restructure a basic template and really make it your own. I created almost every design element on my blog in Photoshop (I could probably bake a cake in Photoshop!) and I am always tweaking it. I think blogs are just meant to evolve as you go and are always a work in progress.
Like most new(ish) bloggers, I want to expand my readership. How did you cultivate your Piewacket following? In your experience, besides creating excellent content that keep readers coming back for more, what’s the best way to grow your blog audience?
You have to network! Facebook, Twitter and blog communities have been important tools in publicizing my blog. I have also used giveaways to generate a buzz. Reading and commenting on other blogs is important too.
All of this is as much work (if not more) than creating the blog itself, but it’s what you have to do in order to get people to find you. I am lucky that people seem to like it when they do discover it and I am amazed at how many people have linked my blogs on their favorites list. That is also a huge help.
I loved your recent Kawaii Friday post featuring SMEG refrigerators. It was so beautiful. Tell me more about Kawaii Friday. What inspired you to create that feature?
Kawaii, which means “cute” in Japanese, was a term I learned from my Japanese neighbor and her kids. I love all things cute and loved the term and came up with the idea of posting something cute every Friday and calling it “Kawaii Friday.” Everyone really loved it. Coming up with interesting and unique content is the biggest challenge in blogging, so it is helpful to have a regular feature. It helps you focus on what to post.
You’ve lived in L.A. (me too) and New York. Now you live in Atlanta (where I’ve also lived), but you’ve been writing about returning to the West Coast (where I now live). What took you to Atlanta and, besides the heat and humidity, what’s beckoning you to head back west? Are you planning to return to L.A. or will you try San Francisco or another California city on for size? P.S. Seattle is fun too. So is Portland, even though it isn’t on the coast. :) Feel free to join us anytime!
At the time, coming to Atlanta was more about escaping NY than about where I was going. I have good friends near here and it seemed like a great idea. Note to Lara: Funny…escaping the place where I was living was why I moved to Atlanta too. I just was not aware it got as cold as it does here. The heat, I don’t mind really but I can ‘t do cold anymore.
I would also like to be closer to my family, who are all in So Cal and I think it will be a good move work wise. There is only so much fashion here and L.A. is just a bigger market for photographers. I am happy I had this time of Southern charm. I will miss the dogwood, my friends, and my apartment…oh how I will miss my apartment! My favorite place I have ever lived!
Note: Want yet another reason to love Lara? She made a Nutella and oatmeal cookie sandwich for a picnic dessert. That’s the type of person I call “friend.”
You attended Art Center College of Design and have been a commercial photographer for more than 20 years. Some of us didn’t have the foresight to know that what we really wanted to be when we “grew up” were artists, writers, photographers, and/or designers. What’s the best advice you have for those of us who didn’t start out in a creative field, but want to eventually break free from our unrelated “day jobs” and make a living doing something that we love?
Learn as much as you can about your craft. Intern for someone you admire, if possible, or go back to school. I have said this many times, photography is a science as well as an art. You must learn the science to create the art. I am sure this is true of most creative careers.
I do believe you will be happier if you can do something you love for a living. Persistence, drive, and tenacity are key in making it happen. You have to want it 150%.
All images courtesy of Lara Rossignol. All rights reserved.