There are a number of things going on behind the scenes with The Elgin Avenue right now,  and I cannot wait to reveal all a little later in the season . . . !

With this in mind, I have been giving thought to The Elgin Avenue’s history, what we are doing right now and our future too.

One of the questions I am asked most often about my job, is how I got in to blogging? Blogging is a curious industry. I too am always eager to hear people’s work stories, both in blogging, and any field.

Today I want to share my rather simple one with you, I hope that it will inspire some of you to pursue a passion of your own, and even give blogging a try yourself!

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. HOW I GOT IN TO BLOGGING .

The very beginning . . . 

I always knew that fashion and I would cross paths in my life. I had been obsessed with magazines, jewellery and dressing up since day dot.

What incarnation this love of fashion would come in, I did not know, and so I chose to dip my toe in to a number of fields in the fashion industry.

I interned at a designer’s studio, completed work experience at a corporate PR firm, worked my way through a long-term placement with a denim brand, and finally decided to apply for the London College of Fashion, on the Fashion Public Relations course.

Student life . . .  

As I embarked on my first year studies, fresh from almost two years of work experience, I realised that many of the things we were being taught, were things I had already learnt via practical experience.

I got itchy feet. I wanted to do something different, and create something for me.

My parents both have there own businesses, and it felt inevitable to me to that I too would start a business at some point in my life. I did not realise at the time that blogging would become the first business I would own.

“Blogging looks like fun . . . “

When thoughts of a blog started knocking around my head, Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad, Emily Schuman of Cupcakes & Cashmere and Julie Sarinana of Sincerely Jules were front runners in the blogging industry (as they still are); there was a small pool of ladies (and an even smaller pool of gents!) blogging professionally.

It looked like a lot of FUN. And (with four and a bit years knowledge behind me now) I can confirm – it really is!

To me, in those first decisive moments, blogging felt like an amazing, creative way of diarising my day to day life. I enjoyed sharing recommendations of clothes and things to do with friends and ogling outfits – a blog seemed to be the digital incarnation of things I already enjoyed doing.

I googled “how to start a blog” and discovered that there were no barriers to entry, every one can start, no investment needed!

This is still the same today. You can start a blog for zero pennies. Zilch. Nada.

I did however put around £100 I had inherited from my Italian grandfather towards a little digital camera.

The Elgin Avenue

The Elgin Avenue is a real road that runs through the Maida Vale area of West London. I lived in a flat just off of The Elgin Avenue, and one day, when walking to catch the bus, something twigged – “that is what I am going to call my blog!”.

On the 1st of January 2011 I posted my first blog post, you can see it here (scroll all the way to the very bottom). I took all of the photos on the self timer setting on my digital camera, and the results are pretty terrible ????.

Looking back . . . 

It is easy to coast through life without ever realising quite how much you have learnt or how far you have come.

Recently I have been going through The Elgin Avenue’s archives often, and (especially in looking back to share that very first post with you today) I can see that we have come on heaps since our first dodgy-looking year ????!

Just go for it!

If you are thinking about starting a blog, or embarking on any new endeavour, especially if you have ‘that gut feeling’ – just go for it!

I never, ever ever could have anticipated what would have developed from that very first blog post.

The Elgin Avenue, a blog I never knew I would have, in a role which didn’t even exist ten years ago, has shaped my whole life in my early twenties.

You do not need to be great from the beginning (I absolutely was not, and am still learning every day), but you do need to take a deep breath and start somewhere.

Thinking of starting a blog?

Here are a few resources for starting a blog, I wholeheartedly recommend them all.

Getting started on Advice From A Twentysomething

The beginners guide to blogging on Coco’s Tea Party

How to start a blog: my story on Elle & Company (go on to read Elle & Company inside out – it is one of my greatest resources!)

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Over the next few months I am going to share more insights in to blogging with you all. Blogging is such a huge part of my life, it feels strange not to be sharing more of it with you. I know that many of you are bloggers too, are interested in the industry or are creative entrepreneurs.

I hope that the insights I will share, will help you to forge your own creative (and maybe even blogging!) paths.

If there are any specific topics you would like me to cover, please request them via email, social or in the comments below ????????

Love, Monica x