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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 . . . !
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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.
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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.
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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 .
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The very beginning . . .
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Student life . . .
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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.
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I got itchy feet. I wanted to do something different, and create something for me.
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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.
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“Blogging looks like fun . . . “
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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.
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It looked like a lot of FUN. And (with four and a bit years knowledge behind me now) I can confirm – it really is!
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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.
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I googled “how to start a blog” and discovered that there were no barriers to entry, every one can start, no investment needed!
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This is still the same today. You can start a blog for zero pennies. Zilch. Nada.
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I did however put around £100 I had inherited from my Italian grandfather towards a little digital camera.
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The Elgin Avenue
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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!”.
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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 ????.
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Looking back . . .
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It is easy to coast through life without ever realising quite how much you have learnt or how far you have come.
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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 ????!
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Just go for it!
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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!
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I never, ever ever could have anticipated what would have developed from that very first blog post.
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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.
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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.
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Thinking of starting a blog?
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Here are a few resources for starting a blog, I wholeheartedly recommend them all.
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Getting started on Advice From A Twentysomething
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The beginners guide to blogging on Coco’s Tea Party
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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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***
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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.
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I hope that the insights I will share, will help you to forge your own creative (and maybe even blogging!) paths.
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If there are any specific topics you would like me to cover, please request them via email, social or in the comments below ????????
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Love, Monica x
