I was told a few years ago at a leadership conference that leaders should be like ducks.  Serene and calm on the surface, but underneath paddling like mad to keep things moving.  The same can be said about blogging and participating in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog (31DBBB) Challenge.

I’ve been keeping up with the daily challenges over the past few days, but as they’ve been about behind the scene work it’s been hard to articulate into a blog post. It’s all been valuable work that’s helping me to understand this medium that I like to play in and how to get more out of it for myself and those that would share in what I put out there into the interverse¹.

While I’m not able to share some of the work I’ve been doing behind the scenes I can share with you another task from the Problogger playbook.  I thought it might also be good for those of you thinking about purchasing and completing 31DBBB to see the kind of things that you’ll be doing, and how much fun, information and direction you can get from participating.

It’s the 7 Link Challenge.  The idea is to post links that relate to seven blogging topics.  Topics that highlight your own blog and highlight those that you read and aspire to be like.  Without further ado here’s my response to the 7 Link Challenge:

Your first post:

My first post was definitely not a Pulitzer Prize winning entry.  In fact it was fairly bland in the scheme of things. Not so much a cannon fire of an announcement, more a spitball against a blackboard.  However it served it’s purpose; it got me started!

A post you enjoyed writing the most:

It’s hard to go back through the archives and search for posts because I tend to feel like they all happened yesterday.  The posts that I usually enjoy writing the most are my review posts.  I have an opinion and I love to give it.  One of my favourite review posts has to be the one I wrote for Star Trek.  I left the cinema and headed straight home and it just flowed.  Even now reading back over it I’m really happy with the end result.

A post which had a great discussion:

A month ago Australia got it’s first ever female Prime Minister and I wrote a post about it. While the post received a handful of comments I had a really great time talking to friends, family and tweeters about the event which in turned help inspire me to write the post.  I also found people that read the post off twitter commented back to me through twitter about the post and we were able to talk about it.  I really got a buzz out of that interaction.

A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written:

Damn, talk about a hard question.  I’m torn between being purely egotistical and going for a post that went viral and shot someone to blogging fame.  Or maybe a post that tugs at the heart strings and makes you see the good in humanity.  Even going with a post that makes you laugh.  I guess for me I haven’t ever looked at someone else’s posts and wished I had written them.  I think for me it boils down to the fact that we’re all individuals and we’ve all got amazing things to share.  It’s about getting out there and interacting with the internet and finding those pieces of amazing.

Your most helpful post:

From a purely, how to perspective, it would have to be the only how to I’ve done.  How to make a heat bag.   Although I’d like to think that my Friday Fancies help people come up with gift ideas if they need them.  My Blog Love and Music Monday posts should point people in the direction of new and interesting blogs to check out as well as some interesting play lists.

A post with a title that you are proud of:

This going to sound naff, but I’m quite fond of the title for this post.  I’m starting to think more about my blog and it’s content and that’s all because of this Challenge.  I’m really enjoying the challenge and it’s given me a real push when it comes to getting the blog in shape and getting out and about in Blogland.  I didn’t realize just how much I needed that.

A post that you wish more people had read:

Gosh… can I say all of them.  *laugh*  Difficult question.  I’ve even been through some of the archives looking for something and I can’t really find anything that jumps out and says “People need to know this!”.  I guess there’s posts that I’m proud of the way they reflect who I am and therefore I think if people want to get to know me a bit better then these posts should be read more… two that I can think of are Self Portrait and Cupcake of Doom.

That was a lot harder and took a lot longer than I thought it would.  Damn that Problogger for his insight and thought provoking questions!

¹ I just made that word up, it’s a cross between internet and universe and I’m totally going to play that in my next game of scrabble.

Today’s activity in 31 Days to Build a Better Blog is to think about lists as posts.  I’ve been partial to a few list posts in my time, but I’ve not giving much thought to writing them.  So today I put my head to work and tried to come up with a list post.

I actually surprised myself and came up with a few different list ideas, but I’ve decided to stick with a simple one for today and post a few different list posts over the coming weeks.

In an attempt to let you know a little more useless information about me I thought I would give you….

1. Twitter – I don’t know how people lived without Twitter.  I am addicted.  Totally.  I love all the interaction that you can have without leaving the comfort of your home, and even if you have to leave your home you can take Twitter with you.
2. Etsy – The next evolution from eBay.  I adore Etsy.  I could spend hours just window shopping on the Etsy site.
3. Apple Products – My iPhone never leaves my hand.  My iPod is essential to making my day complete.  My Macbook Pro is my lifeline to the world I love.  I am totally an Apple disciple.
4. Books – I’m a mad reader.  I can’t get enough of books.  I would love to live in a library.  There’s something wonderful about books lined up on a bookshelf.
5. Teddy Bear – My Teddy Bear was a gift from my HUBBY on our first Valentine’s Day together.  I love my teddy bear.  I travel with my teddy, and the couple of times I’ve been in hospital my teddy has come with me.  I tell Ted all my secrets and when I’m really upset and just feeling low Ted is always there for me.  Every girl should have a teddy!
6. Television – I love television.  Only I don’t love watching television the conventional way.  Now it’s all about watching television while watching Twitter.  Or it’s about watching television shows in one big hit from DVD.  There are some really great shows being produced at the moment.  I feel like television is going trough a renaissance of sorts.  Love it!
7. Camera – I love my camera, I just don’t use it as much as I would like.  I love getting a good shot.  I love seeing life through the lens.  I love spending time with the men in my life talking about the shots and comparing what we’ve captured.  Always a great source of enjoyment.
8. HUBBY – Obviously this list isn’t in order of importance… I just didn’t want to put him at the top and then have to live with the gloating.  He’s my best friend and the person I want to rush home to and tell him about everything.  I adore him and would be lost without him.  He’s the perfect accompaniment to my madness.
9. Chocolate – My eating habits changed a lot after my gastric surgery, but one thing that didn’t was my love of chocolate.  There’s nothing better than a chocolate something.  It’s just amazing.  I can’t get enough!
10. Internet – Seriously, what did people do before the internet?  I would be lost without it.  I have meet so many amazing people through the internet.  I’ve learnt so much about the wonderful world we live in.  My mind has just been blown by the things out there on the internet.  I’ve also managed to spend many many hours doing nothing but surfing the internet.  It’s mind blowing.

As a list post it probably won’t go viral, but I’m sure thinking about some posts in the future that I hope will.  It’s given me a new found respect and possible love for the list!

Today is the first day of blogging boot camp, so to speak.  The first day asks us to develop an elevator pitch for our blogs.  It’s a really great task as it makes you think about what the purpose of your blog is.

Problogger suggests coming up with a short elevator pitch and a long elevator pitch.

I found this task really difficult.  Which in some ways amazes me because I’ve been in this space for nearly two years so you’d think I’d have a handle on what I’m supposed to be doing.  Then in other ways I think it’s reflective of the fact I really have been feeling directionless lately.

So after much brainstorming and navel gazing here’s what I came up with…. Drum roll please…

Short Elevator Pitch

Gnomeangel: it’s all stuff and nonsense

Long Elevator Pitch

Gnomeangel is one woman’s rambling collection of interests, half arsed projects and tales of misadventure.  It’s a blog dedicated to showcasing the extraordinary from the life of someone ordinary.  Here you’ll find shiny things, things that make you laugh, things that make you want to dance and things that make you go “say what?”.

I’m not sure what category of blog I would fit in to so I wanted to keep it reflective of the fact that it’s a little bit of everything.  It’s just the things that I find interesting and want to look at.  In a lot of ways I see the blog as an online scrapbook of my tastes and thoughts.  I don’t want take it too seriously and I want my pitch to reflect that.

I’m not sure whether this is the pitch that will stay with me for all time, but for the purpose of the exercise I’m fairly happy with it.  I’m sure that over the next few weeks, especially after attending the blogging event, I will refine and tweak.  But for now it’s a start, and often starting is the hardest thing to do!