I recently attended two blogging related events in London, and it was great to see the continued and developing respect given to blogging in 2018. Plus there were a couple of awesome speeches.
*** Image from Vuelio.com ***
I spoke on the podcast about these two events, so I am not going to go into details, because obviously you have already listened to Ep120 of the MOJO Podcast.
However, I did want to share a few photos and say just how great it was to see the continued growth of blogging. For me this was particularly noticeable at the Vuelio Blog Awards when I discovered my new favourite blogging category in the Vuelio programme; the Pet Bloggers.
I have long since been aware of Fashion, Travel, Food, Family Bloggers and the rest, but Pet Bloggers?! Come on, how? This is amazing. From a mental health/ wellness point of view I love the idea of pet blogging. My cats have often been a source of positivity and helped to lift my mood. So I understand firsthand the impact they can have. But surely these Pet Bloggers get up to more than just wellbeing...
Well if you want to find out more you should follow the Vuelio shortlisted Pet Bloggers:
The Vuelio Blog Awards were great and came with action packed entertainment, in the form of fire based and (separate) aerial performers (can you imagine if they were the same people, risk assessment anyone, hahaha). Plus an actually funny comedian as the host. That's not even mentioning the amazing food.
All this the night after an insightful Mind Media Awards. Which, for me, was particularly moving when hearing Clarke and Carrie Carlisle talk about their experience with Clarke's illness (depression).
In fact it was Carries words that really moved me. She said “People have said to me, how could he put you through that and my husband said to me he felt like such a burden to me and his family. Let me be clear, my husband didn’t put me through anything... If you’re suffering, you’re not putting anyone through anything. The illness is putting us through something, and the illness is putting you and your family collectively through something."
The Mind Media Awards were a positive experience that gave me hope the tide is slowly turning in the mainstream media in regards to its representation of mental health illnesses.
I was particularly proud of Katie, Anneli and Claire, who were shortlisted for the Digital Champion Award, for all the work I have seen them do to encourage mental health conversations and support. Plus a massive thank you to Claire for inviting me along to the event.
As I said this post is a short one to say well done to all the Bloggers out there, particularly those writing about mental health and (my new favourite) pets.
Blogging can be a coping strategy, a tool, a skill, a passion, an art, a hobby, a job and many things in-between. Keep writing and keep reading those blogs, plus the occasional new one. You never know when you may discover your new favourite! Mines Katzenworld Blog.
