Good news pt 1 – I’ve inspired someone!

I received a humbling nomination for “Very Inspiring Blogger Award” from Being Julz.  Julie has a wonderful blog herself, following her love of growing, cultivating and nurturing all things African Violet. It is warming to read about someone with such a passion for her plants that she gives them all names – beautiful!

I am not entirely sure how I can be considered an “inspiring” blogger, as I personally feel I am still trying to find my way with this – but I am very flattered for the consideration.

As part of accepting the award, I am supposed to reveal seven Little Known Things about me. As nobody on here knows me anyway, it shouldn’t be too hard:

1.  I used to be a professional video coordinator for American Football teams (including NFL, CFL, World League, Arena, and College ball) – apparently, the only English female to do so 🙂

2.  I once organised a march against student loans when I was President of my college students’ union at Dartington. Trouble was, I got the date wrong, and we were the only college to march a week earlier than the national event! Made the local news … I was quoted as saying we felt SOOO strongly about the issue that we needed to protest immediately!

3.  I’ve got four tattoos – or is it five? They all mean something though – I don’t have Tweety Pie on my left ankle or anything like that.

4.  I’ve managed to blag my way into (and out of) some pretty crazy situations in my life; thus, the pet name, Betty Bullshit.

5.  I still hug my cuddly toys when I get sad.

6.  I’m a cursed perennial proof reader. I don’t deal well with typos.

7.  I have over a thousand books (that’s after I donated a few bin bagfuls to the local library). I think I’ve read six of them.

The second part of this is to recognise 7 other blogs that I find inspirational in some way or another:

• Managing Mania
• Disorderly Chickadee    When I first started blogging, I intended to address my illness and learn as much as I could about what goes on. Managing Mania and Disorderly Chickadee offer regular first-hand accounts of dealing with illness in a very articulate and sometimes intense manner without stooping to self-absorption, and without losing sight of who they are as people who continue to function in the real world.
• Scribbles in the Sand     An artist/photographer who shares random arty bits on a daily basis. I admire  the fact that she has no qualms in directing her own readers to others’ art.
• Bi[polar] Curious     A blog that intelligently researches and educates about all things Bipolar in a easily readable manner, while questioning and exploring her own experiences with the disorder.
• I Judge Books by Their Covers   Run by a young woman at my Creative Writing group, who was the springboard for me starting my own blog. She has an incredible grasp of poetic prose, and I only wish she would add more …
• Broken Light Collective    A space for artists and photographers struggling with the ravages of mental illness to showcase their work. Fantastic, unselfish project run out of New York City.
• Rick Diffley Photography    I just love the fact that this guy doesn’t mind sharing his methods for how he produces the pictures he does, and the images are pretty fabulous.

I suppose that’s the common denominator in the above chosen few – they are unselfish, and willing to share what they know with the rest of the world. Speaking as someone who has made it through life so far on dumb luck and bullshit – I have to admit to being truly inspired and just a little bit envious.