hello there, care to spare a moment?

i've had some media attention as of late, and have posed for a couple of magazines because of style related issues. this sudden exposure and my immersion into the blogger community have clarified a few sores about blogging, topics dealt with by sugar kane and jaakko and prolly many others as well (feel free to link yourselves).

anyways, a few weeks ago i was interviewed about my blog. first and foremost i was surprised – to say the least – to be picked out as an interviewee for a fashion blog story. yeah, i talk about fashion and i have inconspicuously teetered towards talking mostly about it, but i see myself as such a marginal creature both in the blogosphere and (life)stylewise that an interview felt a rather excessive exposure.

i had to think about it before accepting. my reason for blogging is not in gaining publicity; i'd actually think i suffer from a self-created dilemma with publicity. i'm too old(-fashioned) to consider my online-self as a terribly important portrayal of me as a person and my aim is to reach like-minded people (in the areas i blog about). therefore, i accepted as long as i could talk in the cover of the blogger pseudonym.

i am well aware that many bloggers seek work opportunities through their blogs, and many consider their web-personalities as crucial extensions or parts of their true or professional selves. the branding of oneself is already a huge business: consultants and guides exist and assist the most mediocre of us to find our true potential and become a person whose entire being resonates the brand of "me". in addition to cv-construction and having the "right" hobbies, blogging is one of the foremost tools in the creation of modern professional me2.0. by writing a blog you potentially nail a few essential characteristics of a great cv simultaneously: tech-savvy, modern, hip, creative and capable of producing meaningful content.

i have followed closely some success stories of self-branding through blogging and admired the amazing results perseverance and dedication may offer. a thoughtfully and meticulously created blogger persona, such as silver's, can be the most valuable calling card in the world without sacrificing one's personal life. huge kudos for that.

i, nonetheless, don't consider my own blog a calling card or any other sort of promotional tool. surely, keeping a public blog is, whether i want it or not, an extension of my real self and a public persona no matter how insignificant. nevertheless, my attempt has not been to create a holistic, logical or coherent image of myself – quite the opposite, actually.

fashion is one of the topics my normal off-line existence does not cover: most of my friends do not share my interest in fashion, and the few conversations i have about it take place with blogging friends, online and offline. fashion has only briefly had a professional significance in my life. therefore, this blog – and especially the fashion content – is an outlet of ideas i hardly ever compose for live situations. quite honestly, my capabilities for holding a conversation about fashion and clothes irl are rather substandard. this is very much my own little, otherwise neglected niche of being.

obviously my biggest concern about the interview was what to wear: i was playing the role of a fashion blogger, after all. i wanted to look credible on multiple levels: mature, clever, fashion forward, casual and effortless. for me that meant many a sleepless night since i'm sure you've noted i go for one theme, fail at producing it and end up with around two casually connected references. attempting five at once felt like was reaching for an impossible overachievement... the result was simple.


tank top (underneath) by muji, shirt by helmut lang, jeans by cheap monday, sneakers by converse.

my hesitations aside, i'll tip you off when the story comes out and you can read my musings yourselves. as i said, i was nervous about the interview for many reasons, but mostly because i was about to meet a reader i did not know before. nevertheless, as i dealt with the slight panic of being asked for an interview, i also left the situation pondering some of the questions i was asked – especially the questions about you people reading my smatter about stuff.

not that i haven't thought about you before – i definitely have and i actively do – but i was (almost) utterly clueless about what kinds of people sit on the other side of the screen. fyi, out of my thousand daily visitors, there are around 200 of you regular readers and only a handful has ever left a comment. you still keep on coming back and reading. several of you are from abroad, but my regular discussers are fellow finns.

therefore, and encouraged by the comments sugar kane has received to her little questionnaire, i ask you, my dear readers, a few (probably familiar looking to some of you, let's just call this a meme, now shall we? *snicker*) questions as well. i hope you take the couple of minutes to scribble something for me, please.

obviously you're more than entitled to use finnish, if you wish. and i do hope that my "stalking" friends – you know who you are – answer as well... [add *wink* in case you think i'm condemning "stalking" since i ain't.]

1. how long have you been reading my blog?
2. how did you find my blog?
3. why do you read it? what do you feel you get from reading it?
4. please, introduce yourself. if you wish to tell me a little bit about your background, present or future, please do so. i'd love to know any timbits you're willing to share.
5. any recommendations, words of wisdom, wishes, ranting?

i will start from the assumption that you're not reading in order to get stuff, so i won't bribe you to answer. i hope the fact that you return to read provides reason enough to indulge me. if, however, you leave comments wishing for a raffle of somekind at point 5, i'll consider it, select something cool'n'hip and you'll be included automatically.

now, let's hear from you. you'll make my day.