Blogger Spotlight: Gina Rae Mitchell

As many of you know, I recently held a raffle to celebrate 1000 twitter followers. The blogosphere is a diverse place, and in order to truly make your blog everything you want it to be, you need the support of your fellow blogger.

I am blown away by the amount of support and by all the wonderful new friends I have made as I feel my way around this project. I wanted to give back a bit and sort of pay it forward for all the love I get from my readers and other bloggers every day.

Gina Rae Mitchell is my second place raffle winner. She has been a huge support on Twitter, and her blog is really a lovely place full of all sorts of goodies! If you are looking for ideas to pass the time, this is the place to go, she’s got it all! Books, Crafts, and lots of other things await you at ginaraemitchell.com.

Gina has taken the time to answer a few questions so we can get to know her a little better, and see what her blog is all about! I hope you find something you love here and keep checking back for more, I know I have! So without further ado, it would be my esteemed privilege to introduce you to Gina Rae Mitchell!

Kat: Tell us about yourself and your blog.

Gina: I wear many hats these days. I’m a wife, mother, nana, blogger, prolific book reader, traveler, cook, weaver, knitter, and Beta/ARC reader for authors. I’m a sixty-year-old who feels 30 (ok, maybe 40) and sometimes acts even younger. Technology doesn’t scare me. I love creating graphics for my blog, Pinterest, and social media. I manage my WordPress website and surprisingly, I love doing it.

My website, GinaRaeMitchell.com is where books, food, and crafts come together to make life more enjoyable. You will find posts about crafts, mostly knitting, and weaving. Booklists and book reviews in every genre from clean romance to historical fiction to paranormal/fantasy reside on my blog. Since I love all types of comfort food and desserts, I share lots of recipes. Most of my posts are my own. However, I will also share posts from fellow bloggers if I feel they add value or entertainment to my readers.

K: How long have you been blogging?

G: I have blogged casually for several years with various personal blogs and my knitwear design website, ginamitchelldesigns.com. A couple of years ago, I lost that website due to a hosting mishap. I was stagnating in that venture anyway, so it seemed a good time to scrap it and move onto something I was in love with & motivated to write about consistently. In January of 2018, GinaRaeMitchell.com was born. I have never felt so enthused about a project before. I incorporate all my loves into this blog: books, food, crafts, and family. So, I think you could say I have only been a serious blogger for just under a year.

K: What is your advice to new bloggers?

G: My advice is to write! Write every day, whether it’s nonsense, garbage, or random gibberish, you must write. You never know when a spark of inspiration will strike, and you are on your way to meaningful writing. YouTube is also your friend. You can find so many answers there from tutorials on your website theme, to vloggers in your niche, or funny clips to share. I highly recommend Grammarly and Yoast for your writing. I learn so much from the errors they find in my work. Perhaps, the most important advice is don’t be afraid. Will you always write perfect stories, copy or blog posts? Of course not! But you need content on your blog. Your readers will tell you what resonates with them through their comments and your website analytics. Once this becomes clear, you can go back & move non-relevant posts to draft mode or delete them (properly of course).

K: What is your favorite thing about blogging?

G: Interacting with readers is my favorite part of blogging. When a reader comments, shares or otherwise connects through the words I have written, my heart sings. I live in a very remote, rural area. Connections with people are important to me. Today’s technology makes the world seem much smaller than in my early youth. I can’t imagine a life where I didn’t have access to “my people.” These are the people who like the same things I do, read the same books and get my quirky sense of humor. They make it all worthwhile.

K: What is your least favorite?

G: I have to say mean people are my least favorite part of blogging and life in general. You will undoubtedly get someone that leaves a snarky comment on your Facebook post or blog. It took me a while to realize that it isn’t about me. Some folks must hate on something, and today, it was my turn. If you try to write to please everyone, you will only make yourself unhappy. I struggle to remember that and tell myself they don’t have to read. All it takes is a simple click, and they are off my page. So, if they stay around to hate, it’s their problem, not mine. But…meanness is hard to ignore.

K: Do you ever struggle to come up with new content? What do you do about it?

G: Yes, I think everyone struggles at times. Generally, it’s if I am in a bad mood or have something else weighing on my mind. I find that a walk or listening to music will help with my writer’s block. Sometimes it’s as simple as my mind knows there is something else I need to focus on first. If I take care of that task and the words still won’t flow, I try to write something nonsensical or a bit about my day in my journal. If I still can’t write a post, I go to Google and type in “writing prompts.” There will be thousands of prompts pop up. I choose a couple of prompts and brain dump about them. The simple act of writing will many times free my mind so that I can move onto blog-worthy writing. If all else fails, I take a short, refreshing nap. Naps are not just for children!

Wow! There were some real gems in there wouldn’t you guys agree? I love that idea about looking up prompts on Google to flex the writing muscles a bit and work out of a block, I think I’ll really be making use of that one!

Gina has also created a 12 step plan for reducing holiday stress and is offering a FREE downloadable holiday planner when you subscribe to her email list! I read it and find lots of great suggestions, and that planner is going to come in so handy!