A ‘Lovely’ post about Lovely Blog’s

As I hijacked last Mondays post to celebrate that Kirsty and I  got engaged! So, I thought I’d hijack this Monday Blog to celebrate something equally as important: Me!

Well, not quite as important… in fact, not even remotely as important. However, what was really ‘lovely’ is receiving this nomination from Gary. I don’t normally do these, I still have a nomination from Wendy to tackle, but I was feeling inspired to share this blog about love since I’m currently on (Clockwork) Cloud Nine.

The Rules!

Thank the person that nominated you and provide a link to their blogs. (Thanks Gary!)
List the rules. (Here they are!)
Display the award on your own post. (See Above!)
List seven facts about yourself. (See Below!)
Nominate 15 bloggers for this award and comment on one of their posts to let them know you have nominated them. (This I’m uncertain of… See below, below)

The Facts!

I have been writing stories since before I can remember:
Some of my earliest memories are of coming up with stories, either alone or with my friends. I remember spending the six weeks holiday writing stories about dragons, animals, and who knows what else. I’ve hopefully refined my writing a bit since then.

I am addicted to buying board games I never play, but that are continually taking up space in my house:
With the presence of things like Kickstarter I get excited seeing someones dream come to life (Work In Progress, much?) and this leads to me excitedly backing all these board games but never having any time to sit and play them. They stack themselves in every room of our house, much to Kirsty’s chagrin.

I am passionate about helping others feel inspired:
Partly what draws me to Kickstarter, I love helping people to follow their dreams and it’s this love that’s lead Clockwork Clouds to be what it is today. I want to create a place that encourages others to be creative, to see the positive side of things, and to feel inspired.

I need a creative outlet:
Perhaps why I like to live vicariously through others, but I love and live for that feeling of being inspired and creating. The only issue is, I tend to forget this in the hubbub of life, and I end up getting myself down/grumpy, before I realise the reason is I haven’t created anything in awhile! Hence Clockwork Clouds and my weekly posts, it keeps me going and keeps my spirits aloft!

I went to University to do Media and left with a BSc in Psychology:
I love Psychology; honestly I do. It was the subject I was most eager to do upon leaving school, it was the subject I enjoyed most at college, and yet I applied to Derby University, and all other Universities, to do Media Studies… Looking back, I don’t really know why. I like media too, definitely, I’m a television/video game/film buff. I’m a blogger, wanna-be author, and a photographer. Psychology, though, was a real passion of mine and I love seeing how, and why, we all tick the way we do.

I am constantly trying to better myself:
Whether it’s with writing, photography, blogging or something else; I’m on a constant journey to be the best me I can be. I haven’t found a way of making myself more motivated yet, but I am constantly trying to learn new tricks and methods of doing things. I love critique, I love feedback, and I love knowing what works and what doesn’t. I’m a very feedback orientated person and, when left to my own devices, I just wallow and slump.

March 2013 was one of the worst, but most necessary times of my life:
Deserving of a post all to itself, I figure it’s important when listing some facts about me to mention March 2013. This is the month when my life pretty much changed, it was a month I spent locked away in my room, where I was stressed beyond anything I’ve ever known, where I was rife with panic attacks, and where I, ultimately, decided I couldn’t live like that. March 2013 is when I realised that stressing brought me nothing but pain, and that life is what we make of it. There’s a much more indepth article here, but it was a lesson for me in making the most out of the life we have.

My Nominations!

As I write this bit I’m in two minds about nominations; part of me (probably the shyer, more cynical part) doesn’t think people will want these nominations, seeing them as a glorified chain letter and, therefore, is reluctant to offer them. The other part of me thinks about how nice, and warm, and fuzzy it felt to be nominated by Gary out of all the other blogs he could have chose.

Therefore, I’m going to go against my prejudice and cynicism and break with tradition; tagging a few people who I think are worthy of a bit of blog love, and if they want to take part they can do. If you’re not nominated and want to take part, by all means feel free to consider yourself nominated too! If you’re tagged below and don’t want to be, let me know and I will remove your link (but please know I think you’re worthy of the love!).

In Alphabetical Order (to avoid any question of favouritism)

Angela Noel: Likeminded promotor of positivity and love. Angela’s a WiPW Alumni who’s fantastic posts deal with life and some of the meanings behind it, she also runs plenty of guest posts that I really, really must get around to. Example post: Whats in a Name?

April Munday: Another WiPW Alumni with a penchant for history and a vast knowledge of writing advice and tips. A great blog if you love writing, the Medieval, and everything in between. She also has a new book which, at time of posting, will be out! Example Post: New Release

Beth: Still finding her feet, Beths blog shares posts about life and an assortment of her recent love of poetry. It’s been great to see her Poetry, and her mindset, improve a long the journey and I’m excited to see where she goes. Example Post: My Sister

Bonsalles: I stumbled on Bonsalles blog a few months ago and I am constantly captivated by her lovely line art. The little snippets of her thoughts go hand in hand with her drawings to create a truly interesting post which is a pleasure to see pop up in my reader. Example post: These Times

Creating Mind: As you may have read above, I love feedback and critique. The incredibly fresh way Creating Mind critiques personal photos, by firstly reviewing and then opening the shot open to viewer feedback. It’s one of the most open deconstructions I’ve seen and I love it. Example Post: Sit For Awhile

ChimpWithCans: Do you need to know more than that username? I love ChimpWithCans’ little incites into the mind. Short but sweet posts, that contain a lot to think about. Example Post: The Process is the End Goal

Clare: Our third WiPW Alumni in the list, Clare’s range of projects makes me feel better for having mine! You could spend a day with Clare’s numerous works and still find more to enjoy, from writing, photography (like in the following link!) or typing up her grandfathers journal over at From Buckinghamshire to South Russia and Return Journey. Example Post: Owling Around

DavyD: One of my first followers here on the Clouds, Davy is blog is full of awesome poems and he has always encouraged me to try my hand. A blog about my poetry is coming soon, I promise! But for now, I urge you check out his wonderful work. Example Post: Violins and Poetry

Debbie Harris: Hopefully a soon to be WiPW poster! Debbie puts me to shame by doing a photo a week over on her blog, along with other posts about her travels and her world. Example Post: What’s Outside the Window?

Fragglerockin: WiPW Alumni and annoyingly talented creative person, Fragglerockin has numerous blogs you can peruse (though I’m linking to her main). Example Post: Swiss Gardens

Lydia: Offering a unique incite into the world, from a not-often-heard perspective of a blogger with aspergers, I enjoy hearing about her life and her thought processes; showing there’s beauty in the way we all view the world with such difference. Example Post: Femininity Confession

Methodtwomadness: Two friends, Kerfe and Nina, create a variety of inspiring artwork. I love seeing a new post as I can always gaurentee there will be something interesting within; be it a collage, a painting, or a poem. Example Post: Unknowing

River: I’ve followed River’s sketches for awhile now and never fail to be impressed by the amount of character behind her… well… characters! Lovely artwork and such a passion for it. She’s taking on a big task the next coming months that should be exciting to follow! Example Post: Calm Before the Storm

Ritu: Do you really need an introduction to Ritu? If you don’t know her by now, you’re not using WordPress properly. Ritu has already been nominated for the award, which is no surprise! Example Post: Eating Out of my Hand

Shelley: One of the reasons I started blogging, Shelley inspired me to take my blog more seriously when I met her at a Creative Writing class; my list just has to include her. She’s an Author of such recent publications as Oath Breaker (YA Fiction) and How I Motivated Myself to Succeed (Self Help). Example Post: Book Tour

Wendy: Last but not least, Wendy is a WiPW Alumni with a creative flare for all things fairy related. Her attitude towards choosing to live creatively resonates so much with what I try to promote, she’s a lovely person to follow (and offers you free art when you do so!). Example Post: Sunshine Blogger Award Part 1