Edwina O’Connor

I have always loved travelling, and my blog includes topics ranging from Irish pop culture and travel, to lifestyle and parenting. I have travelled a good bit over the years, too. It was 2008 when my husband, Patrick, and I did our world trip, and I remember my manager in Penneys at the time saying to me, ‘What are you doing? You should be buying a house’. We cashed everything in and went off for the year. We flashpacked [affluent backpacking]. People thought we were crazy at the time, but for us it was, and still is, the best thing ever.

Then came my blog in 2012. I had completed a course in online and digital marketing and I had heard about blogs, but, back then, they weren’t that popular. I had kept a diary since I was about seven, so, for me, it was like a natural progression, like an online diary. It was a way to share what I was into — some people got it and some people didn’t, but I kept trucking away.

I have two children, Smith (three) and Cassidy (one). I took extended maternity leave, which eventually led to my decision to stay at home and mind the kids.

I have a parenting section on my blog, but I don’t want to be pigeonholed into that one category, because I am so much more than that. Although being a mum is the most important thing to me, I’m more than just a mum. I still love music, festivals, culture, eating out and dining in.

The blog has always been full-time, in a sense. I would get home from work, grab something to eat and get stuck into doing a blog post. In the beginning, when I first set up my blog, I pressured myself to have at least four or five posts published a week, but I soon realised it’s not about quantity. And so, looking back on the older pieces that I’ve done, I can’t help but criticise my work. I would be more inclined to stand by my later articles.

I think people can get confused [at the difference] between a blogger and an influencer, yet there is room for everyone. Everyone has different reasons for setting up a blog, and there are many people like me who want to do it as their creative outlet.

There is an onus on bloggers to be honest and transparent. What I love most about blogging is if I find a restaurant that I really enjoy, and both the staff and food were great, then I want to share that.

And I love art, too. I did a piece with James Earley recently after his exhibition. I’m not getting paid to do that, but I’m sharing it because I like sharing positive things. I think there is enough negativity out there, so it is refreshing to read positive posts.

If I did have a small issue with a business or a place, I will mention it, but if it’s a major issue I won’t write a blog post about it. There are small and family-run businesses out there and a negative blog post could be detrimental to them.

I have been on board with creators.ie since the beginning. I think it’s a hugely beneficial platform to have one destination where you can click in and have all these different blog posts available to you. It’s definitely an exciting new venture for me.