Blogger Q&A with @totallycamille

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Bloggers name:
Totally Camille

My blog:
http://www.totallycamille.com/

About my blog:
Totally Camille is a beauty and lifestyle blog, with a hint of fashion. We talk about makeup and hair, with tutorials and guides, but we love touching on subjects like parenthood and children, with must-haves and tips and tricks.

My main blogging category is:
Beauty

You can find me at:
https://www.instagram.com/totallycamille/
https://twitter.com/totallycamille
https://www.facebook.com/totallycamille/
https://www.pinterest.com/totallycamille/boards/

How and why did you get into blogging:
I’ve always loved to write. I wrote small stories and kids novels from the age of 8 until 16, just for fun, and I always wanted to be a journalist for a magazine. Life took me elsewhere, obviously, but I just decided I couldn’t give this passion up, so I started Totally Camille, by looking all the steps up, and finding my own way on the internet.

Where do you get your writing inspiration from?
I always make sure I can help somebody with my blog posts. I’ve always had the chance to be surrounded by people who were willing to help me, and I decided this could be my own way to help a stranger in the world with a simple hair tutorial, or maybe help a stressed mom to identify and feel she’s not alone by reading one of my parenting posts. It just makes me happy to have the feeling my blog could end up on a person’s screen that would just need a little boost, and that my articles would do just that.

If you could offer some words of encouragement to a newbie or frustrated blogger, what would they be?
Follow your dreams, don’t give up, and do it because you love it! There are so many people that do it for either the fame, the PR packages and all that. That’s just wrong if you ask me. If writing is something you truly like, it’s also something that makes you happy. If it makes you happy, keep doing it. You might just find the satisfaction in helping someone you don’t even know with your posts, and that’s the most rewarding thing ever! Don’t give up because you see others having more success than you. Going viral can happen to any of us, but it’ll happen when you don’t even think it will. Just keep doing you! And write because you love it. Write because you are passionate about your subject. Write because it makes you happy. Nobody can take that away from you. Ever. We are so lucky to live in a world where the freedom of speech is accessible to everyone. Use it wisely, use it to spread a good message, use to make yourself be heard.

What has changed most about blogging culture/the blogging industry since you started?
I haven’t had a blog for that long, but what has changed the most in the last couple of years is on social media. The follow and unfollow game has become so bad, it doesn’t even irritate me anymore, it just saddens me. I hate that people would do anything, even hurt others to find a way to get to the top. I know this behaviour is everywhere, not only on social media but it’s just a pity. What has changed over the years is the number of brands that have finally realised the power of reach of bloggers, and decided to work more with them. I think this is great, but I think it’ll be greater if brands that send PR packages were more eco-friendly, and finally started to send minimal packages.

What daily tools and platforms do you use in your blogging routine, for research, promotion, sharing and other:
I use Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to try and connect with my readers and other bloggers, which is one of my favourite things to do. I also use them, combined with Pinterest and Bloglovin, to promote my content.
I have Lightroom and Snapseed to retouch my photos, whether it’s on my iMac or my iPhone. I either use my phone or my Fujifilm camera for photos.

Tell us about your greatest blogging achievement to date?
I haven’t been working with any famous brand, I haven’t won anything or gone viral. But my biggest achievement is having started my blog and being comfortable and proud of what I’m talking about. I have refused a few collaborations, which are actually tempting for a beginner. But some brands don’t know what being fair means, or they think small bloggers are okay to work for free. No! My time is as precious as yours! I’m not desperate for free products or a bit of exposure. If they’re going to use me, I’m always gonna pass. This may not be big for most of you, but it’s huge for me. All small bloggers and business owners, in general, should stand up for what they think is right, and for themselves. Always.

Where do you hope blogging will take you in the future?
In my wildest dreams, blogging will become my full-time job someday. I would love to dedicate my days to write about stuff I’m passionate about. I love my actual job, but this is a dream. I would hope to help as many people as I can, even if it’s just to make them disconnect in the middle of their not-so-great day at work. I don’t know. I would just love that.

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