The Bloggess exists at the nexus of weird, enthusiastic, terrified, and terrifying - a one woman cyclone riding the roller coaster of life's experience in all of it's glory and mess. I love her because she is gigantically, gloriously imperfect in public, and that's something I admire so much even while I'm terrified to do it myself. She's a reminder that honesty is often a quicker route to beauty than artifice, and that there are so many different forms of bravery that it's important to not discount any of them. She's also a reminder that we only see the outsides of people, and their insides are more complex and glorious and mysterious than we could ever know. I love what she represents to me - a call to be honest, to respect the power I wield, to respect and love myself even in my weakness.
I don't remember when I first became aware of her - some time in 2011 when she engaged with a Public Relations Company that pitched her and then insulted her in an accidental "reply-all." This was one of the earlier demonstrations of personal influence's effect through Twitter, an example of the shift in balance between professional, money driven communications and individual, charisma driven communications. In many ways, interactions like this were what led mainstream media to plumb Twitter for content - people were much more engaged with what could be discovered from presumed individuals whom they trusted than a media which often seemed out of touch and indifferent. We're still seeing the cultural reactions to these sorts of individual and ideal driven interactions, and in many ways the stages are virtual - through Twitter and Tumblr and Instagram. This isn't some utopia of pure individuals bringing us together to achieve wonderful things - it is another reflection of the mob mentality which has always existed with large groups of people. Interestingly - the rise and fall of this sort of thing is all contained within the Bloggess' Demonstration of Relevance in response to the insult. She led a response from the large group of people who valued her, and then called for some breathing space at the end of it, all contained in a single post.
She had real respect for the degree of power contained in her influence, and I find that inspiring.
On the lighter side, one of my enduring favorites of her shenanigans was her quest to get a picture of Wil Wheaton collating paper, a quest which both ended up being successful and ended with her becoming friends with Wil and his wife, both fans of shenanigans in general, and taking part in a calendar to raise money and save animals. She has a long history of slightly manic and entertaining interactions with celebrities like the creators of Portlandia and Nathan Fillion, as well as inspiring celebrities to take selfies holding things. Now and then she leaves notices for lost snakes and lost signs. She talks a lot about her experiences with advertising agencies, including ones where the people in question manage the weird beautifully and ones where they demonstrate they don't read the blogs they pitch to.
The weird is only hinted at in her rant about how she is the suspicious activity on her account - the purchase of the weird and taxidermied takes up a large part of her time and house. Then there is Beyonce the Metal Chicken, who remains to torment her husband and knock on various doors. The next year, she rented him a sloth. And then there are her many friends, like Totes McGoats, Copernicus the Homicidal Monkey, James Garfield (who does miracles), Beartrum Higglebottom, Juanita Weasel, and Jefferson Peabody. Rounding out the household are her pets: Rolly, Hunter S. Tomcat (who is the silent killer), Ferris Mewler (who out-vampires vampires), Blasphemy Scratchnsniff, and Dorthey Barker (who helped her heart heal). Pets memorialized in loving memory include Posey, Barnaby Jones Pickles, and Bubba.
She can also be inspiring, like when she talks about different kinds of bravery, anxiety, and depression, as well as managing your dreams when you're scared. She founded the Traveling Red Dress, which inspires all women to seek joy and self-acceptance. She's also written a couple books - Lets Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir, and Furiously Happy.
I had a ball searching through her blog for nuggets of humor and brilliance; I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!
Credits:
Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Sparkles: Folly, Rainbow Sheen
Hair: Ploom, Samantha
Ears: .:Soul:., High Elf
Eyes: .:Soul:., RooMee
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Lipstick: Mock, Budding Love Mizu
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands: SLink, Hands
Collar and Corset: Rosal, Unmei
Jacket and Bracers: Deviance, Elementalist
Shirt: Violent Seduction, Lolita Blouse
Belt and Thigh Pouch: Homemade (Textures by Fortunas)
Skirt: katat0nik, Tulle Skirt
Stockings: Stellar, In Bloom
Shoes: SLink, Vanity Boots
Pose: !bang
Backdrops: The Bloggess Posters
Location: My Platform
Light Settings:TOR, MIDDAY Cheery Cyan
Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping
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