Hello and welcome to November. This month I’m joining in with Blog Every Day in November, run by Elizabeth Dhokia.
Yes I know, EVERY DAY.
Since starting the book, my blog has taken a back seat. Which is of course totally fine. But, I do love blogging and what blogging has brought me. And having known Elizabeth for years, I promised myself if she ever did this challenge again, well here we are. (Read more about the challenge here, and join if you fancy?)
There are prompts for each day, some of which I’ll ignore completely. Some of which I’m sure I’ll be thankful for when I can only find a 30-minute window in which to write my posts, like today!
Today’s prompt is Something New and Personal.
Moving away from Old-Fashioned Susie at the start of September had been something like two years in the planning. Being online for me is something I’m very much used to after almost 10 years of blogging. A lot can, and does, change in that amount of time.
When I began, my love for vintage ruled my words. When I chose the name Old Fashioned Susie, I chose it because I wanted something that would reflect my love for vintage, old things, things with character; but that wasn’t the word “vintage” as there were so many blogs that used that word. I wanted to differentiate myself.
I didn’t struggle with the name of the blog until my traffic began to steadily increase. This happened only when I came back to it in 2013, after a couple of years of running VintageManchester.com.
I began to document our home renovations here, and despite my misgivings about the title of my site, I didn’t feel strongly enough at that point to change. Brands and readers knew me, I decided to make hay whilst the sun shined and just carried on.
I don’t want to make this sound like a hardship by the way. It was a choice and it was only the name I wasn’t 100% about, not my content. That has always and will always come from an authentic place in me.
As my daughters grew older, the #metoo movement grew too. My attempts to reframe “Old-Fashioned” for myself weren’t working. I couldn’t shake the fact the connotations of the phrase were just not me. I wanted to be me ya know? So what better title to choose for my blog that my own name…
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I’m meant to be, this is me
Look out ’cause here I come
And I’m marching on to the beat I drum
I’m not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
from The Greatest Showman
susan earlam ~ horror author 
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