Today’s fabulous guest is the lovely Kelly Fitzgerald, founder and creative voice behind the lifestyle blog Austen Hill, where she writes about fashion, design, travel, food and more. She created the site as an outlet to share things that inspire her, and she’s come to chat about how it all started. Kelly…
Take a Chance on Yourself
When I began Austen Hill I had no idea how hard it would be, but I had felt for some time that there was a burgeoning designer inside of me just waiting to get out. What did I want to design? I had no clue. I just knew I had all of this creative energy and I needed a way to channel it. Blogging seemed like a wonderful way to explore things that I loved, and also write a bit.
Step 1: What do I do well?
A lot of my friends have asked me to help them plan parties, re-decorate rooms, or pick out the perfect shade of gray. I soon realized I had a knack for designing, and I was never asked to run the final length of a relay race. So I can’t run very fast, but I can design the heck out of a tablescape.
Step 2: Find my style.
For those of you in the marketing world, you know brand is everything. Articulating my brand, or style, consistently ensures that my readers immediately identify Austen Hill. What is my style and why does it matter? I created my Pinterest Board to get started and I always come back to it for inspiration and continuity.
Step 3: Drink a lot of wine!
It can be scary putting yourself out there. What if people don’t like what I’m doing? Through this experience I’ve learned to trust my design instincts and go for it. I took a chance on being myself and I’m so happy I did.
Check out her blog, AustenHill! Or visit the blog’s Facebook Page. Starting Monday, 14th, AustenHill will be holding a week-long give-away in conjunction with moi! If you like Paris and free books, this contest will be for you.
For her day job, Kelly travels the country working on health policy issues, but calls Richmond’s historic Church Hill home, where she lives with her dog Miss Austen. Below are a couple of her lovely pics from her blog, including an appetizer set-up in her living room, and a mood board she put together inspired by Les Misérable.
