Blogivation

My name is Mark Rivard, I’m a professional artist out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  I run my personal blog which is “Life Happens, The Mark Rivard Blog,” as well as my professional site, Mark Rivard Skateboard Art.

Life Happens actually started out of pure frustration from trying to remain true to myself as an artist while maintaining a professional career.  I think it was my Mother who suggested I lay off the F-words in some of my writings, and in some situations I agreed with that, but at the same time that was how I wrote and that was the truth of who I am so I didn’t want to conform my writing.  I try everyday to stay true to being an “Artist Of Truth”, and part of that is being able to express yourself with no reservations.  Life Happens is where I go to write about the uncensored part of my life.  The phrase “Life Happens” came about from one of those nights where most people would prefer never mentioned again.  That’s where I’m different.  I’ll tell that story with no shame.  It was following a break up (Of course, that’s where all the good writing and art stems from.), I was out getting hammered and drowning sorrows with my friends when one of them decided it a good idea to start filming the shit show.  The next morning I saw the footage and watched myself holding a large glass of wine spouting off how LIFE HAPPENS!!!  YOU HAVE TO MOVE ON!!!  It was this same spirit, and generally honest attitude through the thick and thin that inspired the blog.  Here’s sample of the Life Happens introductory post…

“It was recently brought to my attention that there may just be a larger amount of people that follow my online presence. Some of which are family, some of which are friends, some of which are strangers to me, and some of which don’t always like my choice of language or the way I express myself artistically. I understand this. I am coming to terms with the fact that I live a public life and through outlets like Facebook, Myspace, and my own website, Mark Rivard Skateboard Art, I am living with very little privacy in my life. I chose this. I like it this way, I am who I am and I say the word fuck a lot. I am also a respectful person, personally I see no issue in the use of profanity, our language is beautifully intricate and expressive and I say we all use it to its full potential. However I can still respect that not everyone agrees with me and sometimes those people are people that have helped me in getting to where I am today. The word fuck, is one of the most versatile words I can think of. Along with dude, can you think of any other word that is that flexible and usable in almost any situation?

Diya:

“What ultimately prompted me to start my own fashion blog was when I noticed that there was a huge absence of fashion blogs by people in the science & technology field. With the vast majority of the fashion blogs written by fashion/art/design students, musicians, stylists and photographers, there was almost a hidden implication that science people shouldn’t or don’t care about looking fashionable.”

(Read More)

Joanna Penn:

“I started blogging because I had just finished my first book, How to Enjoy Your Job, and I realized I had no one to buy it. I learned very fast that marketing a book starts with a central place online and decided a blog was a good place to start.”

(Read More)

Derek Benson:

“Suddenly I was much more appealing. I got more visitors. My page was featured in Parents Magazine in their Dads Hall of Fame article. I was there next to Barack Obama, Jack Black and Adam Sandler. I hope one day that my work inspires those guys to make something of themselves.”

(Read More)

Wendy Lundgren:

“I was so tired of getting asked these questions and people thinking that vegan meant everything you could eat would taste like cardboard. Well I wanted to prove them all wrong and show them how yummy and healthy being vegan could be.”

(Read More)

Mike Bertolino:

“I also blog because it sharpens my writing skills. Being a Psychology major, I do a lot more reading than writing, even as I get into upper level classes. So to have that once or twice a week (depending on how motivated I feel) to write and put something out there has been really go for me.”

(Read More)

Corvida Raven:

“I started blogging because I had a desire to do something and didn’t know what to do. I had co-administrated a few message boards. I ran a few livejournal communities and I shared a lot of the tech tips I came across within these personal and private communities. It just seemed best to take it further.”

(Read More)

Linsey Knerl:

“I started blogging as a way to keep busy when my husband lost his job, and I had a new baby. When I figured out there was a business behind it, I went full force into applying for blogging gigs. I wrote for corporate sites doing blog posts and articles…”

(Read More)

Who are you?

Leo: I’m Leo Babauta, a blogger and minimalist.

What blogs do you do?

Leo: I’m best known for Zen Habits and mnmlist.com, and I’m the author of the best-selling book, The Power of Less .

What is the meaning behind/How did you come up with the name of you blogs?

Leo: Zen Habits simply brought together two of the key principles behind the changes I’d been making in my life: live simply and in the moment, and change habits slowly.

What motivations drove you to start blogging?

Leo: I wanted to share what I was learning, in hopes that it would help others. Blogging also became a way for me to reflect on my life.

What motivations keep you blogging today?

Leo: I absolutely love it. It’s incredibly rewarding to share my ideas and findings with the world, and to connect with others passionate about the same things. I never thought it possible for my life’s work to be this fun.

What future projects are you working on?

Leo: Right now I’ve been focusing on my next book, called “focus”. It’s online, uncopyrighted, in draft form: http://focusmanifesto.com. I’m having a blast creating it, and the response so far has been extremely positive and encouraging. After that, who knows what I’ll choose to work on next? Certainly not me.

Which blogger inspires you the most?

Leo: Oh, there are too many to name. I’ve been getting more and more into thoughtful, carefully written blogs, often with longer pieces. Some inspirations include: Maciej Ceglowski and Mandy Brown and Chris O’Byrne.

What are some of your favorite blogs to read and watch?

Leo: Again, so many good ones! I’ll name a few but if you’re not on here, that just means I didn’t have the space or you didn’t roll off my typing fingers first:

* Shareable
* Bobulate
* Derek Sivers
* The Mindfulist
* Joe Posnanski
* The Minimal List
* Lifehacker
* Unclutterer
* The 99 Percent
* Rowdy Kittens
* New Urban Habitat
* Marco Arment
* SF Streetsblog

Name one thing that you have learned from blogging?

Leo: I’ve learned everything about myself — blogging is a mirror that you hold up to yourself, and let the world see as well. Of the many things I’ve learned about myself, I’ve loved most the discovery of slowness, and its absolute perfection.

What randomness would you like to share with the world?

Leo: Whatever you do today, try doing less of it, and doing it slower. It’ll make it that much better.