Hello, Sunshine! (or, the Sunshine Blogger Award)

/ Katie

Happy Friday, and I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week so far! I was so excited and honored over the weekend when I saw that The Soul Whispers Blog had nominated me for a Sunshine Blogger Award. I’ve never been nominated before, and it put such a big smile on my face. 😊

So, what is it, and what are the rules? Well, quoting directly from The Soul Whispers Blog (and thank you so much for nominating me!):

The Sunshine Blogger Award “is a peer recognition of the inspiring, creative and motivational work done by bloggers. It is given by bloggers to bloggers who inspire positivity and creativity in the blogging community.”

If you have been nominated:

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog. 
  2. Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you. 
  3. Nominate 11 bloggers to receive the award and write them 11 new questions. 
  4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or your blog.

So, here are my answers:

What or whom inspires you?

I’m lucky to live in a community full of creative people, and they inspire me every day to try new things and push myself outside of my creative comfort zone. But beyond that, Dolly Parton. She’s life goals. Her constant creativity, her immense talent, her kindness and love for her hometown, her authenticity and her confidence…I just love her. And in terms of writers, Neil Gaiman. I love his style, I admire his flexibility and confidence to work in several different areas, and I just enjoy his storytelling.

What is the last book you read?

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. Highly recommend this entertaining, and pretty quick, read. Next on my list is The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tatar.

What is your favorite spot in your home?

I quite like my comfy writing chair, which sits beside a west-facing window and right next to a cozy fireplace. Perfect for chilly days like today.

Oatmeal chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, or neither?

Yes. Give me all the cookies.

What was an unforgettable vacation?

Iceland was amazing, but Wales was just heartbreakingly beautiful. As long as I live, I don’t think I’ll ever forget how I felt walking around in Snowdonia. It was like living in a fantasy novel. So, so striking and desolate and full and alive all at the same time.    

What is your proudest accomplishment?

That’s a tough question. Looking forward, I hope it will be finally finishing one of the many novels I’ve started writing. But for now, I’m really proud of the volunteer work I’ve done, and also proud to have graduated from college (I was one of the first in my family to), and especially proud that I’ve been able to really focus on my writing and creative work in the last several years.

What is your go-to meal?

Spaghetti Carbonara. Simple, fast, filling, and super tasty.

How has a set-back turned into something better?

I worked in Human Resources for many years and made my way up the corporate ladder for a while before losing my interest and my drive. I really fizzled out in my last HR position, and felt like a failure. Then, I took some time to really think about what I wanted and realized that HR was not my path. The problem wasn’t me. It was HR. I left, and I’ve never once looked back, and I’m happier now than I ever was sitting in an office all day.

What is your tool of choice when writing (e.g. journal, notepad, computer)?

I jot ideas down on whatever loose slip of paper happens to be close to me at the time, but I do keep a notebook, as well. When I actually get down to the business of writing, I use my laptop. Oh, and I only use blue ink pens. I don’t know why. It just feels right.

Which do you prefer: a few friends or the more-the-merrier?

Both, actually, depending on the occasion. I love a big, loud party with lots of chatter and music. It’s fun seeing all of my friends together in one place. But I’m also a huge fan of a quiet sit-down with a few people to really spend some time together. Either way, I get a little tired. But it’s worth it.

What brightens your day?

I find joy in lots of different things. My dog and my cat, especially when they want cuddles or when they’re being silly. Time with Graham. A good book, a funny movie. A new tea, or a bite of something sweet. Life’s all about making your own happiness, so I appreciate any little moment that makes me smile.

And here are my nominees (I love all of these blogs, and you should check them out!):

1. Suzassippi’s Lottabusha County Chronicles

2. Happy Panda

3. Nick West Photography

4. It Ain’t Right Till I Write

5. The Skeptic’s Kaddish

6. Steve’s Country

7. Joseph E Bird

8. Social Bridge

9. The Alchemist’s Studio

10. My Inspired Life

11. The Plein Air Experience

And my questions for them:

1. What is your favorite time of day to create (be it writing, art, photography, etc.)?

2. If you could meet one person from history, who would it be?

3. Pizza or sushi?

4. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet?

5. What’s one fear you’ve conquered?

6. Winter or summer?

7. The mountains or the beach?

8. Stealing from The Soul Whispers Blog, what/who inspires you? (It’s a good question, y’all!)

9. If you could go back (or forward!) in time, would you?

10. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

11. Do you collect anything? If so, what?

(And of course, there’s an implied “Why?” in all of these questions. 😉)

This was really fun! And it was exceedingly difficult to choose only eleven bloggers to nominate. So here’s a thought: Should I do a monthly feature where I link to other blogs I read? Is that something y’all would enjoy? If you’ve stuck with me this long, let me know! There are so many wonderful creators in this community, and I’m just constantly inspired by all of you. 😊

50 thoughts on “Hello, Sunshine! (or, the Sunshine Blogger Award)”

  2. Oh, Katie, you’ve gone and done it now! I do thank you for the nomination, as I think that means you enjoy some of my writing some of the time. I am not sure I would put me in the sunshining group, but I work to be positive and inspiring, even while dredging up tedious facts because I am a history lover and solving a puzzle is immensely satisfying. I am a hoper and envisioner of better things and that is my sun on a cloudy day. 🙂

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  6. Congratulations!!! Love your answers!!!

    That comfy chair next to the fireplace sounds so perfect.
    Iceland has been on my bucket list forever. I had planned to go last year but COVID had other plans.
    I so get you on quitting a job that didn’t make you happy. I worked with a bank and it made me so unhappy and even though running my own business is hard as of now, it feels me with so much joy.

    Thank you so much for the nomination. Means a lot. ❤️

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    • Thank you! I was so happy to be nominated! Love your blog, too, and I love keeping up with your business, as well. I’m always checking out your Instagram stories. 🙂 I do hope you make it to Iceland one of these days! We loved it, and we’re actually thinking of what we’d like to do if/when we go back. The wanderlust is real!

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  13. Congratulations on the well-deserved award! I love your answer for the last question. “Life’s all about making your own happiness, so I appreciate any little moment that makes me smile” – that’s such a good way of viewing it. I appreciate those small, simple joys too. Cuddles from the cat (when he allows me the privilege of cuddles, that is, and at the cost of a cat treat stick), tea and chocolate, a warm shower, snuggling up with a blankie and good book. You can’t beat these things.

    Caz xx

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    • Thank you so much! I’m still smiling about it. 🙂

      You are so right – you can’t beat the small moments and the little things. They’re the building blocks that make life amazing. And yeah, cats… Gatsby wanted all of my attention last night, and today, just wants to be left alone to look out the window in peace. Such strange creatures.

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  18. Congratulations on your nomination, Katie! I bet you’re still smiling. I loved reading your responses to the questions, too. I’m with you on “all the cookies.” Especially interested in your story of a setback. I had a similar experience of feeling that I didn’t leave nursing; it left me. Twenty years in, it was a very different profession than when I entered it. But that burnout led me to create a public health nursing consultant practice that incorporated the parts of the field I loved best, and that offered more time and creative energy to pursue writing. Best to you in your writing; you’re an inspiration.

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    • Thank you very much! I am. 🙂 And thanks for sharing your story about nursing. I’m glad it led you to where you are, and that you’re writing and posting and I’ve been able to connect with you!

      I wonder how many people have similar stories to ours – I’m sure a lot. I’ve believed for a long time that life leads us where we need to be, and that even the bad moments and the stressful times help us walk the path to the right destination. That’s a little philosophical for a Saturday morning! But worth pondering from time to time, I think.

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