Today I interviewed Renata about the work she does on her blog, & I wanted to find out a little bit about her and how she got into the blogging world and what her plans are.
Renata ‘s Social Media Links Are:
- Twitter – @renataleo
- Instagram- @renataleo
- Blog- buffalosauceeverywhere.com
Renata Leo is an open-minded, overly-sensitive, optimistically cynical millennial feminist and creator of Pure Human Content. She considers her passions in life to be people and words. She loves using words to make people feel less alone and maybe even chuckle along the way.
Can you tell our readers about yourself and your blog?
I’m a multi-passionate person who loves trying new things and being near people! My blog shows my multi-passionate nature in that there is no set theme. It’s about whatever I want to write about at the time. I have posts about yoga, mental illness, Disney, and a series of “Renata’s Guides” which are joke posts about certain topics. No matter what I write, it has a lot of heart and my trademark sass and humor.
Describe how did you first get into blogging?
I’ve always been a writer. When I was a child, I filled several notebooks with poetry. When I was in elementary and middle school, I wrote fiction similar to the YA novels I read and loved. In college, I wrote open letters and BuzzFeed articles. I created using many different mediums, but writing was always my solace.
When I was in my first job after I graduated from college, I felt unfulfilled and knew that I wanted to be writing. My ex/bestie/now-blog-editor Josh suggested that I start my blog as a digital portfolio for my work so I could apply for content creation jobs. It’s funny to look back and think that it just started as a portfolio because it’s become so much more.
Can you tell me some of your strengths that really helped you in blogging?
I have an inherent need to create. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been drawn to creating, whether it’s writing, fashion design, or making fun videos with friends. This need to create keeps me going and helps me keep the blog running. It’s challenging to write every week, but I keep pulling from my love of creating to keep going.
How would you describe your blogging style?
I write exactly like I speak. Many people who know me personally and read my blog have said that when they read it, it’s like I’m sitting beside them reading aloud. Because I write how I speak, my writing is casual and full of humor and sass. I want to be the reader’s friend, just speaking my mind to them. Also, any time I can come up with a clever pun, I’m thrilled.
What do you think is the best service a blogger can provide to their readers?
It really depends on the blog! There are plenty of informative blogs out there, but mine is not that. I think primarily, writers need to be engaging and provide entertaining content for their readers. From humor blogs to educational blogs to travel blogs, the goal should always be to engage and delight the reader.
How do you manage time to run your blog efficiently?
My immediate instinct is to say that I don’t. Some weeks my posts get written early, some weeks I’m still finishing them up the day that they need to go live. I do what I can, write what I’m inspired about writing when I’m inspired about writing it, and take it from there.
How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?
Back in December, I realized that my blog had become too serious. While I had started the blog with a mix of ridiculous and serious posts, somewhere along the way I stopped writing my silly humorous posts altogether. I vowed to tap back into my absurdist side and write more silly posts. I want to continue that trend and perhaps compile them into a book!
Speaking of books, my first book is coming out sometime over the next few months, and I’m excited to see where that takes me over the next year!
What was your greatest failure and what did you learn from that?
I’ve submitted several of my pieces for publications on different sites and received countless rejections. Rejection always stings when you’re baring your heart and soul on paper, but they’re part of submitting! After every rejection, I’ve had to pick myself up, brush myself off, and keep going. I’ve faced more rejection blogging than doing anything else in my life, but I learned that if you enjoy something, you keep going no matter what.
Tell me about your proudest blogging achievement?
Sometime last year, a student in college reached out to me to ask if they could reference one of my posts in one of their papers. I couldn’t believe that they had found my little blog in the first place, much less that they wanted to cite it in a paper. It was so awesome!
Who has impacted you most in blogging and how?
I would not be where I am today without my ex/editor/best friend Josh. He not only encouraged me to start the blog and edits it weekly, but is also there for advice and encouragement whenever I need it. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without him.
What is your greatest achievement outside of blogging?
My first book is in its final stages, and I’m so excited! Once it’s edited, I just have to finish formatting it for publishing and then publish it! I’ve already talked to a local bookstore about some book signings. I can’t wait!
What do you do in your spare time?
One of my favorite things in the world is escape rooms. I absolutely love moving through escape rooms, solving puzzles and emerging victorious (which usually happens). I am also part of an axe throwing league, go to pub trivia, do yoga, read, play video games, put together puzzles, and rewatch sitcoms.
Where would you like to be in the blogging world five years from now?
I would love to be able to keep a blogging schedule where I post more than once per week. I did it for a while, but I wasn’t able to keep it up long term. I’m very proud that I have gotten to a place where I forgive myself when I cannot write more than one post per week, but I would still like to be able to!
What was the most challenging moment in your blogging journey so far?
Picking the name for my blog was a huge hurdle that I had to jump before I could start publishing. I wanted to come up with exactly the right name, and it was particularly challenging considering the fact that my blog has no real theme. With no theme to use to help me develop a title, I went with one of the things I like best: Buffalo sauce. One of my friends helped to put things in perspective by telling me to not put so much pressure on myself. The blog title wouldn’t matter as much once I started writing, it would just become part of my brand. And she was absolutely right.
Can you name some of your favourite bloggers and explain why they are your favourites?
Bill Fonda over at “A Silly Place” is one of the most supportive bloggers you will ever meet. He happily likes and retweets all of my posts and creates a weekly roundup where he features several bloggers in order to showcase their work and get noticed by other bloggers.
Paul Radin of “The Captain’s Speech” is another awesome blogger who has a competition called “The Captain’s Quiz” where several bloggers compete in a fun quiz Paul makes up. It’s a great way to bring bloggers together and have fun. Plus…I won the last one.
Aaron Peck at “The Confusing Middle” also has some interactive content on his blog. I love participating in his weekly Sunday Scribblings posts!
Anything else you would like the readers to know?
I have a guest post series called the “Getting Real” series where bloggers, writers, or anyone, really can come on and share their personal journeys with my readers. It’s inspiring to read the raw and vulnerable stories that my guest posters share. I’m always looking for guest posters, so feel free to email me any time if you want to come get real with us!