We’re so pleased to continue our Q&A series with Mothers and Shakers founding member Nomita – a Mumbai gal who has made London her home away from home. Nomita is creator of the beautiful interiors blog your DIY family, mama to one and an award winning blogger. Read on about how her blog has evolved with her and changed her life.
How Blogging Changed My Life with Nomita of your DIY family.
What is your blog about and when did you launch it?
I launched your DIY family at the end of 2016. I had a very successful kids design blog before this but I outgrew that and knew it was time for a change. So I guess you can say my blog grew with me and morphed in to a diy, interiors and home styling blog all with a minimal, pared back vibe. My design ethos is that we should surround ourselves with things we consider to be useful and beautiful. Everything else can go. With that in mind I share practical yet beautiful diy objects for the home, styling tips to make the most of the space you have, home de-cluttering ideas and more.
Why did you decide to start blogging?
When I originally started blogging with my kids design blog, my daughter was a toddler. I found that a lot of stuff for baby girls out there was super frilly, kitschy and pink – from ugly plastic toys to dresses with endless bows. So I made it my mission to find more beautiful, stylish and minimal stuff for kids, especially girls. When I outgrew that blog, stopping blogging never crossed my mind. I loved it too much. So I relaunched my blog as a more grown up space about diy home decor, home styling and interiors. I started this blog because I truly believe anyone can have a beautiful, clutter-free home on any budget and I wanted to share ideas on how to achieve this.
Did you have a clear plan or were you just winging it?
Winging it! I started my first blog by accident. I didn’t even know what a blog was at that time. I told my web developer that I wanted to share come finds and ideas about kids design and he said: ‘you need a blog’. My answer: ‘what’s that?’!
When did you realise your blog might be bigger than you’d anticipated?
There were many moments with my first blog but I’ll talk about my current blog from now on. When I started my current blog I knew a lot more about blogging. But it still didn’t stop me from being surprised when my DIY’s started being featured on huge sites like Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Popsugar and more within a couple of months of starting and then going on to be featured in print magazines. I also went on to win the Britmums BiBs award as well as being shortlisted for Pinterest / London Design Festival awards.
How has blogging changed your life?
In so many ways; too many to list here. I’ve had so many incredible experiences thanks to blogging and the friendships I’ve made are priceless. I’m part of Mothers & Shakers thanks to my blog. I first ‘met’ the incredible Mothers & Shakers team on twitter, long before Mothers & Shakers was even a glint in our eyes. And now we’re teaching various aspects of building an online business through our workshops. I absolutely love teaching and it’s because of my blog that I have this opportunity.
On a personal note, my blog has given me an outlet for my creativity and love for design which in turn has helped others solve so many of their home decor problems as well as grow their own creativity.
What’s the best thing blogging has given you?
Amazing friendships. Friendships that started on social media and developed from there. I have met some amazingly creative women who I’m now proud to call friends.
To this day though, one of the thing that excites me most is hearing from my subsribers and readers who tell me how I’ve changed their lives by sharing a storage diy that they had never thought of or how I inspire them to be more creative each day. These things may not solve world hunger but just knowing you are helping someone in some small way is so, so rewarding.
What do you think is the future of blogging?
Blogging has evolved so much since I first started. I don’t think blogging is dying but I think it will continue to change and evolve. Content marketing is growing according to the numbers and I’ve seen blogs started in the last year or two that have made big impacts. And from my own experience, my blog is growing month on month. So I think now is as good a time to start a blog as any as long as you’re savvy and pay attention to the way your target audience consume information.
If you’re interested in learning more about growing a blog or online business, why not come to our next workshop – The Magic of Email (How to grow and make money from your email list). The workshop will be on 20th November in London.
Uju says
Aww I love this interview Nomita! Blogging is definitely life-changing and I love that your readers talk about how your DIYs have impacted them so powerfully. That’s the heart of it – you don’t have to be out there solving major world crises to make a real difference in someone’s world. Your blog is absolutely gorgeous and it’s made me feel very proud to see it go from strength to strength over the years. Of course I’m also thrilled to work alongside you with Mothers and Shakers, helping other blogs and businesses build their dreams. Here’s to a fantastic future as bloggers, creators and change-makers 🙂 x