Introducing Jenny From Sunny Sweet Pea
I'm super excited for today's interview. I've been following Jenny's wonderful blog for a long time so I couldn't wait to get to know more about the lady behind Sunny Sweet Pea.
Tell us about yourself JENNY?
Hi, I'm Jenny, recently turned 30 (I've got over it now) and live in lovely rural Norfolk with my other half Ben and our Springer Spaniel Pip. I blog over at Sunny Sweet Pea and also have a book focussed YouTube channel if that's more your thing.
What got you into blogging?
It was many years ago when I decided to give blogging a go, 2008 in fact! I was unemployed and lacking direction. My days were spent applying for jobs, reading books and perusing the internet. I stumbled across a blog written by a Swedish girl living in China. I was enthralled and spent hours reading through her posts.
I decided to start my own, which was a lost less exciting. I wrote about my experiences hunting for a job in the charity sector. Thing is, once I got a job I had nothing left to say. That's when Sunny Sweet Pea was born and I've been writing on this blog since 2009. It started off incredibly book focused, mainly reviews and I vaguely remember writing a post about Norwich library and their fancy-dancy self-check out machines - what can I say I'm from a very small town in South Wales. I then started to blog more about my everyday life and I guess I fell into the 'lifestyle' category, I'm not sure the term 'lifestyle blogger' even existed when I started. On Sunny Sweet Pea, you'll find a mix of posts about my everyday life, travel, reading and creative writing.
Apart from running Sunny Sweet Pea, what do you get up to?
Sadly I work full time (I'd sooner be at home working for myself) but I do think my job is worth while. I work for a conservation charity as a fundraising officer. So technically I spend my days writing, but mainly filling in forms asking for lots of money :)
What keeps you inspired when you hit a slump?
My best tip when you have a slump is to just stop for a while. Take your camera out and just take pictures. Make notes in a notebook. Jot things down that inspire you on post it notes. Keep a scrapbook. You'll be amazed where you'll suddenly get inspiration from. I remember writing my 'so you think you're Harry Potter?' ( http://sunnysweetpea.com/2014/10/think-youre-harry-potter.html) Post after going on a course at work.
How do you juggle everything, working, blogging etc?
It can be a struggle. I'm also trying to write a book at the moment so I have to be disciplined with my time. I have set evenings for the gym, writing and blogging. Sounds regimented but it's the only way I can get everything done. I wrote about managing time on my blog just last week.
Some of your Favourite things about blogging?
Blogging is a perfect outlet for being creative, whether that's writing or photography. I've also met some amazing people through blogging, in fact one of my bridesmaids is a girl I met through blogging.
Tell us more about living in Norwich? What are your favourite things to do?
It took me a while to love living here. I'm from South Wales and missed the mountains and greenery, Norfolk is very flat. But now I appreciate the beautiful Norfolk villages and amazing skies and beaches. Norwich is a wonderful city. It has all the high street shops you could want but is also blessed with cobbled lanes and lots of independent and vintage shops. I love Norwich and can't imagine living anywhere also now.
How do you keep writers block at bay? & your best tips for getting into creative writing?
My tips for stopping writers block are much the same as bloggers block. Just stop and get back to doing the things that inspire you in the first place. Get outdoors in nature, take a long walk armed with your camera and notebook and just snap things that you love. There are all sorts of things you can do to inject a bit of creativity in your writing and I've just started a newsletter where I share lots of ideas on just this subject [read post here].
My top tip though is to start a notebook. I write everything that piques my interest down in mine. From something someone has said to me, things I've seen on TV to snippets of a conversation I've overheard. Write it all down.
A FEW OF YOUR CURRENT FAVOURITES?
Although I don't blog about beauty I do like my skincare and make up. My current favourite purchase is the Smashbox Full Exposure waterproof mascara. Sadly I am one of those people who wears mascara to the gym and this stuff is amazing.
I love joules clothes and spend far too much money there and I'm into vintage jewellery. All the jewellery o wear is vintage except my engagement ring which Ben did buy new but asked for a vintage style, bless him.
FAVOURITE BLOGS OF THE MOMENT?
I'm very much into bloggers who write with a bit of flare and creativity. I love Style the Natives, Life Outside London and The Salty Sea blog
What is to come on Sunny Sweet Pea in the future?
I've switched focus on my blog a bit lately. I've told myself that I don't need to blog everyday or 3 times a week for the sake of it. Now I post when I really have something I want to say and when I have the time to write a really thoughtful post. This means I get to practice my writing and I'm blogging stuff that's useful and enjoyable for my readers. I'm also spending a lot of time on my newsletter.
You can keep up to date with Jenny on:
