Meet Paula – Blogger at thirteen thoughts and Photography Pro

In the blogger interviews series of the blog I share the stories of my favorite bloggers out there. Today blogging it’s become a real and well established career in the fashion and beauty industry so it’s always really inspiring to see how bloggers are managing their blogs and how their lives are like when being your own boss.

Today let me introduce to you Paula, blogger at Thirteen Thoughts. I’ve discovered Paula thanks to her amazing flatlay photos that she shares on her blog, Instagram page and Pinterest account. I really love her minimal and professional style and you’ll appreciate her much more when you’ll find out that her stunning photography doesn’t come from a specialist course, she’s a self-taught!

I interviewed her

Giada : Tell us a bit about yourself and your blog.

Paula : Thank you so much for having me! 🙂  Paula, 28 years old and I run a lifestyle blog at ThirteenThoughts.com. My blog started as a beauty blog, but over time I found a  huge passion for things like photography and self-growth. As I grew, my blog has grown with me, and now some of my favorite things to write about are self-love, self-care, blogging and photography.

G: How do you plan all the content of your blog?

P: I always make sure to never run out of ideas and carry a small notebook with me- you never know when the inspiration is going to come! I think this is one of the most important things when it comes to planning out content.

G: You started your blog during a really delicate phase of your life, how the blog has helped you?

Blogging has changed everything for me, especially in terms of my mental well-being.  Having suffered from both depression and anxiety, I was very lost, didn’t have any hobbies. I never realized how much I’d enjoy things like photography or writing. Once I opened up about some of my struggles, I realized that there are a lot of other women & girls with similar issues, such as struggling with self-love, dealing with stress or overwhelm. I think that one of the best things about running a blog is the connections you make and the people you meet. I truly believe that I have the best readers in the world, I love connecting with them, and just knowing that someone finds my content helpful or relatable makes me feel incredible and leaves me feeling like perhaps, I am making a bit of a difference. I always tell my readers to not be afraid to “spread your sparkle” and I think that blogging has helped me realize that I too, have something to share with others.

G: It’s really amazing that a blog can help with these kind of problems! Having a large amount of readers is not only about making money or having the most famous blog in the world. It’s also and most of all support from every part of the world. It’s such a hug thing, I’m so happy that blogging is also this, it’s not easy to read stories like this. Today most of the people starts a blog to become famous and work with brands. Let’s continue with the interview.  Your photos are really great! What camera, lens and tools do you use?

P: Thank you! I use a Canon EOS 70D and my two favorite lenses are 50mm f/1.4 and 40 mm f 2.8. A reflector is another must for me.

G : Yes, I must admit you that I bought a reflector after that I read one of your photography post 😀  Do you recommend any online photography course?

P: I’m self-taught, so I haven’t taken any online courses, but I do share a lot of tips for   beginners on my blog, my Photography Tips for Bloggers is one of my most popular photography posts and a great place to start, if you’re a beginner.

G: You have a really high amount of followers on Pinterest! Congratulations Paula! What are your tips about using it to grow the traffic of a blog? Do you use any scheduling tool?

P: Thank you SO much! There are few things that are key to Pinterest success; automation (I use Tailwind to schedule my pins), using keywords in your pin descriptions, and pinning content related to your niche. Having a large number of followers isn’t very helpful if your Pinterest audience isn’t interested in the content you publish on your blog, so you have to make sure to attract the right followers.

G: What are your tips for all the bloggers out there about collaborating with brands?

Don’t undervalue yourself and always stay true to yourself. As bloggers, we often use expensive equipment, software, and we put a lot of work into our content- so you have to value your hard work. I also recommend only collaborating with brands you yourself like,  would love to support and which are relevant to your blog and the content you create.

G: You typical daily routine.

P: Most of my days start very early. I love writing early in the morning, while it’s still dark and very quiet. I always take time to practice some gratitude first thing in the morning, journal and start my day on a mindful note. From then on, I usually start with answering emails, blog comments and move on to creating/planning out my content. At night, I make sure to take time to unwind, maybe do some “brain dumping” if I’m feeling anxious and do some meditating. I also love to indulge in a multi-step skincare routine at night, as I find that it helps me relax. I like to take the time to sort of shut my brain down, and let my body know it’s time for bed. It can make a huge difference if you find yourself feeling anxious at bedtime.

G: Your favorite beauty products of the moment.

Ahhh, there are so many! If I were to pick just one it’d have to be Lierac Hydragenist Deep Plumping Mask.

G: Thank you so much Paula fro answering all my questions and for your time. I’m really inspired by your story and I love what you do. Wish you the best, keep going like this!

You can find her on her blog, Instagram and Pinterest