Trish Monaco Interview

Its time for another interview at Rate My Blog and we thought it was about time we interviewed a female blogger. With so many great blogs to choose from it was hard to know where to start, but there was one blog that met our criteria and stood out from the crowd - Trish Monaco and her blog Journey-2-Peace.

The charming, lovely and talented Trish Monaco kindly agreed to take part in the third interview here at Rate My Blog. Trish is a girl with many talents - blogger, singer, songwriter and dog walker! Give your senses a treat and download one of her tracks to listen to while you read her blog!

And dont forget to read our guide on how to review a blog and then let us know what you think of Trish Monacos blog Journey-2-peace by writing a blog review.

RMB - Could you describe yourself and your blog?
Trish - I walk dogs for a living. Write and sing music to live. Everything else I do to enjoy life. My blog is an extension of me. Personal. True. Funny. Painful. It's a way for me to work it all out, allowing others to relate - or not. Either way, it's my voice in one tiny corner of the world.

RMB - How did you get into blogging and why?
Trish -Connecting through the written word has always been a passion. In September 2003, AOL Journals were introduced. There were a handful of quality journals already established (the original beta testers). The platform was easier than sending an email. I started my journal there and haven't stopped online journaling/blogging since.

RMB - People blog for many reasons, fun fame or fortune, what are your reasons for blogging?
Trish -My reasons for blogging have always been to express experiences through the written word - eventually including photography and music. To connect with like-hearted folks. To share information I find interesting and worthwhile.

RMB - It's obvious from your blog that you are passoniate about music, have you always had this passion or did it develop recently?
Trish -Music has always been a passion. I've been singing on stages since I was 9. Playing guitar since 12. Writing music as long as I can remember.

RMB - How would you describe the style of your music?
Trish -Acoustic. Folk. Rock. Alternative. Honest. Real. True.

RMB - Do you think your blogging style and music style are the same?
Trish -Ooh, good question. Never thought of it. Now that you ask, I do think both writing styles are similar. I write from the heart. I speak my truth.

RMB - Blogging can be very time consuming, how do you split your time between blogging and other activities?
Trish -It's not always easy. Mornings and/or evenings are dedicated to blogging. It really depends on the day and how prolific I feel.

RMB - What else do you enjoy other than blogging and music?
Trish -riding bikes at the beach. non-fat vanilla lattes. movies. therapy. screenwriting. yoga. quality television. being with friends. nintendo ds. studying my favorite subject-of-the-month. always learning.

RMB - You've been writing your blog for a number of years, has it changed much in that time?
Trish -It changed drastically when AOL put banner ads atop my original online journal ( http://journals.aol.com/freeepeace/LivingroomSuperstar/) without warning and without my permission.

The journals community was two years strong and tight because of its bloggers. Many of us felt betrayed by AOL by their blatant disregard for our creations. Remember, this was a paid service. We did not approve of the random advertisements flashing above the title of our journals. Because of this, many of us abandoned our journals and started up on other platforms. It was devastating. Since the "mass exodus" the community has never felt the same. I miss the people of the community. But I don't miss the platform. I've since canceled my subscription with AOL and still, the banner ads remain on my abandoned journal.

RMB - Whats your vision for the future of your blog?
Trish -Vision? Future? Oh my. I'm not very good at projecting what my day will look like, let alone the success or demise of my blog. I suppose I'd love to find a way to build community again. My interests are all over the board, so it's tough for me to stick to one area and be fully satisfied. I hope to always speak truth in my blog - to continue to be authentic.

RMB - Are you going to be writing any new songs?
Trish -I'm in the midst of a very long dry spell. But I'm always honing my craft. When something worthwhile comes out, I'll let you know. I am sitting on about a hundred songs from years past. They just haven't been recorded...yet.

RMB - Where do you get your inspiration from?
Trish -Life. Past experiences. Present epiphonies.

RMB - Whats your favorite platform for blogging and why?
Trish -I only know two. I use blogger now and it's been great so I guess that's my answer. I can only rate what I know. I have a website too. I want to learn how to integrate the two.

RMB - It's obvious that you are a girl with many talents, other than singing and blogging what else are you good at?
Trish -I have a degree in theater for acting. All my life, I've wanted to be on TV. And when I was on TV, I absolutely loved it. I don't know that I'm "good at" acting, but I enjoy it. I enjoy dealing with people, interpersonal relations. I'm considering a career shift - perhaps in the mental health field. I'll always love acting though.

RMB - How do you deal with unpleasant comments left on your blog?
Trish -Depends on the comment really. Anonymous comments usually get ignored. If someone is bold enough to identify themselves in a comment, I will usually respond with the same respect I receive. I try to see things from all angles. It's difficult. I don't always succeed. But my best is all I can do.

RMB - How do you feel about freedom of speach and blogs, is it a good thing or a bad thing?
Trish -Freedom of speech is always a good thing. It's up to me whether I choose to read, respond or remove myself from the author's blog.

RMB - Would you write a post even if you thought it would upset your readers?
Trish -Yes. I would and I have. If it makes me think and feel, then I owe it to myself to post it. That's what makes it my blog.

RMB - What are your best tips for anyone writing a blog?
Trish -Be honest. Be yourself. Stick with what you know. Don't be afraid to rock the boat a little. If you're looking for feedback, ask. Give feedback (leave comments) in blogs you enjoy. Be active in the community. As far as content, most of us skim. It's a blog-reading truth. Split things up a bit. It's difficult to read one long paragraph. Much easier on the eyes when paragraphs are split into just a few sentences. Even the longest entries are easier to read this way.

RMB - Which blog post are you most proud of and why?
Trish -I'm not sure I would say I'm proud of any. I do get a sense of warmth, satisfaction perhaps, after writing something particularly emotional or difficult. It stems from my desire to be honest in my writing.

There are a few posts that I still really enjoy reading. Mostly because they make me laugh, as I relive some embarrassing or frustrating moments.

The Color of Embarrassment

Find It

RMB - Other than your own, whats your favorite blog?

Trish -Not fair. I have too many to list. I don't even have them rolling on my sidebar.
How about a love shout to some of my long-term blogging-buddies!

Gigi http://lotusmartinis.blogspot.com/index.html
Robbie http://robbiesruminations.blogspot.com/index.html
Mary http://contrarywoman.blogspot.com/index.html
Steven http://sepintx.blogspot.com/index.html

RMB - Do you think that blogs can influence the world in the same way as mainstream media?
Trish -Do you mean to imply that blogs are not part of mainstream media? Personally, blogs have influenced me more than any other medium. I'd much rather read about a peer's feelings, opinions, relations, thoughts, ideas and experiences than watch the news or read a magazine. Nothing compares to the blog-form of entertainment.

RMB - Would you use your blog to try and change the world? If so what would you want to change?
Trish -Never considered changing the world but it has certainly changed my world. Perhaps that's a start. If my blog *could* change the world, I suppose I would encourage people to look inside themselves for the change they desire. The way to change is to be the change.