The Liebster Award

Petrel41 of Dear Kitty.Some blog has kindly nominated Wild Sensibility for the Liebster Award. I appreciate the nod! One delightful discovery, upon beginning to blog on the WordPress platform a few months ago, is the diverse, welcoming and supportive blogging community here.

I admit, though, upon receiving Dear Kitty’s email notice, the recovering attorney in me did some quick research on the Leibster Award. What I learned, courtesy of The Global Aussie blog:

The Liebster Award is an award that exists only on the internet and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

The award is a way to be discovered but also to connect and support the blogging community. A great idea in promoting your own blog and others. Originally it was given out to blogs with less than 2000 readers but this has slowly lowed as the reward has gained popularity. It is now only 200 readers or less. It’s really an arbitrary number. If you like helping other blogs out go ahead and do it regardless of its size.

The rules of the Liebster Award are (loosely):

1. Acknowledge the blog which nominated you.
2. Answer the questions your nominator asked.
3. Nominate two to six other bloggers who might appreciate the boost.
4. Ask them several unique questions.
5. Let them know you have nominated them.

The format has morphed a bit since the award started in 2011, mostly in the number of questions asked (e.g. from the original five to the 11 asked of me here), and the number of other blogs nominated. It’s all good!

Here are Dear Kitty’s questions, with my answers:

1. How do you structure your days? With healthy doses of unstructured, outdoors time.

2. Where and how do you work best? My most creative ideas come when I’m running trails in the forest. The trick is remembering them after I’m home, showered, and sitting at the computer.

3. What’s the best advice you ever received? Writing is a muscle. Flex it regularly.

4. Who are your biggest influences? Who do you admire most? My late father. Those who live with compassion and integrity.

5. Who or what inspired you to do what you’re doing now? I was motivated by a desire to record and share the stories of my father and his colleagues before they died. That led to writing classes and eventually – ten years later – my first book, Growing Up Boeing.

6. What is still your biggest challenge? Self-doubt.

7. What are your favorite books or movies? Anything by Jane Austen.

8. What surprising lessons have you learned along the way? There really is such a thing as writer’s flow, also known as the zone. It’s amazing when it happens.

9. What do you find are your biggest stumbling blocks and what are the best ways you’ve found to overcome them? Finding the right tools, for writing, editing photos, and publishing. Learning curves can be steep (says this 62-year-old) but the effort pays off in efficiency and end product.

10. What’s next for you? I may give fiction a go via NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this November, maybe write my own romantic happily-ever-after…?

11. How do you want to be remembered? As a life-long advocate for the vulnerable without a voice: children, the elderly, animals.

Check them out!

River’s World

Rebecca Gibson

Tiny Ticky Tacky

Ramblings with Ranger

Lawyer’s Road Review

Blue Green Gold Grey

Dreams and Adventures at Cosy Cottage

My questions for these bloggers:

1. What typically is the closest object on your right when you’re writing (not including a computer mouse)?

2. What one-sentence bit of advice would you give to your 13-year-old self?

3. Describe your ideal writing space and place (assuming money isn’t an issue).

4. What is your most frequent photographic subject?

5. Favorite quote?

6. What does blogging (writing, and reading) add to your life?

7. If you could choose to be any animal for a 24-hour period, which would you be and why?

8. Do you have other creative outlets besides writing?