A Note on Authenticity and Credibility

Real Life: Eating Sheep Milk Yogurt With A Gluten Free Chocolate Biscotti as a spoon on a Whidbey Island Beach

So here's the deal, I'm fortunate enough to not depend on this site for income. I have a full time job which pays the bills including those to keep this site going and improving. That being said I have bigger dreams.

Much bigger dreams.

If you've been around awhile, you may have read about the beginnings of them here.

Last week I made three changes to begin supporting those dreams including adding a Media & PR page, creating a media kit, and adjusting the wording on my Work With Me page to accept select sponsors. 

As I was building the media kit, I spent a lot of time thinking about what defines me as an online content creator and the publisher of a blog/website. Two words kept repeating in my head; authenticity and credibility. 

As defined by Merriam-Websters;

Authentic: true to one's own personality, spirit, or character

Credible: offering reasonable grounds for being believed

Since the inception of this site in 2010, with the exception of the rare guest post and official event photos, there are a number of editorial practices I've consciously maintained to keep this space both authentic and credible. 

• I've never posted about anything I haven't experienced personally.
• With the exceptions noted above, all content is original. I write, photograph, design the website, create the products, create the custom artwork, and shoot and edit video. My husband also contributes to the site content with his photography and videography skills.
• I don't oversaturate, filter, or spend more than a minute on any of my photos posted on this website in post production to the point where they look like something out of a dream or a hipster magazine. 
• I don't present any of the content here in a manner inconsistent with my real life. There's no prop shelf in my home or red umbrella used specifically for shooting beautiful scenic shots. 

Now, I'm not trying to rag on other bloggers who do any of these things on their sites. I regularly read and enjoy a number of wonderful blogs creating beautiful content with props for food photography and filtered photo essays of amazing places.

But that's just not me. 

My adventures shared on this site, both at home and on the road, are just as I've seen and experienced them.

It's my mission here to incite wanderlust with the REALITY of beautiful places and experiences.

So here's my promise to you, lovely readers;

First, those editorial practices I've outlined above will not be changing. 

Second, I'll never accept a sponsorship from a blog, brand, or business that I haven't personally had a positive experience with. And if I never end up with a single sponsorship...I've got a song for that (and yes, I used this version on purpose since it's the one I love - authenticity all the way people). 

While I'm hopeful these changes I've made will be steps towards fulfilling those bigger dreams - I will always remain authentic and maintain my credibility with you by sharing my own personal experiences and keeping true to my own spirit.