We were lucky to catch up with Zia Domic recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I started my blog as a creative outlet after my son started kindergarten – my path as an actor became increasingly frustrating as the mother of a young child and the industry itself. I have always loved fashion so putting outfits together as well as being in front of the camera came easily to me

Zia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always had a deep passion for fashion and using my style as a way of self expression. When I was a kid I just wanted to wear jeans and sneakers to be like my older brother, when I was in high school I wanted to dress “different” in a way that showed I wasn’t the same as everyone else – even in college I had a teacher ask me why I was always dressed up. Style is such an integral part of who I am so I decided to start a blog to document my outfits and hopefully inspire others to think outside their style box. Its such a huge compliment to me when I get a message from a reader saying “I would never have thought to put such and such together but I gave it a try and loved it!” I don’t want to tell people how to dress but I do like to inspire.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

When I try to explain what I do to people who don’t really spend time on social media – like my dad for example – the whole thing really does sound absurd “I take pictures of myself wearing outfits I put together and post them for people to see” I still get asked “so you’re a fashion designer?” No – “so you’re a model” no not really! Its a bizarre concept but Im so grateful for it and all the opportunities it has given me.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

When I first started blogging Instagram wasn’t big yet, I considered myself a purist and really didn’t want to stray from the blog and post on IG, FB, Twitter etc which turned out to be a mistake. It took me about a year in before I jumped on social media which I think ultimately set me back from growing as quickly as I could have.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thehuntercollector.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zia.domic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntercollectorblog
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zia-domic-8940aa8/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZiaDomic
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/ZIADOMIC
• Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@ziadomic

Image Credits
Silas Brandon Max Aria Photography