We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Felicia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Felicia, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

If I could go back, I would have started blogging about home decor more than ten years ago when initially the idea. I was too afraid to share myself because I was afraid of unkind comments. I’ve been into interior design my entire life, and even started college in that direction before I switched majors. I believe that starting home blogging earlier would have provided me a great release from the stresses of life – something to pour some creative energy into. Also, starting earlier would have been a fantastic way to see how my style, skillset, and position in life has changed. I believe that my early DIYs could have been super helpful in that time period for young adults like me. But the great thing is whenever you’re moved to start something, you’ve just got to start. I got the push I needed ten years after the initial idea popped up in my head and embraced it.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I just want people who didn’t think they could create something cool to actually believe they can, especially people who feel left of center. Be affirmed that you can use power tools and decorate colorfully. For so long, I tried finding people who looked like me or had similar tastes (and budgets) and often fell short. Thankfully, we have more people doing this and I’m glad to be another member in this community.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When it comes to social media, its effectiveness all lies within the individual conversations that you hold. Say thank you to those who take time to support and comment. Ask people questions and hold a genuine interest in learning about them. I’m not talking just from a holistic “know your audience” perspective; I’m talking about the specific person who sent you a particular joke or trusted you with a question. When you invest in folks when you’re starting, they are happy to reciprocate. But it’s got to come from a real place, not driving solely from the desire to have a lot of followers.

Show failures. Share how you take a positive spin on crappy moments. Most importantly, share your boundaries. I have an “About Me” section on my Instagram and share it every few months so that my followers know my values and what I stand for. I let them know that they are free to unfollow at any time for any reason and that no announcement is necessary. Don’t get caught up on numbers if what you’re doing feels good for you!

Contact Info:

• Website: hellohomegirl.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hello_home_girl/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/hellohomegirl/

Image Credits
Photos by Felicia of Hello Home, Girl!