Ten Questions with Anne Marie of Bidule & Compagnie

1. Describe your blog in five sentences or less.
5?!! That’s really short to tell you what my blog is all about. First, it’s fun. I’m a French Canadian, graphic designer, illustrator and stay at home mom (for now!)… Since it’s very visual, anyone can visit and enjoy going through my blog, viewing photos and illustrations. I started it to give myself a goal of bringing art into my new mom’s life, share it with others and maybe even sell some pieces if people thing it’s good enough (and guess what? it’s working!) I’m having a really good time with it and that’s the most important thing to me. Come and see, I’m trying to put more bilingual posts in there now, so you guys can comment and even participate in that fun environment. Ok, is that 5 sentences now? ;)

2. Link us to one post from your blog that best defines who you are.
Hmm, let’s see… That’s tough we’ll play a little visual game here, because a lot of the posts are in french, you will have a better idea if I give you a few to look at. Yes, I know, I’m cheating already!

For a few Wednesdays before that post, I was asking my visitors to create a story inspired by my pictures. So every comment had to continue the story in some way. It could be bizarre, fun, scary… As long as people were using their imagination, it didn’t matter if it made sense or not. That week, for that post, I went out on a picture hunt and found that old house about to be remove. I called it, Before destruction, life. See why, right here.

I’m now also part of Illustration Friday, here’s the kind of thing I do.

And what better to define myself, but to show you a bit of what I do during the summer with my family!

3. What sets you apart from other bloggers?
I’m bilingual and post both in English and French to attract more visitors, I always have something to say and I do it with writings, illustrations and photographs. I always try to bring my blog to people in offering interesting visual posts. What you see is what you get. I’m no BS. (wow, did I just write that?!)

4. When and how did you first discover blogging?
Last year I started reading some and kept thinking I had things to say. I kept reading others and couldn’t find what I could offer, so I decided to start February 2007 and I’m having a blast since!

5. What is your biggest pet peeve related to blogging or the internet?
Ok, I’m a French girl (that means “let me check out what that means in my dictionary!”)… Oh, right… Pet peeve! Well, I find it frustrating when I write about something and get totally misinterpreted. It happened at the beginning. I guess it’s the game and I learned to let it go. I can’t explain in a post every little detail of an opinion I have it would be endless! (a bit like my answers here, eh?)

6. Name one plugin, blogging widget, or service that you can’t live without.
http://www.histats.com for my daily stats… I love to know how many visits I have. And Google Analytics to get details to improve my blog according to what’s working or not.

7. If you could choose anyone, living or dead, to write a guest post for your blog,who would it be and why?
Pablo Picasso. He had that amazing capability of defining art in a new way. Breaking boundaries, having no fear of being different. I’d love a post in which he would tell us about imagination, inspiration and his thoughts on art today. And why not, his thoughts on technology too.

8. How has blogging made you a better person?
I’m more organized in my time at home. Having my son to look after and all the daily shores, I also gave myself some time to paint, write and blog!

9. What are your tips for becoming a better blogger?
Be patient, adapt to you visitors without loosing who you really are. Stay true to yourself because if you don’t, people will notice and it’ll be harder to keep up whith someone you’re not. And most importantly… HAVE FUN!

10. Name one great blog that you read on a regular basis. What makes it unique?
I see a lot of art blogs, but my favorite is mike r baker with his Knack for Art.

Categories: Art & Music, Personal, Ten Questions