Aurora of Nekocherry

Sticking with the last post's topic Art & Illustration, please meet Sardinian designer Aurora. On her blog Nekocherry, she doesn't only demonstrate her graphic skills and creative ideas, but also lets us in on a career in the making. 

Follow the jump below to find out what 'neko' means in Japanese and why it isn't always bad to find out that someone is spying on you...




What's your name, how old are you, and what do you do for a living (or all day, for that matter)?

My name is Aurora and I am 28 years old. I'm a freelance illustrator, who's worked as a journalist in Italy before. I am currently training to be an art therapist and am a shop assistant part time.

How long have you been blogging? How did you get around to blogging?

I've been blogging since around three years. I used to have another blog that I closed last year so I would be able to dedicate myself only to my art blog Nekocherry. I've been blogging since I've had the Internet at home.

What's your blog called and why?

My blog is called Nekocherry.Blogspot.com. Nekocherry is the name of my brand: I do illustrations, comics, hand painted t-shirts and bags, amongst other things. I called it that because 'neko' means 'cat' in Japanese. I love cats. ;)

What are you blogging about? Why?

Illustration, art, my life, and comics.

Who's your target audience?

My target audience are young adults that love art and crafts.

Who designed your blog? How much was that? In case you designed your own layout: Where did you learn how to?

I designed it myself. I have some graphic design knowledge and the rest was plenty of trial and error. Whenever I have good ideas, I like to change the layout, too.

Which software and which host do you use? Can you recommend them?

Blogger is pretty easy and user friendly. I've always used Blogger.

What role play photos, MP3-files or video clips on your blog? If you use them, would you mind showing us one?

I like to use photos only, I'm not a big fan of other stuff on blogs. Less is more. :)

How many readers do you have? How many would you like to have? Does their number matter to you at all?

At the moment I have 22 official readers, but I'm not sure about other people who haven't signed up. I like it when people become official followers, it's pretty flattering. I don't care about their number, though.

Can you learn how to blog? Do you need to know a lot about computers? Do you have any advice for beginners?

I don't know whether there's a right way to blog. Just write and post about you and what you are interested in. And no, you don't have to know much about computers... There are easy to use platforms like Blogger that allow you to create a cool blog in no time. Personally, I don't like to write that much in my posts, I prefer to post photos. My best advice: Be easy, be yourself, have fun.

Have you made negative experiences with blogging, too? What kind?

Mmmmh.... When I still had my more personal blog, I realized that some people were spying on me. That wasn't a negative experience, though: It taught me that I don't like it when everyone knows about my private life. I'm the kind of person that can't share her intimate feelings on a blog.

Do you use twitter, too? Why (not)? What pros and cons do you see when it comes to twitter?

I use twitter in an indirect way. I connected my twitter account to my Facebook profile, so when I post something on Facebook, it appears on twitter as well. Thank goodness I'm not addicted to twitter: I would certainly spend too much time on the Net!

Which other female bloggers can you recommend? Why?

Oh wow. Some of my favorite illustrators, artists and crafters are

http://ohioja.blogspot.com/

http://minabraun.blogspot.com/

http://zizicollective.blogspot.com/

http://dilavorochefai.blogspot.com/

http://emusing-emma.blogspot.com/

Other than that I have a cool long link list on my blog called 'forest oak'.