Blogger Spotlight: Myca Alyssa of Alyssanity

Herbert Kikoy

On this week’s episode of the Blogger Spotlight, Drift Stories is proud to have someone with a very sophisticated set of talent. According to her, she is a serious type person with a strong work ethic, she is not inclined to self-indulgence. She also believes in being meticulous and thrifty and she work well alone.

Ladies and gents, let’s give it up for the girl who’s into a constant struggle in search for sanity, Alyssa Panghulan of the eye-popping and jaw-dropping blog, Alyssanity

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU GOT INTO BLOGGING?

Alyssa: Hi, My name is Myca Alyssa but I prefer to be called Alyssa. Or just “lay” for short. I tend to be quiet and reserved. I like books, blogging, photography, and art. I generally prefer interacting with a few close friends rather than a wide circle of acquaintances. My shyness with strangers can lead others to misread me as standoff-ish.

I’m a bit of bookish, but I’m not a bookworm. I tend to be really artsy most of the time, so most of my blog posts would most definitely showcase DIY (experiments) and / or crafts I’ve learned from Pinterest or from other crafty bloggers (as of the moment I’ve got none so far as I just recently moved to WordPress). I can be really sentimental at times and I think that helps keep the genuinity of my blog. I like taking pictures, although it’s obvious that I’m no pro. My hobbies include digital drawing, and fiddling with my blog’s HTML and CSS codes to make my blog pretty and add a personal touch to the blog design. I don’t do Java it makes me go cray cray. I like doing things spontaneously, because of the thrill that comes with it. I blog not really to generate money through ads and sponsored posts, but to express myself (Cliché, I know) and of course, for keepsake.

How I got into blogging… Hmm. I actually found out about blogging when I was stalking my girl crush back in college and saw that she has a Tumblr account (sorry, I sound like a weird creep). I then created my own Tumblr, and started off as a reblog blog. Until I started fiddling around with photoshop and other art softwares, and found out I actually liked digital drawing. That’s when I started uploading my art on my reblog blog, and then bam! I never thought some of my art would go viral on Tumblr. From then on, I’ve gained a decent amount of following from the cool Tumblr people, and that’s when I realized I should start blogging about my art, and bits and pieces of my life. And then out of curiosity, it kind of just stuck. Now it’s a part of me.

WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA OF YOUR BLOG’S NAME?

Alyssa: To be quite honest, the name Alyssanity wasn’t originally my idea. When I decided to move to WordPress for a more “legit” feel and take on blogging, I brainstormed with a close friend about a possible new URL. We came up with a lot of crazy names for my blog, until she mentioned about Alyssanity, which caught my attention because it was somehow a union of my name and the word sanity… I immediately loved it! Hence, Alyssanity — Alyssa’s struggle for Sanity was born”.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BLOGGING?

Alyssa: I started blogging out of curiosity, until it became a hobby. I blog for myself, for keepsake. And I’ve got to say that’s what I love most about it. That I could have my own place on the cyberworld where I can document anything about my life, my passions, things that interests me, and that I wouldn’t have to worry about what people would think of me because my blog is who I am and there’s nothing people could do about it. I also love the fact that through my blog, I could share my experiences to the world and hopefully some people out there would find it interesting and maybe inspire them to do the same.

WHAT IS THE NICHE OF YOUR BLOG AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE IT?

Alyssa: It’s basically a Lifestyle, DIY & Crafts, with personal updates in between all in one blog. I guess I’d say I chose this because through sharing my wee knowledge about lifestyle, DIY and crafts, I’m also sharing a part of me that’s interested in these kinds of things. Basically, lifestyle and DIY are what interests me.

ARE YOU MONETIZING YOUR BLOG? HOW DO YOU MONETIZE YOUR BLOG’S TRAFFIC?

Alyssa: I actually do, and it’s not even intentional. I got my first monetization when I signed up for Adsense and coincidentally, that was the time when some of my art went viral on Tumblr. I got a decent amount of money from that. I guess I’m also fortunate enough that people likes the way I do my art and even asks me to collaborate or do something for them. So yea, most are from sponsorships, collaborations, and clients.

TOP 5 SITES YOU VISIT (ALMOST) EVERYDAY

Alyssanity.com (of course, my blog has to be the first in the list! Haha!)
Gmail
Facebook
Wild-spirit.net
YouTube

TOOLS YOU USE WITH YOUR BLOGGING

WordPress
My iPhone 5S for the noob photographs on my blog
VSCO
Laptop
Paint.net/Paint Tool SAI

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR BLOG POSTS?

Alyssa: Mostly from my favorite bloggers, and from my friends’ blogs. I also randomly have blog ideas from my experiences, from books, from MAGAZINES! Basically, I find inspiration from… anything, everywhere. Especially when my mind’s running wild… oh and yea, have I mentioned from my 3am thoughts.

BESIDES BLOGGING, WHAT OTHER INTERESTS DO YOU HAVE?

Alyssa: I love, love designing! That’s why if you noticed, I usually try to have my own “design” on my blog. I want it to be unique and distinctive from all of my other blogs. I love HTML and CSS! I wish they loved me back, though. I used to fiddle around with my Tumblr’s HTML codes and actually taught myself the basics. Tumblr’s just heaven sent because that’s where everything started. And lastly, I like digital drawing, it’s my way of destressing.

GIVE US 5 OF YOUR BEST BLOG POSTS

HOW WAS YOUR BLOGGING SO FAR? HAVE YOU RECEIVED AWARDS AND RECOGNITION SINCE YOU STARTED?

Alyssa: I think one of the highlights of my blogging career so far is that I got to upgrade through shifting blogging platforms from Tumblr to WordPress, considering WordPress has a lot more to offer while Tumblr, aside from being a very helpful platform to help me gain readers, has its limitations. Also, I’ve met a lot of people in the blogosphere that helped a lot in molding me as an individual and a blogger. I’ve met various kinds of clients who believed in my capabilities and skills when it comes to my ‘wee’ digital design/drawing and writing skills. And what’s more important for me is that I’ve made friends through these people. My blog is basically just a baby blog (almost 6 months old) but I’m very honored to be nominated in the Bloggys 2015 – Philippine blogging awards under the Lifestyle & Hobbies category. Alyssanity was also chosen as one of the finalist of this year’s 8th Best Cebu Blog Awards under the Photo Blog category. I’ve never thought my baby blog would have such achievements in just six months time.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO JUST STARTED BLOGGING

Alyssa: Blog for yourself! Blog about things you’re interested in and you’ll meet a lot of people who share the same interests as you. Just be yourself and ther rest will follow. Lastly, as much as I would want to break with the cliche, I won’t… so blog to express, not to impress!

LASTLY, WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR BLOG IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?

Alyssa: I see my blog still having its place in the cyberworld, staying strong after five years. Hopefully, my blog’s fully established when the time comes, and that my loyal readers would still stick with me as my blog, and the blogger behind it grows and with potential. Through thick and thin, guys?

MY FAVORITES