Mindanao Bloggers Community

INKBLOTS: Life Unraveled

It is about my advocacies, thoughts, feelings observations, and anything about mundane existence.

Name: Ding Fuellos
Location: City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan

When did you start blogging in earnest? Which blog platform did you use 1st?

I started blogging (officially) in April 2007, but had my blog in 2004, which I unfortunately deleted. I used blogger platform because of its ease in the arrangements of page elements and inclusion of widgets, and other add-ons.

Why do you blog? What/who gave you that 1st push?

I just wanted it to be an extension of my mind and emotions–a repository of my experiences. It is also my dream to publish a book about me and my clan, but that would be too expensive. I also discovered the importance of blogging in issue advocacy. One of them would be on public policy and governance. I have rich experience in handling Mindanao-based projects and I thought of giving some snap-shots of what I did these past years. Blogging gave me that space to sort out and organize the experiences. And I am not far from publishing a book, because I would be coming up with an e-book which I will share with family, friends and colleagues.

My travel back in Benguet gave me the motivation. Baguio and Benguet had been a very special part of my life–where wisdom was built. My first blog entry says it all. It was something spiritual. Henceforth, I would always look at things around me, be more vigilant at issues, observant of people, things and events.

Tell us about this featured blog. Purpose? Target audience?

This blog discusses anything under the sun–from personal to politics. From the philosophical to the more mundane things. In a way, it has become an aggregator of my other blogs which grew out of the need to give emphasis to governance issues as well as my craft in photography, and delineate what is very personal.

Many of my blogs are about Mindanao. I wish to write more about Mindanao though. I still have at least three articles in the pipeline. In a way, this is my contribution to create a space for a better understanding of Mindanao and its peoples.

How many other blogs do you own?

I author 4 blogs now: Inkblots:Life Unraveled (which is the mother blog), Viewpoints (which sprouted from my featured photos in Inkblots), Psyche (which is purely personal/ psychological), and “Views with a Point” which is about public policy and governance, sustainable development, poverty alleviation, economy or anything that is within the sphere of public administration.

What “offline” activities do you do to promote your blog(s)?

I am lucky to have some email groups where I can send updates. I also make use of my Friendster account where I can post bulletins and shout-outs, I ask my family members to open it. I also submit my blogs to aggregators and community blogs for additional publicity.

What/who inspires you to keep on blogging? How come?

I get inspired when I realize people do read my blog and touch their lives. I became more inspired when I won the PBS Wika 2007 Blog Writing contest. Lately, I was featured in Inquirer.Net about my blog action about the Glorietta victims.

It is that sense of accomplishment that you are able to touch other people’s minds and hearts that sustains me. I may be called a blog addict now. It has become part of my daily rut.

Do you currently monetize your blog(s)? How?

I planned to monetize my blog. However, I already called off the idea. I prefer clean-looking blogs. Besides, I speak of politics and governance, which may not augur well for advertisers.

It is the service to the people that counts.

How much money do you usually spend for your blog(s) per month?

If I would count the hours spent, it would cost me a month’s salary (or even more). (About the amount, would you mind if it is a secret? Lols). But definitely, I pay more now for my electric bills, and I have just invested on a new HDD and LCD monitor for my PC. I am lucky, as part of my job and consulting work, to go to places where I can take photos featured in my blog. Otherwise, I would be spending more than what I can earn monthly. My feature about Batanes could cost me P30,000 at least. I am lucky to have stock photos of places in Mindanao so imagine the travel cost just to get authentic photos about Mindanao.

List other blogs that you read on a regular basis.

Of course, Mindanao Bloggers. The rest are in my blog list. I read them at least once or twice a week. But I am an avid fan of Señor Enrique–so informative and at the same time, entertaining. I am following his footsteps, though I am always infusing my personal style.

In about 10 words, convince our readers to subscribe to your blog!

My blogs are pro-development, written by “non-profit blogger”/ “social development blogger”

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