Tuesday
May252010
Blogging Story: Kai Chic
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 05:08PM
This blogging story comes to us from Kai Chic of Mane and Chic. Kai is also a 2009 Black Weblog Award Winner for Best Style and Fashion Blog (Popular Vote) and Blog to Watch (Popular Vote).
In 2007, I decided to stop getting relaxers. With very little resources available to me, I thought it would be a good idea to document my journey from relaxed to natural. I quickly learned to separate the myths from reality where going natural was concerned. So many told me my hair would fall out if I stopped getting relaxers or that I would have to chop off all of my hair to be natural. Something in me didn't want to believe that. Something in me knew that wasn't true. Thus began the journey of Mane and Chic.
Mane and Chic was born out of my own thirst for knowledge and inspiration. So much we see in the mass media is the cliché standard of beauty. You rarely ever see women with naturally curly to kinky highly textured hair being celebrated. I thought if more women saw other women that were fly and natural, that they would be inspired. I wanted to show a different type of natural that many women have never seen before: a neo-natural, product-conscious, fly, sexy, fashion-forward woman that breaks the mold for all the stereotypes about natural women. I wanted Mane and Chic to be a place where curly, natural, kinky and highly textured would be adored. My first thought was what I wanted, what I needed, to see and I was just humbled to know that thousands of other women were yearning for this too. My mission became obvious: make Mane and Chic an inspirational, informative, entertaining lifestyle blog for stylish women with highly textured hair.
I love what Mane and Chic has become, including being a 2009 Black Weblog Award winner under the categories of 'Blog to Watch' and 'Best Style & Fashion' blog. She is a living breathing being and I haven't done half of what I want to do with her. All the women I have interviewed for Featured Curls/Curls Next Door and my amazing readers inspire me. It is imperative that I stay ahead of the curve and really strive to not give people more of the same. If I notice some other blogger doing something I've already done, it makes me want to go a step further and take Mane and Chic up to the nth level.
Blogging has changed my life. It has given me a discipline and drive like nothing else. There's nothing like working for yourself and being in control of your own destiny. It's cool to know that this is something where I truly get out of it what I put in. My wheels never stop spinning. I'm always thinking of new things, listening to my readers wants and truly trying my best to deliver. I can't see an end in sight. I can't see a day where I stop pushing myself to top what I've already done. Mane and Chic has definitely not reached her zenith yet — watch, you'll see.
How did you begin blogging? Who (or what) influenced or inspired you? What has blogging brought to your life? We want to know! Send your post to staff@blackweblogawards.com in text (500 words or less), audio, or video, and we'll post them on the Black Weblog Awards blog! Visit our Blogging Story post for more information.
In 2007, I decided to stop getting relaxers. With very little resources available to me, I thought it would be a good idea to document my journey from relaxed to natural. I quickly learned to separate the myths from reality where going natural was concerned. So many told me my hair would fall out if I stopped getting relaxers or that I would have to chop off all of my hair to be natural. Something in me didn't want to believe that. Something in me knew that wasn't true. Thus began the journey of Mane and Chic.Mane and Chic was born out of my own thirst for knowledge and inspiration. So much we see in the mass media is the cliché standard of beauty. You rarely ever see women with naturally curly to kinky highly textured hair being celebrated. I thought if more women saw other women that were fly and natural, that they would be inspired. I wanted to show a different type of natural that many women have never seen before: a neo-natural, product-conscious, fly, sexy, fashion-forward woman that breaks the mold for all the stereotypes about natural women. I wanted Mane and Chic to be a place where curly, natural, kinky and highly textured would be adored. My first thought was what I wanted, what I needed, to see and I was just humbled to know that thousands of other women were yearning for this too. My mission became obvious: make Mane and Chic an inspirational, informative, entertaining lifestyle blog for stylish women with highly textured hair.
I love what Mane and Chic has become, including being a 2009 Black Weblog Award winner under the categories of 'Blog to Watch' and 'Best Style & Fashion' blog. She is a living breathing being and I haven't done half of what I want to do with her. All the women I have interviewed for Featured Curls/Curls Next Door and my amazing readers inspire me. It is imperative that I stay ahead of the curve and really strive to not give people more of the same. If I notice some other blogger doing something I've already done, it makes me want to go a step further and take Mane and Chic up to the nth level.
Blogging has changed my life. It has given me a discipline and drive like nothing else. There's nothing like working for yourself and being in control of your own destiny. It's cool to know that this is something where I truly get out of it what I put in. My wheels never stop spinning. I'm always thinking of new things, listening to my readers wants and truly trying my best to deliver. I can't see an end in sight. I can't see a day where I stop pushing myself to top what I've already done. Mane and Chic has definitely not reached her zenith yet — watch, you'll see.
How did you begin blogging? Who (or what) influenced or inspired you? What has blogging brought to your life? We want to know! Send your post to staff@blackweblogawards.com in text (500 words or less), audio, or video, and we'll post them on the Black Weblog Awards blog! Visit our Blogging Story post for more information.
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