Hey there! Welcome back to the Creative Corner. If you’re joining us for the first time, so glad to see you.
Today we’re chatting with the bubbly Ayishia, a self-proclaimed Charleston native who writes about all things travel on her blog Ayishia Travels.
As a writer, advocate, and travel blogging millennial, Ayishia strives to educate others on the impact travel has on personal growth and why it should be incorporated as a self-care practice.
This talented blogger is also a web designer. Ayishia is on a mission to encourage more women of colour to go out there, travel and see the world.
Read more about Ayishia Travels below…
When and why did you start blogging?
I started blogging last summer (2019). In fact, I just celebrated my 1-year blog-aversary, which is crazy to me still.
I never set out to become a blogger honestly. I felt inspired to create again and knew I wanted to help people so I started a non-profit organization.
I had no clue what I was doing and tried to use strategies that weren’t really applicable.
To help put a face to the brand I switched from See World Save World to Ayisha Travels on Instagram. It didn’t make business sense to represent See World Save World as Ayisha Travels though, so I ended up creating a new website that ultimately turned into the blog it is today.
What are you hoping to achieve with your blog?
- My first priority has always been to encourage more people to incorporate travel into their lives as a means of self-care and a positive mental health practice.
- Once I realized that people made a career out of blogging, my second goal became to create a platform that not only helps people but also allows me to live life on my own terms.
Who is your ideal blog reader?
My target audience consists primarily of Millenials of colour, but I honestly feel like my blog is for everyone.
Mental illness does not discriminate and I strongly believe that travel is therapy. So anyone who wants to laugh, be inspired, and be educated will always be a welcome reader on my platform.
What makes your blog unique?
I’ve been told what makes my blog unique is my ability to infuse so much of my personality into my post.
People have really felt like they know me after reading them and that makes my heart happy. I want people to find my content relatable and helpful but also want everyone to feel like it’s a safe space for dialogue so they can ask all the questions they have but have maybe been afraid to.
What have you been doing to stay positive and healthy during the Coronavirus outbreak/lockdown or has life gone back to normal where you live?
To be honest, my life has been relatively unaffected by Coronavirus.
I’m grateful to say besides the obvious inability to travel nothing really changed for me, which is such a blessing. It’s really heartbreaking to see how so many others were less fortunate.
My day job was already a telework position prior to the virus and grocery pick-up/delivery has been my preference sooo…. I’ve pretty been a self-proclaimed stoop kid for years.
Who are some of your favourite bloggers and why?
I am absolutely OBSESSED with Theblogabroad and TiaTakesTheWorld. If you couldn’t tell by the names, they are also travel bloggers who have been able to create a career and lifestyle around their love of travel.
This is extra incredible when you realize that they happen to be black women thriving in spite of being in an industry that doesn’t represent or appreciate our contributions.
Both of their websites share relevant and helpful travel tips but also include plenty of humor to keep you engaged. They are just goals AF and exactly what I aspire to.
Which skills do you think a blogger needs to be a successful blogger?
Oooooouuuuu this is such a good question.
I think many of the skills that people think you need, you don’t actually need. For instance, you don’t need to be a programmer to launch your site. You don’t need to be an English major to write good content. You definitely don’t need to be a photographer to take good photos.
I think the only real requirement is that you actually have a passion for something.
I’ve literally done none of the things established bloggers say you should do in order to be successful but I’ve managed to do alright so far.
What is your most viewed blog post and why do you think it’s more successful than the others?
I actually have three posts that have done extremely well so trying to pick one is hard. In general, the posts that do the best for me are the ones where I’m telling a story.
The best compliments I’ve ever received have been those that remark on my story-telling ability.
Quarantine has also generated a lot more traffic so my Rona post has also done very well.
If I had to pick just one though, my surfing storytime is probably the winner. Pop Up Guess Who Bih: My First Surfing Experience Story Time
What is the most important thing to do before you hit publish on your blog post and what’s the first thing you do after?
The last thing I always do before publishing is proofread! I’m a bit compulsive about it too.
I will read and re-read my post numerous times over two days because sometimes I just can’t see everything after the first day.
After publishing the first thing I do is promote. I will share my new blog post on FB and IG, then create a bunch of pins for Pinterest. I wish someone would’ve told me earlier how much of a plug Pinterest is.
Lastly, any advice you’d like to give to new bloggers and anyone thinking of starting a blog?
The best advice I can give to anyone still on the fence is to JUST START!
If you would’ve told me a year ago that I would have gotten to meet so many incredible humans and partner with major brands, I legit would’ve laughed my you know what off.
I literally had no idea what I was doing (and still don’t sometimes) but you will be surprised how far momentum will get you. I started with a completely different vision for myself but ended up exactly where I needed to be surpassing even my own expectations.
Be brave enough to start and watch how things take off from there.
What a pleasure it’s been chatting with Ayishia, big thanks to her for doing this interview and joining us today.
To see more from Ayishia please go to her page, Ayishia Travels, and subscribe to enjoy awesome, fresh travel-related content. You can also catch Ayishia on Instagram for some stunning pics.
Let us know your thoughts on this interview by dropping a comment. If you enjoyed reading this then please share it with others. I always appreciate your love and support!
I’ll be seeing you next time on Creative Corner when I bring you more fresh-faced talent!
