It's A Blogger's Life with Tara and Keff from Zusterschap

Welcome to the It's A Blogger's Life interview series.
As you may have seen, I posted a list of some of my favourite blogs at the start of the month, and what it is I love about them. Check it out here - you will definitely find some amazing new blogs to follow if you missed it first time around. I asked some of the amazing bloggers if they would be willing to take part in this series and introduce themselves to you and share a little of their blogging wisdom.
I was so happy at the responses I got to my request - it really does go to show the strength of the blogging community and how bloggers help each other out.
Thank you to everyone who responded, and thanks to each and every one of you on that list for consistently publishing beautiful and inspiring posts that keep me coming back for more.
Anyway, enough from me, over to the interview.

Today we have Tara and Keff from Zusterschap

1. Tell us a little about yourself

Keff: I’m Katherine, co-founder of Zusterschap and a lady currently studying for a Master’s degree at The University of Sheffield in Magazine Journalism. I also work at a cinema and am a creepy cat lady. Me and Tara even got cat tattoos (cattoos) together. \m/

Tara: I’m Tara, the other co-founder. I’m an outspoken feminist, cat whisperer and Mooncup advocate. I run two blogs and work in social media so I’m generally never offline.

2. Why did you start blogging?
Keff: I’ve been blogging since my early teens, but back then they were boring posts about nothing that no-one read, so I deleted them all. I started blogging more seriously in my second year at uni to keep track of all my online journalism, then I started a personal blog when my boyfriend went to Sierra Leone for two months and I didn’t know how I was going to cope without him to talk to. Tara and I were both blogging and she suggested that we collaborate - thus our Zusterschap baby was born.

Tara: I started blogging in 2009 for a school project. We had to create blogs alongside our creative projects and I just instantly fell in love with it. I didn’t have a very happy school life and blogging was the creative outlet I didn’t know I needed. I’ve been writing online ever since (even for other publications). Although my blog has been live since 2010, I didn’t consistently start blogging until about 2014. Now I run two blogs; my personal (bycatstello.co.uk) and Zusterschap 3. What is your blog about?

Keff: To me, Zusterschap is about sharing stories and information aimed at giving a wide variety of women a voice. We want to challenge stereotypes and raise issues that we think don’t get enough coverage. We have monthly themes and these are not only interesting for us to write about, they also allow us to see other perspectives on the same topic. My personal blog is about the incredibly embarrassing moments of my life that I write to keep my friends amused. It is cathartic for me to write my personal blog because I suffer from extreme anxiety and obsessive thoughts, and if I didn’t laugh and write about the ridiculous things that happen to me I’d be awake at 4am every night drowning in existential misery.

Tara: Zusterschap is a website for women who want to challenge the norm. We like to write about a range of subjects some women feel they can’t even talk about. So periods, sex, and almost any little thing that we seek pleasure from amongst other things... I love what we do because with every theme, we attract so many different voices and opinions. I blog because I want to get women feeling more positively about themselves and want sisterhood to make a lively comeback.

  4. What are the long term goals for your blog?
Keff: World domination? I don’t know, I think I’d like it to be more widely known and for people to acknowledge it as a quality source for women’s lifestyle.

Tara: I second Katherine, world domination! We have the same goals for Zusterschap. We’re not looking to make money with the site, we would just love it if Zusterschap became a household name so to speak. I would love for it to be as big as HelloGiggles or something as equally awesome and positive as that. I really want it to become common practice for women to be able to speak openly about certain topics without feeling judged or attacked. Being a woman on the Internet can be hard and we need to support one another. At the height of the Protein World drama, I was getting abusive messages about my body every hour on Twitter.

 5. Any tips for bloggers?
Keff: Literally anything is possible if you keep at it. We started this and I thought it would be a nice side-project for me and Tara, then it took off like crazy. Be kind and helpful to other bloggers, we’re all in this together.

Tara: Take no notice of what others are doing and keep doing you!

6. Describe yourself in 3 words
Keff: Awkward polite nerdlinger.

Tara: Driven passionate feminist.  

7. What are your top 3 blogging essentials?
Keff: Organisation, communication and fresh ideas.

Tara: Positive vibes, a good spreadsheet and lots of communication.

8. What would be your dream blogging assignment and why?
Keff: Interviewing Amy Schumer or any of my other feminist idols. Though I’d probably balls it up and end up choking on a chocolate raisin or something.

Tara: I have no idea to be honest. I would agree with Katherine but I’m not much of an interviewer. I’m hoping my dream blogging assignment will remain unknown will just arise!

9. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
Keff: I haven’t travelled much (uncultured swine!) but I am in love with Brighton.

Tara: Amsterdam, always. It’s my home away from home.

10. Where can we find you?
Keff: Zusterschap - @zusterschap @zusterschat
Personal blog - Think too much, speak too little @katherinehoc

Tara: I’m very active on Twitter: @Catstello. My personal blog is Cattitude and Co and of course you can find me over at Zusterschap also.

Show Tara and Keff some love - visit their blog, follow them on social media and of course, leave them some comments below :)

Thank you so much ladies for taking part!

Stay tuned for more It's A Blogger's Life - next up is Jemma from Dorkface on 19th August

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