Glimpse: A chat with Danni of "Oh, Hello Friend"
I am so delighted to bring to you an interview with Danni of Oh, Hello Friend. Danni's blog and work is a breath of fresh air -- so delicate and inspiring. Besides posting amazing finds and lovely imagery, Danni has a design aesthetic that is quite delightful. Hope you enjoy the interview!
How did you get started writing Oh, Hello Friend?
I first started Oh, Hello Friend off as a personal blog but the more I posted, the more I realized I was posting things I enjoyed: crafts, design, etc. It was a bit random initially, so I decided to create a schedule called 'the dailies' - which was a consistent topic dedicated to each day, and i've tried to keep it going ever since! I've really enjoyed all the friends I've made from starting the blog..
I love the range of topics you cover, everything is so delicate and inspiring – what motivates and inspires your posts?
Thanks Whitney! I love finding topics to post about. I'm dedicated and motivated by all the lovely comments I receive from my readers. It is so sweet when someone takes the time to send me a simple email telling me they enjoy the blog or it's one of their daily reads. That is awesome! Inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere! A lot of it comes from all our other fellow blog friends out there who take time to post to inspire others as well.
How does your background in graphic design influence your blog?
I love design and how it pours out and can be seen in so many aspects of .. everything! Design has really helped me to look at the world in a different way. Design can be seen in everything, and learning design has really influenced my blog in many aspects like finding other lovely designs to blog about .. and also in making the blog look somewhat decent ;)
You also operate a successful etsy store, tell us more about that:
I think I am super blessed to have my little shop discovered amongst all the talent on etsy. It is super fun to have and a great outlet for creativity. I think what has helped me in having a successful shop is definitely taking good + clear images of your products, having good customer service, the way you present + package your products, and using descriptive key words so that people can search and find your products. I love encouraging people to start up their own shop because really, anyone can do it!
Are there any types of challenges you face as a blogger and/or etsy merchant?
I do feel like sometimes I get lost in the blog world, as I'm just a tiny part in a huge massive 'sea' of blogs. There is often so much inspiration to be found and so many things I want to create, it gets overwhelming at times. I feel like I have to take it one day at a time and there are only so many hours in the day. I can find myself getting lost in all the loveliness and then I look at the clock and it's 1:00 or 2:00 and my afternoon just flew by!
What are you hopes and aspirations for Oh, Hello Friend – where do you see yourself going from here?
My hopes for Oh, Hello Friend is to continue to offer a place where readers can come for inspiration and encouragement. I'd love to offer things that everyone can participate in: creative exchanges (old fashioned letters, pretty packages, lovely handmade items), resources to help in their own designs, tutorials, tips and advice on possibly starting up and running their own shop, really just a place where readers can come and be encouraged and motivated to think, "I can do that too!" or feeling like they are really able to make things happen.
Do you have any other hobbies, things you don’t blog about?
I really enjoy working with little kids, they are so precious and simple minded and adorable! I also really enjoy traveling, and would blog about it more often if I did it more often :) I wish I had endless amounts of money so I could travel all over the world. I'd love to go help out in an orphanage in Africa. That would be ideal!
Lastly, what do you hope your readers take from Oh, Hello Friend?
I hope readers are encouraged and inspired from reading Oh, Hello Friend. I hope it's a place they can come for fun, for resources, or to take a moment from their day just to relax and enjoy creativity in so many aspects. I hope through it, they will find and meet fellow artists, crafters, shop owners, and friends.
[all images are by Danni]
glimpse 
Reader Comments (7)
lovely interview.
this is one of my daily reads, danni is so talented.
Thank you for sharing this interview. I have recently started readong Danni's blog and I've loved it so far. Now I am going to check out her shop as well!
Very good questions and insight. : )
thank you for introducing me to danni! there's so much inspiration from just this post itself.
What a great interview, thank you! I just checked out Danni's etsy shop and bought two necklaces, they are all so pretty!
this was so wonderful! I love it all.
yay! One of my favorite blogs! thanks for the great interview!
thanks for the great interview! i always like to hear about what other bloggers are doing and what their motivations are.