Behind the blog: Dana of the Closet Confessional

1) When & why did you start blogging?

I started The Closet Confessional in September 2012 after I was in remission from cancer. After getting diagnosed, I started another blog, TheThunderStealer.com, as a way to own my course of treatment and put Cancer in its proper place in my life. It proved to be a huge relief to have an outlet to channel my voice. But, after enduring 9 months of treatments, I really didn't want to be just “the Cancer Girl." My experience with cancer allowed me the freedom to spend more time pursuing my passions and less time on other less rewarding work. Add to all that was a serious lack of conversation about fashion in Detroit. I wanted to help start that dialogue.

2) What’s the greatest thing that’s come out of blogging?

Blogging has helped me find me voice. As an introvert, it can be difficult to express myself, but blogging has given me the platform to be opinionated and bold (and not just in my outfits!). 

3) When you’re not blogging, what can you be found doing?

Walking along the Detroit Riverwalk with my Dog. Sipping wine on my rooftop deck with my girlfriends. Exploring Detroit, and the world, with my husband.

4) If you were stranded on a desert island, what would be the one thing you would take with you?

A solar paneled charging station with Wifi Beacon. I'd put it inside my Mary Poppins bag with life's other goodies -music, books, a picnic basket, and my lapdog--because the bag is the one thing I'm bringing.

5) What’s the one piece of advice you would share with bloggers just starting out?

Find your voice. Don’t try and mimic other bloggers. Use original content (something I’ve gotten much better at since I started). And have fun! Because if you’re not having fun, what’s the point?

6) What’s your “can’t live without” piece in your closet, kitchen, home etc?

I should say a pair of shoes or something about fashion, but the reality is, it’s my juicer. Staying healthy is a definite priority for me and I start every morning with a green juice. Plus, for those nights I’m not being my healthiest, I make a mean hangover juice.

7) On a Friday night, what can you be found doing?

Drinking wine, dancing around my loft, and cooking with my husband and friends. That or lying in bed watching reruns of The Office. 

8) How do you balance blogging with a work/social life?

I don't really “balance.” Sure, I get off balance sometimes, but I try to just live out who I am and who I want to be through all the things I love. So far it’s worked out.

9) What’s your favorite quote? Or what’s a quote that describes you?

"You can't dance if you've got too much muck in your head." -Yoko Ono

10) What’s your dream job if you haven’t landed it yet?

I hope to open a shop in Detroit in the near future. Detroit is going through a rapid transformation and I hope to be able to contribute to that with my own retail boutique. And in the meantime, keep writing.

11) Guilty pleasures?

All of them. 

12)  What’s your favorite “little thing” in life?

My dog, Dune.