Who Am I Really? Get to Know K!

Who is the Girl Behind the Pen?

Happy Wednesday! I decided this week to pull back the curtain! I wanted to share a moment for all of you to get to know me! I am always asked, why I started blogging, why books, my book selections, + more! This week I wanted to reveal those burning questions many people have about me and plus shed some light on some funny crazy things you guys may not know about me! This will be a fun way to get to know one another! Feel free to comment, ask questions, and join in as I share some of the funniest yet insightful questions that I have received throughout my writing journey! :)

Get Your FAQ's Straight...

Q: What made you start thebookspot by: K. Gardner?
K: I get asked this SO much and I love answering this question! thebookspot by: K. Gardner was literally just an idea that I had, but never saw it going anywhere in the beginning! I was in nursing school and would get so stressed from studying, testing, clinicals + more that each month, I would start adding more and more ideas that finally, I got the guts to create my website and make it my own! I love reading so much, but in this day in age, when you hear books, people don't see it as "cool" or "trendy" and some see it as "boring" that I decided to create a fun outlet for people to gather and find fun books that match what they enjoy! Also, I wanted to create a positive atmosphere for people to network, and to showcase new and upcoming entrepreneurs right in our areas! 

Q: What is the funniest book related moment you've had?
K: Haha definitely when I brought a book to a date! Hey, don't judge me! The funniest part is that when he went to the bathroom, I would pull out my book from under the table and read until he got back then throw it back under the table! haha let's just say, he didn't make the cut! 

Q: Who was your inspiration behind reading?
K: My beautiful and loving mom! She was the first person who introduced me to reading and I fell in love with ever since! My mom and I are complete bookworms, and that is the continued bond that we share, and why I am soooo grateful for her for introducing me to reading and books! Thanks Mom! :)

​Q: What is one thing that you've learned about blogging since you started?
K: Yikes! There are so many! I would have to say the one lesson that I've learned since I've started that has continued to stick with me is definitely to not focus on what other people are doing and focus on me! This was the hardest thing to do especially since I am a new blogger and had no idea what I was doing when I started, I would go to other blogs and try to use their ideas (which is fine to feed off one another with permission of course!), but it can take you off your A game! Or K game as I would like to say :) It's always best to just focus on you and what you can bring, and the rest will come after! Have fun, don't stress about the numbers, and create a platform for others to feed off of and learn from! Best advice that I have ever given myself :)

Q: Who are your musical influences? 
K: I am always a BEY fan! Definitely love the internet, Masego, Alina Baraz, Chloe x Halle, Iman Omari, Phony PPL, Tiffany Gouche, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, India Arie, and many more! I always felt that I was born before my time! I am a complete R&B and soul with a dash of old school fan for sure! I also love underground music from artists that are A M A Z I N G! Singing, playing instruments, and writing has allowed me to be exposed to so many types of music/genres! I also believe that my influences are tailored off of how I am feeling at the moment! I believe that music has that impact, which is why I love it so!

Q: Where do you get your blog posts ideas?
K: Usually my ideas stem from what's around me! Whether it is my neighborhood, what's trending, music, new books that I have been reading etc! I just like to find blog posts that are fun to read and fun to explore for my readers! Sometimes I'm Kobe in the 4th quarter and other times, I'm just lost and have no idea what I'm doing! Blogging is an up and down hobby! Some posts get amazing views while others may not and it doesn't mean that your writing sucked that day, it just means that maybe what you posted related to some and not to others and that's okay! It's your creative writing and style! Just keep writing :)

Q: How has writing inspired you? Do you feel pressured to write certain blog posts to appeal to your audience?
K: Writing has inspired me in MANY ways! I never knew that my writing could even go anywhere until my junior year of high school when my English teacher at the time and family friend Mrs. Rouse told me how amazing my writing was. At first, I thought she was just saying that because she's a family friend, but I really asked myself, "Damn, am I really good at this?" I found myself getting lost in my writing and started writing poetry, songs, and the rest was history! haha To answer the second question, I never feel pressured to write certain blog posts to appeal to my readers. At the end of the day, you either are vibing with it, or you're not. I write what inspires me for the day, what I found interesting that week, anything! Like I mentioned in the last question, everyone is not going to connect with what you're writing for that day, and that's okay! As long as you stay true and humble in your journey, people will eventually get on board. Write for you. Not for other people.

​Q: How late have you ever stayed up writing for your blog?
K: Do you really want me to answer that? Haha hmmm...probably 6am! I am truly passionate about what I am writing and I will never just post something because I want to get it over with or for "views". Everything I post is from my heart and I put 100% into each post that you see on my blog! Sometimes, I lose many nights of sleep, but as they say, "A creative mind never sleeps." 

Q: What book has your attention currently?
K: Definitely Black Girl Magic x Mahogany L. Browne, Idrissa Simmonds, & Jamila Woods! An amazing powerful collection of poetry from the canon of hip-hop by African American women. I am so glad that I picked this read up and am honestly almost done with it after starting it last week! A MUST READ!

Q: On a lot of your posts you talk about self-worth and beauty and what it means to find yourself. Was there a point in time that these concepts weren't in your life?
K: YES! I was in a toxic relationship where I thought that they were the "one" as always right? Well, I found that in that relationship, I lost myself trying to always please him and his needs and what he wanted, forgetting about me and what made me whole. I wasn't valued in that relationship for a plethora of years and I would justify it by thinking it was me or maybe I wasn't doing enough to satisfy, but in reality, I wasn't satisfying myself. I wasn't giving myself the credit of being a beautiful woman with so many aspirations and goals for myself. I didn't give myself enough worth because I consistently allowed someone to diminish that. NOT OKAY! So, from going through that, I consistently want women to know that YOU ARE WORTHY. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. Find what makes you whole and run with it! Never allow someone to make you feel less than the diamond that you are, and through my posts, I hope to reach out to someone and touch them in some way. I'm human and I hurt just like millions of other people out there. If I can touch one life, that's all that I need to touch many others. I love writing and I love that I have an outlet of my own and many others to speak out and find love within myself again. I am now in a healthy loving relationship and completely happy! I am thankful for my blog and the ability to find escape through it to reconnect and rebuild within myself! :) This was an amazing question! Thank you!

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Please continue to ask questions! Leave comments! Also, follow my social media outlets @thebookspotbykg on IG and Twitter to send in questions! Make sure to hashtag #GetYourFAQsStraight! I will be answering questions all day today :) Thank you!