The Person Behind: Midnight Wanderer

Welcome to season deux of The Person Behind! With me today I have Chloe from Midnight Wanderer, who shared her hopes and visions for society, her blog and her future.

“Having a blog has given me so much confidence in my writing and it’s sparked my creativity massively, it’s also given me so many opportunities and really made me believe in myself, it’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

Fiona: How old are you?

Chloe: I’m 19! I turn 20 in January.

F: Why did you decide to create Midnight Wanderer and how would you describe your blog to an outsider?

C: I wanted somewhere to share my thoughts, feelings and hopefully inspire and be inspired, I had a lot of things to say but nowhere to say it – there were a lot of stories I wanted to tell, a lot of memories I wanted to share and a lot of magic I wanted to create. I wanted to make something that I could share with others and show people like, look at what I did! I wanted to start something new and to start something for myself so, here I am. If I was to describe my blog to an outsider it would be a hazy world full of self discovery and the inner most workings of my soul, filled with dreamy words from my messy mind.

F: What I noticed right away when reading your blog is that you write quite a lot on self care & love. What is some advice you wish you knew when you were younger?

C: YOU ARE ENOUGH. Always always always. I struggled with body dysmorphia a lot when I was younger and unfortunately I still do, but I look back on pictures from when I was 15/16 and I was tiny, yet at the time I thought I was never good enough because I didn’t look like a Victoria’s Secret Angel even though I was so small anyway, I just couldn’t see it. That really scares me, I’d tell myself that my worth is not measured by the number on the scales or how many boys find you attractive, it’s about loving yourself. I’d tell myself to breathe, and to just focus on discovering who I am.

F: As Season 2 revolves around the Internet and feminism I was wondering – do you believe social media to be an asset or a disadvantage in the fight for equal rights?

C: This is such a good question, personally I believe it very much to be an asset in the fight for equal rights, a lot more people are speaking out now and the Internet is an incredible way to spread the message since it can reach such a wide range of people in such a short amount of time. A lot of the realisations / learning processes I’ve had have been because of the things I’ve seen on the Internet, I think it’s a great way to educate yourself on the topic if used in the right way.

F: What instantly drew me to your blog were your posts on identity, evolving as a person and growing up. You reflect a lot on issues I think teenagers can all relate to (I sure do). How has having a blog affected you personally?

C: I’ve always been a writer, ever since I was old enough to use a paper and pen. I’ve always kept journals and physically created / written stuff but I wanted to reach out to a wider audience and share my content elsewhere, because I’d only ever really written for myself. Having a blog has given me so much confidence in my writing and it’s sparked my creativity massively, it’s also given me so many opportunities and really made me believe in myself, it’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done. This kind of ties in with my last answer of being used in the right way, but the Internet can be a great place to learn things.

F: Do you think social media influences our generation (and the people we become) for better or for worse?

C: Luckily I’m aware enough to know that 99% of the things posted on social media aren’t real, and that no one ever looks as glamorous / happy as they appear to be – people only show you what they want you to see. I use the Internet to follow creatives who spread the message of body positivity, self love, feminism etc. and therefore it’s influenced me in the most incredible ways, but if used in the wrong way it could be the complete opposite. This is the new generation though, and the internet is the way we’re moving forward now – people are literally born here. Therefore I can only hope it influences us all for the better.

F: You primarily express yourself on your platform through writing and photography. Tell me, how was your interest in photography first sparked and what do you think can photography offer that the written can’t?

C: I’ve never really had an interest in photography the way most people probably think, I just have an image in my head of the way I want something to look, and then I’ll do whatever I can to actually create that image. For me, it’s all about the feeling the photo gives rather than the actual image itself – I could take a photo of anything, but if it doesn’t make me feel something when I look at it, it’s not worth anything to me. Photography offers the beauty of a moment in time and like I mentioned, a feeling. It really is true that a picture is worth a thousand words.

F: Do you wish to work in the creative industry one day?

C: Oh I would love to, though I have no idea doing what. I just know that I love doing the things that I do, it’s all I’ve ever really known in terms of my sense of self.

F: What is one post you are particularly proud of and why?

C: This post – it’s called ‘being honest for a moment’ and includes a couple of journal excerpts I wrote when going through a bad bout of depression, it took a lot of courage for me to share it but it’s something I know I needed to do, and the feedback I got from it was amazing.

Editors note: Definitely check the post mentioned out, it is as raw and honest as it gets!

F: How have you come to experience everyday sexism?

C: Apart from the obvious things like catcalling, I experience sexism when I’m in the process of getting to know guys because we’ll be in the middle of a conversation and they’ll suddenly make an offhand comment that’s subtle, but still sexist – I’ll call them out on it and they suddenly get all defensive because they don’t even realise it’s sexist, they’re just so oblivious to it. I also experience it at work, I have a nose piercing and a couple of tattoos and an (older) guy said to me the other day – why do pretty girls feel the need to get all these piercings and tattoos and ruin themselves? When I responded with the fact that I did it because I wanted to, because I was doing it for myself, he literally couldn’t comprehend that I would purposely do something that wasn’t for the benefit of looking attractive to other people – to other men. I also still live at home and get jibed with the whole “Did you get Daddy to buy that for you?” bullshit, and just for the recored – no. I pay for everything myself. But would you have said that to a guy?

F: What can we expect from Midnight Wanderer in the future?

C: Lots and lots of new content I hope! I’m really looking at expanding my range of content in the new year with the help of other social media platforms and ways of creating, for example I’d love to incorporate more visuals into my work. I also want to get a lot more involved with the people that read my blog and collaborate with them.

F: Any last words?

C: Always be yourself, always follow your dreams and always remember that you are enough.

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A massive thank you goes out to Chloe for agreeing to participate and for being an absolutely wonderful addition to this series!

☾ Click here to give Midnight Wanderer a visit! ☾

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About this series:

Season two of The Person Behind revolves around fellow creatives and their individual experiences with social media and self-expression. This season aims to emphasize feminism and outdated social constructs and underline the significance of raising awareness and spreading the word.

IF YOU WANT TO BE FEATURED ON THE PERSON BEHIND, CONTACT ME HERE.