You may or may not know me but I joined the Bushwick Daily team in 2011 – first as Copyeditor, then as Managing Editor and now as Contributing Editor. Back then, I was working a day-job that made me feel distanced from all things creative, and I had just moved to a new neighborhood, Bushwick. I was stuck on a little island of naiveté (aka my apartment) that we named Chateau Bushwick, where I knew exactly two people – my two roommates. I wanted to get to know my neighborhood but had zero idea where to start.

My unfamiliarity with Bushwick led me to begin reading a small photo-blog called Bushwick Daily, run by a gal named Katarina. I’d peruse the site for fun events or updates about the art world, and/or whenever I just wanted to see some beautiful photos. There was something about it being such a visual website that made me feel more connected to my new home. “I’ve seen that street art on Bushwick Daily!” I’d think when I passed a mural I’d never noticed. Or after I stumbled upon a cafe I’d never seen before, which was very literally three blocks from my apartment, I looked it up on the blog and learned all about Little Skips. At long last, the site gave me a way to indirectly connect with the people and businesses around me at a time when I felt a little out of place.

But one thing I noticed about the Bushwick Daily of 2011 was that some of the grammar and spelling were, let’s say, sweet but not always clear or accurate. (Sorry, Katarina!) I reached out to Katarina via a message on the site, if I recall correctly, and asked if she might need any volunteers. I described my background – BA in English, love of books, no experience in blogging or photography – and she asked if I’d meet her at (where else?) Little Skips. “This is a sign!” I thought to myself. “I know where Little Skips is!”