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All images courtesy of Life in the Fast Lane

Deborah Petersen is the engine behind Life in the Fast Lane, a blog that started out representing the business of Fast Lane Transport, Ltd., run by Deborah and her husband Layne. Soon though, it took on a life of its own and readers found articles about offbeat news and science, the arts and anything bizarre. Deborah took the time to talk to us about her fast-paced life, how Life in the Fast Lane began and grew and her take on blogging. So step on the brakes, relax and enjoy!

EG: How did Life in the Fast Lane get started? What was the idea behind the site and how did it get ahead?

Deborah Petersen: My husband and I have a trucking company that we started together called Fast Lane Transport, which was a spin on my husband Layne’s name — a nickname he had earned, actually.

We developed a business website for the company. In our early days, I had hired a writer as an editor by the name of Matt Keegan for the web pages I had written to add a little finesse to them. Between Matt and our webmaster, they had convinced me that I should start a blog, so I called it Life in the Fast Lane as a reflection of our website.

Of course, our webmaster had expected that I would write articles about trucking. While that may be our business, it’s not a very engaging subject unless you’re in the industry, which leads to a rather limited audience. So much to his chagrin, but with incredibly inspirational support from Matt, I decided to focus my writing on things which I’m passionate about — animals, the arts, weird sciences, and all things unusual or bizarre.

Once I found my style, the site took off, as it seems that there is a broad audience of people who enjoy reading and learning about quirky or unusual matters and phenomena.

Amazing soap bubbles from Intriguing and Bizarre Art of Bubbles in Photography and Nature

EG: Tell us a bit about yourself and any particular experiences that shaped your life, traces of which we might see in LITFL?

Deborah Petersen: I’ve had a creative ’spirit’ since childhood, but I’m not really certain if there’s anything that you could exactly call traces of my life that one might find at Life in the Fast Lane, other than the creativity that goes into publishing an attractive article — both visually and mentally appealing.

I’ve been in the service industry all of my working life. Other than trucking, there has always been a creative edge to my chosen professions; I was a hairstylist for many years, had my own salon in downtown Edmonton called Tangles, and worked a number of years as a food category manager for a large chain of stores in western Canada. Currently being in the trucking industry and writing for the blog allows me my freedom of creativity.

From the funny post pn Grueling Guinea Pig Games of the 2009 Olympics

EG: Is there a special recipe for Life in the Fast Lane? What do you think makes it a special place on the Web?

Deborah Petersen: A special recipe? The only thing that I can think of to offer in that respect is to write on what you’re passionate about, and apply yourself fully to do the best piece of work that you possibly can. Do your research extensively so that you can offer your audience an accurate and enlightening read to the best of your capability.

I can also add this — I feel that images, or the lack thereof, are what can make or break a great article. Unusual or interesting information is not compelling enough on its own volition — the two work hand in hand to make a whole. It’s all about sensory perception, providing visual and mental stimuli.

EG: What does your typical day involve? How do you get your inspiration?

Deborah Petersen: My typical day is much the same as most any social media and news junkie addict ;-) It’s a little embarrassing to admit that I first check emails, and do my rounds with Digg and StumbleUpon before applying myself to work.

Our business is a 24/7 affair, so I work in an administrative capacity at any given time of day from my home. We have a dispatcher who handles the calls and drivers, but I share his responsibilities if he’s overloaded or tied up.

As for inspiration for the blog, oftentimes my ideas are triggered by a photo I’ve seen either on a news site or on Flickr.

From The Bizarre Underworld and Lunar Landscape of Cappadocia

EG: Are there any particular plans for LITFL for the future?

Deborah Petersen: I’m currently on hiatus with the blog, taking in life as it comes to me. As I find time to spend on the occasional article, I’ll do so, but I have no immediate plans to write on the scale that I had been.

I’ve been fortunate to have had invitations from wonderful friends at highly respected sites to write for them, which I may also do in the future, if time permits.

I find it rather awkward and difficult to share the personal side of my life publicly, but I will admit this as a word to the wise — I had overindulged myself in the blog, and my personal life suffered for it. My dog Daisy was one of the dearest things to my heart, and her recent death this year was a wake-up call for me.

Since then, we’ve had a new addition to the family, a little Shih Tzu puppy named Bo, with another one on the way. I’ve never had a dog as a puppy in the past — it’s surprising how much of your day is needed in dedication to them in every aspect, but it’s all good! That’s where all of my free time is currently spent.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating — time passes far too quickly. Stop to take time to enjoy the day, and live in the moment. Each minute you miss is time lost and will not return to you again.

In closing, I’d like to thank you for inviting me, and I wish all the best and great success to everyone at Environmental Graffiti, and your audience.

EG: And we thank you, Deborah, for being a part of Environmental Graffiti’s Movers and Shakers series!

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