So I know I’m supposed to be here to talk about food, and I promise I’ll get there (maybe in my next post), but first can we talk about how annoying the algorithm is?
I have ADHD, this comes as a shock to absolutely no one who knows me. So what are some things to know about ADHD? Inconsistency is the name of the game (for me at least). Self discipline is HARD, not because we don’t want to be able to wake up early everyday, eat a healthy breakfast, get a small workout in, and get ready for work all before 7am, but because our brains are actively fighting against that kind of schedule. We have to have backup plans for the days we can’t get out of bed, or have decision paralysis when it comes to figuring out what to eat, and don’t even get me started on not liking the content I filmed after the fact. It’s maddening, but we take it one day at a time, and remember to be gentle with ourselves.
Instagram and TikTok demand consistency from their creators (I’m sure other apps do too I’m just not on them lol), which I can understand-ish. They want people to keep using and downloading their apps, sharing the content people see on their apps, and want people to contribute to their apps. I’m happy to contribute! It’s not that I can’t, most of the time it’s exciting to be able to think about what new creative recipe I’ll make and to be able to share it with my followers (not that I’ve got a ton, but I am trying to amass a cult like following. I have some serious food opinions that need to be heard, but sometimes it’s so incredibly difficult to get myself to cook. I could have a fully stocked kitchen and I would still make boxed mac and cheese. Some days I just don’t feel like it, and the decision paralysis has been REAL lately. “What should I make for breakfast, do I want oatmeal? No, that’s too much sugar, your blood sugar will spike and it will affect your insulin, I have PCOS, and am insulin resistant so I need to watch my blood sugars. What about eggs? No, I’ve got the egg ick. What about a bagel? No that doesn’t feel healthy enough.”, and so much more goes on in my head. I wish the algorithm understood this about me, but it doesn’t, it’s an algorithm! So, who cares?
The struggle with wanting to nourish my body with good food and make sure my PCOS doesn’t flare up so I don’t lose all my hair and have a face full of acne vs. just wanting to eat something so I can take my medication and feel full is REAL. I know there is so much out there for people like me in terms of convenience, and folks with ADHD know the convenience tax is rough. For us, convenience isn’t a luxury it’s a necessity. So, sometimes I’ll grab breakfast from the coffee shop next to me because it’s easier, I feel better knowing I had some good food and don’t have to struggle over making something, and half of the time not even liking what I made. But the guilt that comes along with it is so real, especially for a first-gen kid like me. I need to learn to let go of it I know I do, but hey I’m human, it’s a work in progress.
Another thing about me is that I also really strive to make things look good in my videos, I want the aesthetically pleasing beautiful bright sunlight and the colorful food and relaxing music. I want people to look at my videos and feel like they’re being hugged. So while I may never cross 2000 followers, or whatever, to me it doesn’t really matter. If I can help my friends feel like they can come to my page and enjoy my cooking videos, and continue to work with small businesses, then I’m honestly very happy, and I’m okay with the algorithm not liking it.
I want to make a positive impact in this world, and whether that may be through my career as an engineer or through my hobbies of cooking and baking, all I ask of myself is that I positively impact just 1 person. If just 1 person says that I made their day a little better, and that they feel a little less pain, then I’ll know that I’ve truly done my part in this world. Of course I wish that impact could be en masse, but that’s okay if it isn’t. I want to continue to share what I’ve learned about food, how to cook/bake it, what history and science tell us about it, and why it matters.
There is no greater force that can bring people together in this world than food in my opinion. So, I’ll continue to use it as a means to connect with others, and talk about why it’s all so cool and good and tasty, because I’m a very hungry, people person. I love to meet new people and make friends, talk to them about their lives and how they got to be in this exact spot in this exact moment. It’s all very fascinating to me, and I hope that my content can inspire people to make their own delicious dishes at home. So while my content may be inconsistent, and not always the most vibrant and beautifully crisp footage you’ve seen, I hope that it brings you a bit of peace, provides a safe space and makes you feel like you’re being hugged.
It’s for all these reasons that, I’ll never win over the algorithm, and I’m okay with that.
I can relate with this so wholly. I try to remind myself and am 100% bias but that kind of consistency platforms demand isn't natural or authentic and my hope is the humanness of swimming upstream resonates even if the audience is smaller. Either way, keep it up, at your pace!
I love your videos. It's a shame these platforms don't reward those that put out great videos 😞