1 year of cookingconvos.com
Over the last year, I have been working nonstop. I finally launched my website, hosted dinner parties, hosted large-scale community events, developed countless recipes, posted endless amounts of content, and gained about 1,000 followers—all while being a full-time law student. I’ve been taking a small break from Cooking Convos because I have been experiencing creative burnout. Once finals were over, I realized it had been a year since I launched my website. I haven’t taken a break to reflect on the last year, so here are my thoughts.
I think I grew a lot throughout the last year—there’s no doubt about that. I do believe that I lost my passion for making elevated dishes, and as I went on, I lowered the elevated quality of my content so that it could go viral. I have not had one recipe go viral, but the “30-minute meals” and “one-pan” recipes do infinitely better than the longer, more intricate ones, so I tried to cater to what worked best.
I am proud of myself for bringing people together through community events. My first event was cute, but my second one was seriously impressive, if I say so myself. I’m mentally preparing myself for the next one—I have so many ideas already. But I want to ensure I am in a good space to do the next event so that it is memorable and fun for everyone.
I could have been better at writing more words. As a former journalist, writing is second nature to me. Being more honest and vulnerable on social media helps make you feel “real,” so I hope to sprinkle more of that into the next year through my writing.
It is easy to fall into a niche—but I do not thrive in creating niche content. It makes me feel too constricted. I post a lot of Scandinavian recipes, and that is because I’m half Scandinavian. 90% of the desserts I make are Scandinavian-inspired, and the events I have hosted have been fika-themed. I think it is easy for me to fall into that niche, because it is a type of food I enjoy making and feel connected to, but I don’t want to be known for just that, because I offer so much more and can do so much more than just that. So for the next year, I want to keep posting Scandinavian recipes, but I don’t want that to be the focus of my page.
I’m proud of myself for putting myself in front of the camera more, but there needs to be way more to make my account feel more authentic and “real.” I also need to make my videos feel more real. They can sometimes feel too scripted or thought out. I need to record myself and my life more, but it’s also hard to live in the moment and be a content creator. That is definitely something that will grow with more practice and intentionality.
I need to focus less on growth and more on high-quality photography, videography, design, and food styling. I need to focus less on how much I am posting and focus on the aesthetic and design of my page and vision. Because if you go back to a year ago, I had a clear vision for my page. I mean, look at my website. I want my social media accounts to reflect my vision for this page through my website design. I know I can do it, but I need to restructure how I do things to get there.
I also know that I need to be less hard on myself. At the end of the day, I know people are following me mostly for “me,” not so much for my content. I need to post and create what brings me joy, not post for the algorithm. The right people will find me when the time is right; some could say they already have.
Overall, it has been a damn good year. I am my biggest critic, but this year has been full of so much growth. I’m grateful and proud.
Thank you for being here for one year of cookingconvos.com. I am so privileged to have a small place in your life. I hope that over the next year, I can continue to craft and expand my vision for this page and create an even stronger community through food and conversation.
—Zack
