Monthly Musings: June 2019

Authenticity.

Stop trying to uphold the façade of being something and actually just be that something instead.

The social media world we live in means that we always have an insight into someone’s life, whether that is what they ate for breakfast, the HIIT workout they did at the gym or the nicely labelled jars they take to their local zero waste store. From the outside looking in this life seems idyllic, everyone has got it together and they know what they are doing. But can we really trust what we see?

I think, not. Well, not all the time anyway.

“Social media is a highlights reel”

This is something you’ll hear quite often but we more than likely forget as we scroll through our phones and think that person has “it all” – whatever that means. We see the best bits, the edited bits and the things we are told we want to see. Think about the algorithm… how many times does it keep changing – irrespective of what we actually would choose to look at – to show us what technology thinks we want to see. And that isn’t even to mention ads or sponsored posts. Does it not upset the equilibrium of social media when money is involved? We are all supposed to have equal access to these platforms but really it seems less than equal. Why does someone see my posts and why does someone not see them? If we use our money towards a post, can we pip our competitors in the game of likes and stats? That hardly seems fair or authentic. That said, I do totally understand the desire to get your post in front of more eyes – especially when you’re really proud of your work and want to show off a little bit.

It comes back to your “why”. But even that isn’t straight forward. I spoke about Finding Your Way in a previous blog post, so I’ll leave that here as my why is my passion. My passion to grow Nourishing Amy, to share the love for plants and delicious recipes, to speak out about mental health, happiness and being YOU. On the flipside, I feel like I can’t really achieve this if I am not reaching a wide enough audience. It’s a catch-22 of playing up to the community to get people interested and to gain attention but staying true and authentic to myself and my WHY.

I will always be authentic – to the very best of my ability. I will not promote a skinny tea (or even a skinny lager who approached me?) no matter what the figure on the job is – because that’s not me and that’s not what I want to promote. I only ever work with companies where our passions and intentions align. It’s not just the product though, it’s the people behind the brand and I treat each collaboration as a chance to get to know the individual and forge a longer-lasting relationship. That’s why you won’t often see just the one “sponsored” post with a random company, but a collection of recipes that I genuinely love and can stand behind.

I am not sure if the same can be said for every blogger, influencer or person within the social sphere and beyond. There are so many accounts that only ever post sweet treats like raw nut-based cheesecake, luscious multi-layered cakes and indulgent desserts. Now, do you really think these people eat everything they make?  I think even a cake-addict would get sick of all that sponge. I just hope the food doesn’t go to waste… here we go – the negative affect of creating content “for content’s sake”. Of course, I often make multiple dishes in one day and I won’t eat all of them right then and there, but I will do over the course of the next few days, as well as sharing them with friends and family. No food is wasted; no content is created solely for social media – although a lot of the styling is, as well as colours being brightened, and blemishes removed in editing! Remember that too, no-one’s breakfast always looks perfect and I do like to share my quicker, messier smoothie bowls on my stories to show that it’s not all symmetrical, almost-too-pretty-to-eat food that I make.

I think what I am trying to say without naming and shaming any accounts in particular is to tread with caution when you meander through your social media. The photos people share are often the best bits and not the worst bits, although those accounts do exist and are truly refreshing.

To come back to my opening message, authenticity shines through and I have faith that sooner or later the façades will shatter into pieces, and we may be left with something or someone we no longer believe in. If you are truly being you and showcasing what you believe in, you can rest knowing that you are doing your best and in the same way that the façades of others will fall, you will bloom into full life.

p.s. these images aren’t the best quality but in light of being authentic, I wanted to share them.

p.p.s. if you want to make the delicious Moroccan Cauliflower Rice Salad with Dates, Cahsews and Tahini from my coking demo, please click here!