I’m sighing and moaning and groaning as I write this.
I feel like my teenager when she’s asked to do something she whole heartedly does not want to do.
This is me. At this very moment. Pushing back at things that cause me grief, angst and impair my ability to be creative. Rarely do I voice my opinions on this blog because honestly, this blog is for you. It’s a place to share my knowledge, my expertise, my love for everything food, family, friends and life. To create a place for you to find deliciousness and inspiration for your family.
I don’t tackle religious or political subjects because I hold those views near and dear to my heart and I feel they’re private and that sharing them really does no good. I don’t like people telling me what I can and cannot believe so I won’t try to tell anyone else how to believe. If you’re like me, you’ve already formed your opinions and thoughts on these subjects and who am I to argue with anyone about something so personal. I respect your opinions and values and my constant goal is to help enrich your life, your health and your menu by bringing a little deliciousness to your day.
I’m terribly optimistic, intentionally. I believe if we live a life of good intentions, good things will come to us and life will definitely be a little easier. So now that I’ve prefaced how positive I am, I’ll launch into my tirade. 😉
Sometimes I feel so exhausted by it all. Keeping up with all the blogs, the social media accounts, trying to grab a slice of the pie while ignoring all the noise. I feel completely perplexed by it all. I only have a few social media accounts and although I love posting my little food finds, recipes and travel spots and maybe a cow or sheep or two, I’m not terribly active on social media compared to others in this business. I’m not a big “tweeter” and occasionally I remember to pin on Pinterest. I love to Instagram so that’s actually where you’ll find me, and on occasion I’ll post something yum on Facebook. Otherwise, my life is so full of work, family and life, that sometimes having to worry about social media makes me cranky and depressed. Not too mention, I sometimes have to stop browsing social media because that can all too often make my mood tank. I love my life and I’m truly grateful for the people in my life, what I have, what I’ve been given and that I’m able to work in the culinary field full time. I am one blessed gal! But when I scroll through social media, having a few loyal and fabulous followers, I find others that are new and fresh and young with thousands of followers and jumping around social media like social butterflies and doing it so well, one becomes a moth drawn to the light. It’s quite impressive honestly.
So when I read about how I’ve now got to snapchat or periscope or tumblr or whatever it may be, so that I can stay relevant – I just want to bury my head in a pile of sand and cry. Why do I have to keep up with the social media Joneses to find followers, to be relative or to be acknowledged for my quality content and not just another photo of avocado toast or a grilled cheese sandwich? I went to culinary school for pete sake’s and I’ve worked hard for 17 years honing my craft, learning, growing so I can share my love of all things food and farm and local and community. My heart is so deeply entrenched in this culinary world that when my work feels irrelevant because I’m not snapchatting, tweeting, pinning, Facebooking or Instagramming every minute of my life, I feel as if my end goal needs to change. I feel I’ve become lost in the crowd and irrelevant because I don’t want to spend my precious and valuable time shouting to the world what I’m doing and eating every minute of every day just to stay relevant. Then so be it. I won’t sacrifice my sanity or my time with my family or my creative flow that often comes when I have no outside distractions.
I suppose I feel a bit indignant at times that I have to choose between moments I may never get back and my social media accounts. I relish the moments. They inspire me. I relish the moments when my youngest comes home from school with a funny story about the day or my oldest texts me about her interesting anatomy physiology class encounter with a cadaver (she’s going to be a nurse), or when my niece calls me while grocery shopping because she wants to chat recipes and food and life or my nephew, who lives in Japan, takes the time to Face time his Auntie to to tell her about his Go Pro video or when my sister calls me on her way to work. Moments that inspire and feed my soul and make my life so deliciously wonderful.
I write this because I don’t want you to think I’m not interested in sharing with you if you don’t hear from me as often. I’ve decided to take a little detour and do things my way – not what I’m expected to do or what social media dictates. I’ve always been a bit of a non-conformist. I’ve been told I dance to my own tune, and frankly, I like it that way.
Please know I am whole heartedly committed to you, my readers, my friends. I have always and will always post recipes and photos and content that I think you’d enjoy and find interesting or delicious. I may not post as often here or on my social media in the next few months, but when I do, I know you’ll love it. I want every recipe, every word, every photo to be quality and to add joy, happiness and of course deliciousness to your lives. I am so grateful for your support and love. I am your biggest fan!
Delicious Wishes and Loads of Love!
Karista
Oh, sweet girl…reading this, I felt as if I’d written it myself. I’ve been feeling the same and have actually considered calling it quits simply because social media is ridiculously exhausting and draining. It takes away much more than it gives and steals time from things so much more important. Yes…enjoy your family and being in the kitchen where the passion began. I may be right there with you! Hugs!
Caroline you are so right… it takes much more than it gives back and it’s so terribly disheartening. Hang in there and keep doing the fantastic work that you’re doing! You make a difference Caroline and we need more of what you give. I love your work and your voice and your blog and simply you! Hugs to you too sweet friend and thank you so much for your support. xoxo
Hug! Family first! Go for a walk and smell the flowers & ocean !! ????
Thank you! 🙂 I just got back from walking Tank in our beautiful PNW sunshine.
Damned good ideas, Karista. Pull in your emotional circle to those closest to your heart, family and friends. I love my email and FB and that is all I engage in. Keeps me busy being informed of my four children and 13 grandchildren’s lives in way we didn’t have access to before. I can save and print all the pictures and notes I want about all their projects as they grow. I can also keep track of the next ring out, my five brothers and sisters and their children and grandchildren.
So follow your intuition and pull yourself into alignment with those most important to you. The center will be richer for it. And much gooier and chocolaty, I’m betting.
One life long foodie to another,
KJ
Oh thank you so much for your lovely comment! I love that social media keeps me close to those I love but as another friend and fellow blogger said, it can steal much more than it gives. So thank you for your kind and thoughtful words, I so appreciate it! All the best to you and yours! Karista
Well said, my friend! I was nodding my head in agreement while reading. I applaud you and agree wholeheartedly. Savor those moments with friends, family and alone…so precious. I hope we get some time together soon! Hugs to you.
Thank you Hannah for your kind words! This post has been brewing for quite a while now and today it just boiled over. Lol! Amelia and I just got back from walking Tank in the sunshine. She’s a senior! OSU bound in the fall. Time is passing by quickly and even more important to stop and savor. Hugs and love to you friend and yes, I hope we can get together soon! xoxo Karista
High-Five!!!
Thank you Sharon! High Fiving you back!! 🙂
Like, Like, Like, or whatever you are you supposed to say these days. Seriously, I weed thru all the junk which leaves more time to make your yummy banana bread or whatever I’ve tagged from your files that I “want to make” when I have time! Stay strong, Don’t sell out…EVER Think about this, you don’t even know me and I’m writing to you, cheering for you….-that is a positive story from social media.
Hahaha! Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words and for taking the time to comment. I so appreciate your support Suzann! All my best to you and yours, Karista
Good for you. You do plenty for others! Stop and smell the roses and get some things done that only benefit one person, you!!!
Thank you so much Jim! I so appreciate your support and your kind words. Wishing you all the best, Karista
High five to you! And hey, I love just following you on your blog and seeing the posts on Facebook. I think you’re doing things exactly right. (Says the girl who’s so overwhelmed by life that she isn’t on anything besides Facebook and — very rarely — Pinterest.) Maybe you should be all over all the social media platforms if you’re running a large business — but for a blog, I think you’re doing right. And I found you while Googling for things, so you’re definitely find-able. 🙂
Hahaha! Social media can be so overwhelming. I’m so glad I’m find-able! I try, but one never knows with so much noise on the internet. Thank you Charity and all my best to you, Karista
Oh My! I so appreciate you saying all that! Can you imagine how our kids feel? The pressure to do it ALL? It seems so artificial at some level to be all over the place. I appreciate your love of family, friends, and food. Especially appreciate you taking the road that suits you and only you. Don’t buy in to it all. What a great example to you girls too! You go girl!
Oh yes you are so right Leslie! Our girls feel the social media pressure and it’s not FAIR! I’ve had many, many discussions with them about this and I hope on some level I’m able to make some sort of sense and reason. I know Alex totally gets it, Amelia is younger and has grown up with social media but she’s learning quickly how to manage and navigate through it all. Thank you dear friend for your support, love and most of all friendship!! xoxo Karista
Karista, dearHeart – I feel I got to know you somewhat thru’ the VRAI magazine and so appreciated what you had/have to contribute! So hope that will continue . . . I am unable to have my own blog for practical reasons, but with a rather big blogroll have experienced a huge similarity in the best-intentioned bloggers finding the total wherewithal to keep on doing it time after time after time . . . may I have a laugh being older than you – well, you see, way back when there was this film called ‘Annie get your Gun’ with a very noisy gal called Betty Hutton . . . and she used to sing ‘Doing what comes naturally’!! May I suggest you do the same and we shall clap!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words! Oh yes, absolutely I will continue to work and write with VRAI Magazine as I am completely attached to everyone there. 🙂 I adore them! Yes, I know the film! I love it! And your reminder rings loudly… Doing what comes naturally. Thank you so much for your support!
Karista, I’ve been feeling the same way lately. Can be a time stealer.
Sweet friend I know how you feel! Yes it is a time stealer and gives little in return. Please know I’m so grateful we’ve connected through Facebook and I hope you find joy in the recipes here. Much love to you my friend! xoxo Karista
🙂 LOVED this post.
Thank you Heidi! Sort of a relief to put it all into words instead of letting it stew around in my head and heart. Lol! Wishing you all the best! Karista
I am a Personal Chef and struggling to keep up on all the social media sites as well. How do we know how much is enough? As I was thinking about posting (putting it off once again and feeling guilty about it…it’s marketing for my business, right?), I received this. I could have written it myself and I feel exactly the way you do. How much of life are we missing with our laptops, phones and tablets? Thank you…more than you could know. Today, I will live my life, connect with people (in person) and be grateful for all the Lord has given me. I don’t subscribe to many blogs, but love yours…always brings a smile, connects me to old memories, ideas for new ones and touches my heart and inspires me to keep sharing love through food.
Diana my heart just squeezed with a little angst for you as I’ve been there so many times in the last 10 years. I worked as a personal chef for years and it was so difficult to juggle the work and the social media, always walking around feeling guilty for not staying “connected” enough. Or so I thought. Sometimes I think the less we say the more we’re heard. And truly, as one of my sweet friends said in another comment, social media can steal so much more than it gives back. Life is all too short and I for one don’t want to miss a thing. 🙂 I wish you all the best Diana and thank you so much for your kind words. Hang in there and please feel free to contact me anytime! Best wishes, Karista
I think you are wise and kind and I believe that much of social media will be a thing of the past soon. Thank you for being you.
Thank you Phyllis for your kind words! Wishing you all the best, Karista
Well said Karista! Enjoy life.
Aw, Karista, believe me, I relate. How to balance the “capturing of moments” for social media vs. living those moments and spending real time with the people – and food – in it.
We’re your biggest fans too! xx K
Thank you Ksenia! 🙂 xoxo
You could have not put into words, my thoughts any more eloquently than you have here. I’ve stepped away this year for many reasons, but the constant demands of social media rank high among them. I suspect there are many who feel the same way. You are right to make this walk yours. Not what others dictate it to be. Life is way too short to spend it in front of a screen 24/7. At the end of the day blogging needs to be about what’s most important, what’s real and authentic. You capture the essence of all of that blogging should be, perfectly and beautifully here Karista! Thank you so much for sharing sweet friend!
You’re so right Maria, life is much too short and too precious to spend it in front of a screen 24/7. I refuse to bow down to some sort of unspoken rule that I have to be active on social media or have thousands of followers to be relevant. I’ve worked hard and I love what I do and if someone loves it, I’m thrilled. If they don’t then I’m not going to worry about it. It’s just not important. What is important are the two young women I’m raising and I want them to be the best human beings and to contribute positively to this world. They’ll both be doing their own thing soon and I don’t want to miss a minute. Thank you friend for your love and support! I treasure our friendship! xoxo Karista
You know I love you and you know I agree. Way to be brave. Biggest hugs.
Maya
Thank you so much Maya. It’s a tough road and I just don’t want to comprise my time with my family or friends or the work I’m so blessed to be given. I completely love and adore you dear friend and you are often in my thoughts. xoxo Karista
I hear ya! I’ve lost interest in all of it and barely keep my Instagram account afloat. And you know what? It’s awesome! 🙂
It is! I couldn’t agree more. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I just popped over to your blog and WOW! I found this amazing Mexican chocolate mousse so I shared on my Facebook page. Looks so yum! 🙂
Such an eloquent post Karista. Definitely understand where you’re coming from and applaud you for being honest and true to where your heart lies! I’ve thought about leaving Facebook, twitter and various other forms of social media on many occasions. I get very sick of it all, both in terms of my blog accounts and personal ones… I won’t get into it too much on here but just know that I (like many others) hear you, lovely, and want to give you a big virtual hug! I do still maintain accounts, a little sporadically but I’m hanging in there. I often resent the fact that it takes time away from my family and (perhaps most importantly) invades some of my precious time for self care, so maybe I’ll follow your direction with time. Anyway, just want you to know that you’re amazing, thanks for sharing your decision with us. Love what you do Karista xx
Laura thank you so much for your kind and heartfelt words. I hear you, we can’t let the demands of social media steal more time than we can give because it certainly doesn’t give back what we put in. It feels a bit freeing to not worry about it and simply post when I feel like it and want to share. It feels bit like the joy to my work has returned. I wish you all the best and huge success my dear!! xoxo karista