2020 – Year In Review

Wow, I can’t believe it’s December 32nd, 2020 already!

Wow, that’s not funny…but it sure feels like it. 🥴 I’m yearning for the times of B.C.: Before COVID. Remember friends and physical interactions? Yeah. Me too…barely…

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This year has been one of incredible hardship. Being immunocompromised AND working full-time in infection control in NYC has caused me to view this pandemic through an incredibly unique lens. While staying inside, working on a LOT of data (both COVID and non-COVID-related) and attempting to stay sane, the desire blossomed inside of me to return to my – admittedly – neglected blog.

Starting to write again was good for my mind, if anything. It helped me think things through, it helped me pivot, and it helped me feel a creative spark that was momentarily lost.

Let’s take a looksie here…

Seek Satiation’s Accomplishments in 2020

• I’ve had a total of eight paid collaborations this year. They consisted of either alcohol or bread, which just seems par of course for 2020: people wanted drinks and comfort carbs!

• I made a comfortable four-figures in additional income from paid collaborations, recipe development, and creating content for other brands. In 2019, I made about $800 between sponsored posts and recipe development for others, which isn’t bad, but it’s good to strive for more. This year proved that putting in the work is worth it. Look for a in-depth blog post later this month on how I’ve accomplished this! I have a few additional token thoughts regarding this:
  • I create and make additional income off of things that you – the viewer – do not explicitly see on my Instagram or this blog. You have seen my photography in other places that you probably have not realized off the bat! Contracts allow me to say – and not say! – certain things I’ve done, so I’ll leave an air of mystery. 👻
  • Remember: Having “x” amount of followers on Instagram should not = an inability to make an income off of your content creation. As of the moment I type this, I have ~3.7k followers on Instagram. Yet, I have created content for an Anheuser-Busch brand and Walmart this year. Why? I have relatively high organic social media engagement from my COMMUNITY – not just followers! -, a dedicated following on this blog, I produce appealing content, and inject my authentic voice into my copy.

• Working from home has been stressful, but it got me back into my groove of paying attention to the blog. I fell back on Instagram a lot in late 2018 – 2019 because of ease of use. Come April, when I was a home working but was trying to find an outlet to channel my restlessness through, I remembered, “Oh! Right. I’ve got this website.” I broke out of my comfort zone: I originally only posted recipes on Seek Satiation, but I branched out to post about other things in the wider content creation universe that I love, such as speaking on my personal blogger experience & advice + showing support for local food & drink businesses I adore. This opened up conversations, new connections, and – importantly – increased blog traffic. (Ha! I had to say it.)

• I learned that “NO” is not a bad word. Saying “YES” to everything is weak, and I used to be that person. I used to take on too many opportunities; namely, I took on too many free opportunities thinking, “This exposure will be good for me!” I realized my worth, but I also realized that you can’t pour from an empty glass. Due to my job and its higher demands during this pandemic, I did not accept any paid collaborations between June and October, and that was a wise decision on my end. I regret nothing!

• My work with Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen took on extra importance & urgency this year. As many of you know, I’ve been a media volunteer for them since 2018, helping get out the word and raise funds for their annual Farm To Tray charity gala; that pivoted to me becoming a Holy Apostles Hunger Ambassador. This year – in an incredible pivot – the event was fully virtual and a success, despite this pandemic. I joined in on this year’s Fast – A – Thon and fasted in solidarity with all of those affected by food insecurity; many of HASK’s guests eat one meal a day, and I did as they did. Through social media postings and cold calling – or, perhaps, cold DMing – I was able to raise more than $1,500 in 2020 between the two fundraisers, and I was able to make a few contributions of my own. Combating food insecurity is of great importance to me, and I am glad to be in the fight against it. I look forward to working with HASK for a long time to come.

Who knows what 2021 will bring? One, I know I’ll be typing “20201” for a while because typing “2021” is something I have to think about now due my my muscle memory. Ha!

This pandemic will not be over until closer to the end of 2021, surely, so I still plan to the usual: Not eating out, not traveling, keeping myself as safe as possible through proper hand and respiratory hygiene, supporting restaurants and food businesses through direct ordering, supporting & promoting my favorite BIPOC-owned businesses, supporting my fellow creatives and especially BIPOC creatives to make sure their voices are heard loud & clear in this oft-crowded social media space, and getting as much socially-distanced fresh air as I can.

Oh, and I’ll continue to grow Seek Satiation. Eh, why not?

Mask up, stay home, stay safe, y’all.