What incredible takeaways, Lucas. I’m glad the episode sparked so many thoughts and ideas! I love the idea of your cookbook, and it’s so important to have a vision for what you want to create that you can work towards.

We’re so glad you enjoyed the episode!

Thanks for listening, Judy! It’s so great to hear more about your journey, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for you.

We’re glad you enjoyed the episode, Wei! And that was one of my favorite takeaways as well. Just such an important reminder that we don’t always keep in mind.

I think that aspiring food bloggers and chefs alike get disoriented by the notion that the work will fill the allotted space of the idea. We all do. The effects of social media, has heightened our reflex of weighing our own self worth to those of successful people we idealize. We dream of story points we desire to be a part of our own narratives, without actually building upon our own character.

In a very real sense the ability to choose your path or pursuing a passion -with the hope of someday integrating a sustained income- is a privelege. It’s something I don’t recognize as often as I should. I am very grateful to have a place to stay during these debilitating times, an amazing partner, and enough income to pay my bills.

The long and short of my interest with food writing it is that I want to publish a cookbook on north Brasilian cuisine, foodculture, and history. Along with the reasons mentioned in the podcast: tangibility, credibility, legacy, there is a deficit of awareness in the ancient history, technologies, food systems, and environmental prowess sustained by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. There is a lot of violence going on right now. Brasil is pushing hard against the constitutional rights and protection of the Amazon and its people…

However, in reality I have no platform, I have no publications, training, or “past evidence” indicating future success in the plane of writing. I need work, a good teacher, and a consistent practice. A decade goes by and I may have something that could qualify as qualification. How can I serve and protect what I love in the time it takes to fulfill this aspiration? Do I want to be an activist? Or a record keeper?

Love this so much, Shannon!

“Future success is based on past evidence” — I just might have to print that out and put it above my desk. Such an awesome reminder to keep in mind!

That’s amazing, Lori! I definitely feel like I’m always learning something new from Dianne 😊