and just like that… It’s 2025.
Over the past few months, I’ve been knee-deep in R&D for LivingWuji—not so much in the sense of gaining followers or creating viral content, but in aligning it with every part of who Mike and I are. For instance, am I the kind of person who meticulously writes down every recipe, stressing over accuracy and legibility? Or do I embrace shooting from the hip, letting the process flow from my heart? Spoiler: it’s the latter.
Cooking is one of my favorite creative outlets, not just for the soulful satisfaction of enjoying the end result, but for the joy of the process itself. Yet, I’ve found that when I start pausing mid-flow to jot down mental notes or chase perfection, I lose interest. The same goes for learning new skills like videography or content creation—it’s exciting but can feel overwhelming when I get bogged down by all the shoulds.
As I looked back on LivingWuji’s evolution over the last five months, I had a realization: sharing insights and using food as a medium, aligns so much more with my heart. I love the challenges it brings to all facets of creativity—Whether it’s mastering the art of color grading, refining my storytelling as a wordsmith, or honing my skills as a narrator—these are all things I’ve been eager to develop for myself.
Filming the steps is documentation enough for me on the recipe side of things. But I know if I focus solely on food, I risk losing myself trying to match others’ work in this space. That’s not a long-term investment I’m interested in.
So here I am, January 1, 2025, setting the tone for LivingWuji: a safe place for stories, experiments, and flow, with reflections on how life, like food, is best served when seasoned with soul.
In fact, this project, for me personally, started as just that—a place to “talk” to my kids. I find that Sometimes, I have so much to share, but the timing just isn’t right for a deep conversation. LivingWuji is my way of sharing what’s on my heart, the wisdom I’ve gathered, the stories I want to pass on, without the pressure of “when.” It’s an archive for them—a space where they can always come back to me, my words, and the lessons I’ve learned. recipe to their childhood favorites included! Remembering that it’s ultimately for my boys keeps me grounded in the process. Because of the nature of our relationship, they’ll always know if I’m being genuine or not, which challenges me to show up authentically. If not, i can count on them to call me out on it. In turn, this journey has become full of growth for me—learning to truly put myself out there, whether that’s through food, storytelling, or experimentation.
Since starting 5 months ago, the growth has been incredible. On Instagram, we’ve gone from just 3 followers and 14 posts in August 2024 to 34 followers with most reels now getting over 300 views with engagement growing steadily! We have a list of achievements to accomplish, but the fact that we’re able to get traction without it done is amazing! On TikTok, we’ve experienced exceptional momentum, with reels consistently gaining views, follows and engagement! The retention rates have been strong too, with a good percentage of people watching the full video.
We started YouTube in October and made an even bigger leap, hitting 28,274 views and growing to 79 subscribers by the end of 2024. One of our shorts landed 6865 views, with an impressive 56.2% retention rate. Our top 10 shorts ranges between 1000-6000 views with an average of 50% retention rate. I’m thrilled by how this community is growing, all without any paid promotions or boosting from friends and family—just organic growth, which speaks volumes about the authenticity of this journey.
For me, this isn’t about perfection; it’s about creating meaningful connections through authentic storytelling. It’s about inviting others to join in the process—whether through soulful meals, creative explorations, or embracing life’s experiments with an open heart.
Here’s to the journey ahead—imperfect, heartfelt, and wholly ours.
thanks for being here and cheers to knocking out goals in 2025!
-Theresa
