This post has been a long-time coming; it just took a pandemic, and my life being flipped upside down for me to get to the point of writing it.
The time has come to say good-bye to Naturally Ella (and hello to a new website: erinalderson.com).
This won’t be immediate- I still have content left to share this year and I want people to have time to grab recipes they might want to keep, which is why I’m announcing this now.
It’s been a hell of a run. Something that started as a side-project my senior year of college pushed me into a career I had no idea was even possible. The site helped me fall in love with food, vegetables, and inspiring others to have fun in the kitchen.
Over time, I’ve dug deep into my presence on the internet and how that aligns with things I believe. I know I don’t owe anyone an explanation, but I’m one for a bit of transparency (and I know quite a few of you have been around for many years). The truth is, I’ve been running some form of this website for 13 years, and it’s only been in the past months I’ve been able to slow down to consider the impact of all these years.
Here’s what you need to know
The important news: on January 1st, I’ll be stopping any new blog content on Naturally Ella, and on March 31st, the website will shut down. I still have some content to finish up over the next three months. In the next few months, I’d recommend saving the recipes you might want to keep. I’ll be moving the recipes I love most to the new site, but a good chunk of recipes won’t be making an appearance.
The new site, you ask? I’m keeping it simple and just being me: erinalderson.com.
If you’re ready to come on this journey with me, you can follow me on Instagram and/or sign-up for my new newsletter. I won’t be bringing any emails with me, so you won’t hear from me again as Naturally Ella if you’re currently subscribed once this site closes down in March.
I also started a Patreon to offset some costs. I’m keeping it simple, though: for $5 a month, I’ll be sharing my off-the-cuff dinner recipes with Patreon members. These will be rough recipes, at least once a week (but probably more) that I often get asked about on Instagram. Members will be able to ask me questions about the inspiration as well.
Why am I doing this?
For better or worse, this site has mostly been just me over the years. It’s never really felt like ‘a brand,’ and I’ve always been hesitant to call myself an ‘influencer.’ Of course, Naturally Ella is a brand, and I am an influencer (we technically all are, I just happen to be in this space).
However, the all-or-nothing business approach to blogging is exhausting, and not one I’ve been able to feel comfortable in for a long time. I started this site in 2007 to share recipes I was making (not creating) and other things I liked.
Eventually, blogging became something you could make money from, and in return, a push happened to ‘keep people on the site.’ Blogging became about money, SEO optimization, and a race I somehow found myself running without fully understanding why I was even running.
I’ve been fighting this for years. I’ve posted recipes that I wasn’t super proud of in the name of traffic. I fell into the comparison hole and frequently chatted with people about traffic, income, and best practices (not good content). I left my world of academia, and with it, I somehow lost my common sense about what it is to research and understand the world at large. I kept running without looking up.
But, I stopped running for a myriad of reasons and finally looked up to see many things I didn’t like.
For starters, sitting in a haze of wildfire smoke for weeks on end has continued to push me to examine my own life and the ways I contribute to climate change. Yes, corporations are responsible for a large part. Still, there are things in my day-to-day life that need to change: the excess, the reliance on cheap goods, and the sheer amount of plastic I still find myself surrounded by (even after a push away from single-use products).
I’ve asked myself questions like, what is life when there is a heavy push for consumerism and capitalism? What roles do influencers play in pushing these agendas? Influencers are a line-item in advertising budgets. Instead of billboards, it’s Instagram posts. It’s all a numbers game.
I should say, I don’t fault anyone who makes money this way- it’s just not for me anymore. Those companies often require non-competes, which means I’ve often left not able to talk about local businesses I support. It’s also felt wrong to be pushing #ad when so much in the world feels heavy. I’ve thought for a long time; there has to be a different way.
On top of that, I’ve been sitting with what happens when the web is overrun by recipes created for mostly one goal: SEO domination (ie: getting the top result in Google search). Not only do we end up with homogeneous recipes, but those recipes are also white-washing recipes deeply rooted in culture/history.
Food writing and recipes need to be decolonized. Yes, food is always adapting and changing based on migration, but when we work within an industry heavily dominated by white voices, we lose a lot. I’m not a voice that should be telling you how to make jollof rice or ramen, but I know there are many voices out there that should; they just haven’t had the opportunity or platform.
Yes, you can make recipes and ignore the food’s history, but you lose the richness behind what makes a dish that dish. This is something I feel that food bloggers miss the mark on time and again.
Why a new site?
To maybe help explain: I’m the type of person that I start fresh when I get a new phone/computer- never import a back-up. There’s something to be said for starting fresh, and I feel like that’s what I’m doing here. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge over the past decade, and this site no longer feels like me- I’m not Ella.
The new site won’t have ads and won’t have sponsored content. It will just be me, sharing the content I genuinely want to share. Yes, there will be an occasional recipe, but I’ll be focusing less on pushing out new recipes week after week and more highlighting content (recipes/writing) from others, with a large emphasis on BIPOC voices.
Some of this I’ve already started on Instagram, and I have to say, I’ve learned so much and have enjoyed reading a diverse amount of writing. I hope you will find that as well if you decide to follow me along this new path.
Thank you
I appreciate everyone who has made my recipes over the years. It’s been the only reason I’ve kept going. Thanks to my husband. He was the one who originally helped me get the original site online and has been an incredible support system. I feel deeply lucky to have someone support me even when the ideas might seem extremely wild (and not money-making).
I also want to say thank you to Honey (the business). I’ll talk more about them once I’m fully up and running on the new site, but they’ve held my hand a lot through the years and, more recently, helped me take my existing studio brand and turn it into something that felt just like me. I’ve spent so many years feeling like I wasn’t Ella, it feels amazing to have something that does feel like me.
I have no clue what the next few years will hold, and it’s always nerve-racking to say good-bye to something. However, I’ve never been so sure that this is the right decision for me.
Xx,
Erin
Angela says
Well done you, Erin. I look forward to seeing where you take your voice and influence. Best wishes!
Mackenzie says
You are an inspiration!
Alex Thevenin says
Bravo!
Kirsten says
This is courage in its simplest form. The last few months have made many of us re-examine our choices – that you are willing to take action and stand by your principles…thank you. I’ve loved your website for years now but many of the points you’ve raised have occurred to me as well and made me uncomfortable, even as just a consumer. All the best on your future choices and I’ll be following you over to your new site, for sure!
Sunny says
Yours was one of the first vegetarian food blogs I followed! Thank you for all the lovely recipes! I’m looking forward to this new leg of your journey!
Nanna says
That’s really powerful. Good on you to stay true to yourself and be brave enough to change.
Mary says
I have to admit, I didn’t have the intention of reading your email in my inbox this morning but I’m so glad I did. It’s the best thing I’ve read in a long time!! Finally, someone calling out the system and saying No More! I look forward to following your new project with a passion and care for what you will share now that’s it’s not bought by sponsors. This is huge, I’m encouraged by our generation and I hope more will choose to break ties the way you have. Thank you for being honest and vulnerable and being the best thing to land in my email this Friday morning!
Jackie says
Great job seemingly being authentic and giving yourself grace and space! Can hardly wait to read and follow your new creation.
Renae Sutton says
Excellent! I’ve been thinking about the same things you have wrt blog posts, SEO, sponsorship. Good for you for getting out of this race. I look up to you and look forward to continuing to support your work.
Aleksandra says
I have been following you for years, mostly silently. I have always found your writing and your voice unique and beautiful. I applaud you for staying true to yourself and wish you all the best in your future endeavors. I will be definitely following along.
TG says
Thank you for this. This time in our lives is definitely making many of us question a lot of things in our lives. I recently deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts because I don’t agree with where social media is going – the many ads, pushing non-relevant info on us, gathering/selling our data – all in the name of making money. Which I get as it’s a business, but it used to be about sharing our simple stories/photos which I miss. Anyway, I’ll get off my soapbox 😊, Good luck and I look forward to receiving your newsletter!
HS Harrington says
Sitting up here in the smoky North Bay, I can understand your moments of introspection and then, inspiration. Having recently closed my business after 35 years, I can understand the push-me, pull-me of making a momentous decision like yours. It’s difficult, but rarely the wrong one.
Best wishes for erinalderson.com
SallyBR says
Just fantastic, I look forward to your new site. I’ve been blogging for 11 years, and I refused to play the SEO game and never monetized my site. I feel like a dinosaur but nothing beats the thrill I have when I hit “publish” on each and every post because they are exactly what “I” want to share. I’ve never accepted a product or cookbook to review, but have reviewed many cookbooks and things I love. I don’t judge those who play the exhaustive game and that need or want to monetize their site. But nothing compares to the real lightness of following just your heart.
good luck, and I will keep following you
Anna says
I have been following your website and using it for inspiration and ingredients discovery for several years. It is sad that you decided to close it. Yet I’m happy you are starting a new chapter! A big thank you from Germany.
Jamie says
I’m sad to be losing one of the few sites that hasn’t gone full vegan. I’ve been inspired by your posts and wish you all the best.
Rhonda says
Best of luck on the new site, and thank you for all the wonderful recipes over the years! Your site in particular has helped my husband learn to cook (he’s a brats and beans kinda guy) – he finds your recipes approachable and non-frustrating! I’ll be following along on your new virtual home!
Christina says
Yes! How exciting for you!
You, and your new website, are a welcome breath of fresh air and I’m looking forward to your new beginnings.
Thank you for the heads up. I’ll definitely need to print off my favorite recipes!
Amber L says
I’ve been following your site for a few years. I have to say I agree with everything you mentioned here. I follow maybe 10 food bloggers, and I have noticed that a lot of their posts seem similar and forced. Within 2 days several I follow posted a cornbread recipe. Hmmm…seems weird to me! And you can always tell what phrases they are using to reach the SEO goals. My favorite being “You probably have all of the ingredients on hand right now!” or something similar. I started my own blog a couple of years ago and although I was excited about it, I just haven’t had the time/motivation to do the work is requires. My site isn’t making any money and I basically have no followers. Your post makes me think about this and if it’s even something I want to do. Thanks for your recipes and I will continue to follow your journey!
debby says
Looking forward to your new site. Just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your awesome recipes. I’m a pediatrician and tell all my vegetarian teens about your site so they can find new yummy ideas. Thanks again!
Christie Kline says
Hi there. I’m not a commenter and I’m obviously late to the announcement, but I want to be sure to let you know, I’ll follow you over to your new site. I’ve always enjoyed your content. It’s simple and healthy, exactly what I’m looking for. Cheers, and best of luck with the reimagining.
S Bishop says
Best wishes on your new journey! I think it is a wonderful decision! Looking forward to your new site.
J says
Hey i’ve been following this blog for years and while i’m sad to see it go (but thanks for the forewarning so we can save stuff), i just wanted to say i really respect your decision and it’s honestly very refreshing to see a white blogger in your position not only admit your privilege but make an honest attempt to use your platform to uplift BIPOC voices and content. Good luck
Jenny says
Thank you for all these years of advocating for natural simple homemade foods. I will definitely follow you to your next project.
I have a favor to ask. I get lost in all the recipes presented…it would be great to have a ´´best of ella ´´ list prior to the website’s shut down…is this possible?
Thanking you once again,
Jenny
Erin Alderson says
Great idea! I’ll work on that.
Janet Goff says
Erin,
Thank you for your honesty, for caring about our environment, and for being a thoughtful and kind human.
I’m looking forward to being a part of your new community.
Wishing you the very best,
Janet