Ask The Expert: Em von Euw

Em von Euw is a blogger, author, and is best known as This Rawsome Vegan Life on Instagram. With over 100,000 followers on Instagram, a unique view on life, and a meteoric rise to fame, the author of three vegan-specific books has been sharing their favourite recipes online since 2011.

What does your morning/evening routine look like?

I often have much difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, but once that happens, I sit outside (or inside if it’s cold) and meditate while I sip warm water with a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Following meditation, I will make a mug of adaptogenic chocolate non-dairy milk and do some gentle yoga from YouTube (mostly yin these days, which involves long-held poses for building and releasing energy). I favour Yoga Upload, or Dr. Melissa West’s channel. By this time I am hungry so I’ll make breakfast depending on what I feel like eating. As part of my recovery for ED, I practice Intuitive Eating and it has changed my life. After breakfast, I get on with the day!

My evening routine begins in early night; I make a point to get away from screens if possible, and do activities which settle me down for sleep. These include reading, writing, drawing, listening to calm music, meditating, or sipping a non-stimulating drink. I brush and floss my teeth, scrub my skin with a dry brush, shower, then moisturize with non-scented, non-dyed product, and get into bed. I appreciate propping my knees up with a pillow so my lower back is relieved of some pressure, and if it’s cold, I put a heat pad in bed with me. Sometimes I do gentle stretches. I love turning on my essential oil diffuser and diffusing calming oils like lavender. If I have trouble falling asleep, I will do a guided sleep meditation from YouTube, and/or wear an eye mask and ear plugs.

What is your favourite Tahini recipe?

My fave tahini recipe couldn’t be simpler: I drizzle a little tahini over a gooey, sweet, pitted Medjool date. It reminds me of halva or sesame fudge.

Who do you most admire? Why?

I admire my friends most, when I get to see them continue growing into the people of their dreams. I admire these humans most because I know them most intimately and can deeply empathize as they move through life and all its trials and joys. They inspire me and keep me alive.

What’s your favourite quote? Why do you identify with it?

Any page from Richard Wagamese’s book, Embers, carries big words of inspiration. His words have allowed me to take a gratitude practice seriously and become dedicated to thankfulness in each moment. Additionally, while I am not religious, I love the words of Saint Catherine of Siena: “All the way to heaven is heaven…” This sentiment reminds me sacredness is all around us and this world is a miracle and a gift to be part of. Don’t know if that’s what she meant by it, but that’s what I get out of it! 🙂

What are your top three tips for building a loyal Instagram audience & how can a budding influencer implement them?

Historically, I thought to be “successful,” I had to conform to what I believed people wanted from me. I tried to pretend I was straight, mentally healthy, happy, and just a fun and funny person. NOPE. These days I realize I deserve – and my audience deserves – for me to be my full authentic self. That is, trans, anti-capitalist, struggling, neuro-divergent, and confused!!! I allow myself to be vulnerable and honest on my blog and social media channels. The people who value this stay with me and bring more friends along. The people leave who don’t want to see me living my life, and that is fine! I believe being genuinely who you are is important for “success,” as is engaging with your audience in a consistent way. Finally, you do need to post regularly to keep an audience engaged. I gotta work on this. It’s ironic that I’m a blogger and social media influencer who doesn’t really like phones or computers. Oops.

Follow Em:

Instagram: @thisrawsomeveganlife

Website: www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com