Two Sides of Tara

and confidently describes herself as, “many things.” An agreeable definition, seeing that she juggles content creation, her undergraduate studies and a full time job. With each element of her life, comes a different persona. The content creator is critical, bossy, and entrepreneurial, while as a student, she is often quiet, put together and does what is expected of her when it should be done. Tara goes on to explain that she can be waking up at 5am to create her content in her DIY bedroom studio or be the last one drinking until the early hours of the morning.

As we get to know her throughout the interview, her witty and fun side often comes out, as she narrates to us stories from her childhood and how she began her journey in photography at a young age. As is with any journey, she often faced obstacles along the way that she battled into her adulthood. She would often find herself hating her skin or certain features in her body due to beauty standards that are often impossible to attain or unrealistic.

In the years that she’s been an influencer in Kenya, she notes that many of her peers are compelled to put up a show to maintain their positions. She humorously narrates to us how she recently posted on her social media a story of her eating githeri, a traditional meal of beans and maize that is often looked down upon. “We know you don’t eat sushi daily!” she declares as she bursts into a cheeky laughter. The lines between authenticity and fakeness are blurred as influencers try to stay relevant while ensuring they are relatable with their audience. As a content creator that mainly creates food content, she often visits new and already existing restaurants in search for the perfect experience.

Her favorite spot in Nairobi is the Matbronze Gallery in Karen- an art gallery that specialises in sculptures but also has a restaurant. As a lover of sushi, she has explored the food scene in Nairobi but Tokyo restaurant has her heart. “Their sushi is just different, they are generous with their sashimi cuts” she describes, the passion with which she describes her food is easily picked out during the conversation that often veered off the questions we set aside. She introduces me to Embark Restaurant in Karen, a place she wishes to visit for their gastronomic experiences and well planned seven course meals.

her ability to create ASMR-like videos that not only leaves you wanting to eat out of your screen (if it were possible), but also leaves you feeling so happy and relaxed. She plans on creating more content that delivers an immersive experience that shows a more than physical connection with her muses- the food. Her daily logs on Insta Stories deliver everything from behind the scenes footage of her shoots, to the simpler things like her enjoying a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Her content constantly reminds us that behind the screen, is just a normal human being living life just like we do. She tries to be as personal and real with her content as she knows the importance of authenticity.

Studios in Nairobi often do not meet the needs of content creators in Nairobi in regards to the props and set ups they put out. So Tara plans on creating a studio that offers a full experience with rooms that carry different themes and concepts to meet any needs that a creator may have. She also wants to own Airbnbs and create experiences for guests that are unlike any we are accustomed to in the country. When asked on whether a 9 to 5 is part of her goals, “I’m happiest doing my own thing”. In the end, Tara is a free soul who knows how to have a good time when she is with her friends and enjoying her tender years. We are excited to see her pave her road and grow into her many facets.

she recounts. From the concepts to the shoots, she has experienced a shift in paradigm to accept things that she would not be comfortable with and enjoy everything we have worked on together.

She appreciates the role that YM Life will play in helping other creators through the content delivered and the platform being offered to share the same.