Ayomari is a multi-faceted creative who has spent years honing his craft as a musician and artist. But five years ago, he found himself at a crossroads, craving a different outlet for expression.
What followed wasn’t an easy ascent into food journalism it was a deliberate, often challenging journey of learning a craft from scratch while respecting an industry he had no formal training in.
Today, he writes for publications like the LA Times and Foodbeast, bringing a unique voice to an industry he entered through what he calls “happenstance.”
“A friend of mine who was the editor at one of the publications that I write for had interviewed us previously as a group,” Ayomari explains. His friend had moved to Foodbeast and posted looking for contributors. The timing aligned with Ayomari’s desire to express himself creatively in a different way.
“I have always been into writing my entire life, but I’ve never done it professionally. I just did short stories and stuff as a kid and created my own comic books.”
After letting the idea marinate for a month, Ayomari reached out and submitted a mock article about Beyond Meat. His friend gave him a shot, and he’s been learning on the job ever since.
“I didn’t want to come in and disrespect people who have been working their ass off to be writers for their entire life,” he says. “So over the past five years, it has been me learning the industry and learning the craft.”
What sets Ayomari’s work apart is his willingness to explore unconventional angles of futuristic food technology, historical deep dives, and profiles of independent business owners.
“In the same way that a lot of things that I’m into and a lot of my values come through in music, it’s the same way in the writing,” he explains. His natural interests in futurism and history inform his story selection, while his independent artist background draws him to small businesses.
“I’m really into shedding light on small businesses, small business owners,” he says. “That whole independent energy, that’s where I come from. So I can relate to that.”
His creative process remains consistent across all his work, whether music or journalism.
“It all starts with the why for me,” he emphasizes. “Why am I doing this? What do I want to get across? And what’s really important to me is how can I make whatever I say as accessible as possible.”
This philosophy extends to his writing style. Despite his technical abilities, Ayomari deliberately avoids overly complex language. “Communication is far more important to me than showing how technically advanced I am,” he says. “Language in general is very classist. Just because you can’t speak well doesn’t mean you don’t understand.”
For those wondering how he balances being both an artist and a writer, Ayomari’s answer is simple: “It’s all the same to me when it comes to creativity.”
He doesn’t believe in creative blocks, instead advocating for switching between different practices. “If you reach a block in your writing, then go do something else. Go exercise, draw, or play video games. Just go do something else to shake up that creative energy.”
His breakthrough to the LA Times came through another relationship that he had built through the music duo he is a part of Tiron and Ayomari, whom he’d known for years.
He waited before reaching out to her. “I wanted to make sure that I had the confidence before I reached out to her,” he explains. That patience paid off, allowing him to sharpen his craft and understand the different voices required for different publications.
While food influencer culture has exploded on platforms like Instagram, Ayomari remains skeptical about that path for himself.
“I could see the performative aspect of it, and I don’t really like that,” he admits. “I don’t like sitting there eating food and acting like it’s the best taste of food. A lot of times it ain’t the best taste of food.”
His advice for aspiring food journalists? “Don’t forget the why. Be flexible, be open to trying different things. Assess your interests, what am I into that I’m into even if I’m not getting paid?”
Most importantly, “Respect the space. You could just have people open up doors all day, but treat people nice because you never know when y’all might connect in the future.”
For Ayomari, food journalism isn’t just about the food, it’s about the stories, the people, and staying true to what matters most.
