It takes the right recipe to become a successful creative. Some people go through their whole lives trying to figure out their medium, platform or tribe. In this CLAVEL feature, we sit down with Icoy Rapadas to talk about the path of a creative, his headspace, and love of cooking. Because in this case, we think the art of cooking is just as interesting as the meal.
The Set Up
You may have come across his videos with his signature opening, inviting viewers into his condo and talking them through recipes they can whip up after a long day at work. Icoy isn’t just another food content creator, he’s a symbol for people just like him. Bridging the gap between making good food and living an urban lifestyle.
Icoy Rapadas is a food content creator, former corporate professional, and the lead vocalist of Lions and Acrobats. Icoy’s creative journey began in his youth, where he discovered his love for music. He taught himself how to write songs, providing him with his first experience of creating something meaningful. It was during this time that Icoy realized his inherent ability to create.
Fast forward to college where he took up a music course. He finished it and soon realized that he didn’t want music to be his job. His headspace back then was that he didn’t want to be forced to write music that he didn’t personally resonate with. He instead chose to pursue the route of being in a band and having a day job. This is something that’s relatable for most local musicians and a much-needed sacrifice to protect the integrity of his music while being able to afford to live. He admits that this choice was what kept his sanity as a creative.
The Cooking Process
His love for food began around 2017. After recently quitting his job back then, he slowly started to embrace being a “foodie.” Now without a fixed salary and a strong desire for good food, he had to find a balance. This led him to teach himself how to cook, satisfying his cravings and culinary adventures.
His first time of filming himself was during the pandemic, initially out of boredom but in a deeper sense it was a longing for connection during those uncertain times. Putting himself out there through content was a way of reaching out to the world. And because the internet is what it is, the initial reactions to his videos included haters, which eventually led him to stop and reassess. As discouraging as this may sound, reflecting now, he acknowledges that his content was somewhat “cringe,” but he also sees it as a crucial step in finding his unique video-making style. Figuring out what works and fine-tuning his videos to reflect his true self led him to feel more confident about embracing the path of food content creator.
Leap Of Faith
After the pandemic, he found himself creating food content while balancing a day job. His start in content creation provided him with the balance of making money and being creative, which eventually led to bigger things. Some of his early videos caught fire and ended up bringing people together. This locked-in community and the capacity to fund himself solely off his videos gave him the option to pursue content creation full-time.
Much like any new chapter in life, he admits that it was scary at first because there were a lot of questions about sustainability, betting on himself, and overall figuring out how to navigate this new phase. But ultimately, he decided to take that leap of faith, and right now things are looking good for Icoy.
His day-to-day life has changed since he started becoming a full-time content creator. He usually begins his days by planning his content for the week, creating a calendar for shoots and events, and setting deadlines for himself and his clients. He acknowledges that it’s a lot of work, but this approach has helped him apply himself and be fully present with what he’s doing.
Despite his initial fears, he is gradually growing into his role as a full-time content creator and he loves it. He expresses that now it’s like – it’s your face, it’s who you are. If you make a mistake, it reflects you, and if you accomplish something great, it also reflects you.
Serendipity in the Kitchen
A lot of life is lived through forward motion, and because of that, it’s hard to make sense of things as they happen. For Icoy, subconsciously, he thinks he was preparing himself to do something like this.
In 2022, he went to culinary school on a whim, started becoming more adventurous with his fashion sense, and at some point moved to a new place where he’s staying now. All these things just happened naturally, and that’s when he realized he had all the tools to create content. The whole format of his videos wasn’t necessarily forced but more like a serendipitous moment where the universe conspired to put him in a space where he could be himself and still shine.
Now, his comments are filled with questions about his outfit, his home decor, and the kitchen stuff that he uses. It all made sense somehow. It was a culmination of all the things he’s interested in, just presented on a bigger platform with a wider audience. People gravitate towards his authentic take on everyday food. They are fans of how he curates not just his recipes but everything around him as well.
Home Cooked Content
His inspiration for cooking comes from other content creators such as Olivia Tied, Justin the Dustbin, and Cabagges, but it was really the food at his home that truly resonated with him. A lot of his early videos featured his family’s cherished recipes that he mixes with the concept of necessity. Learning how to get creative with whatever he found in his condo and fridge, turning simple ingredients into something interesting and sometimes even sentimental.
More than cooking food, he enjoys cooking deals with partner brands. It’s a rare sight but as a professional creative he enjoys the process of figuring out how to authentically partner up with brands for his content. He takes pride in putting effort and adding his own flavor into his campaigns because he genuinely cares about the brands that he partners with. Making sure that there’s a fighting chance that he and his clients both win.
His signature “boogsh” serves as a signal for his audience that the video is sponsored, and Icoy believes that his viewers appreciate this transparency. It’s his way of honestly acknowledging, “bayad ako dito ah.” But admits that even if it’s branded, it’s still entertaining, and more importantly it’s still him.
The Journey So Far
The path of a creative can sometimes be daunting, having to fill different roles and dealing with different experiences. However, for people like Icoy, it’s a necessity to go through the motions and realistically figure out what works best for them. It’s a simple parallelism—finding oneself and in turn providing a sense of value to other people.
Looking ahead, Icoy is excited to work on more brand collaborations, and more features on community eateries, focusing on above-average food that people can afford. Catch Icoy’s journey on Instagram and Tiktok.
