BY TROY OSHIMO / Kalamalama Staff
Have you ever wondered how full time students can manage to pursue their passion for content creation in the midst of school?
Meet Alyssa Cortez, a full-time student at Hawaii Pacific University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in hospitality and tourism management. Who is also a full-time content creator in the keyboard and deskgram niche on Instagram.
What is “deskgram?” It is the desk Instagram community that posts pictures and videos about keyboards, desk setups, and cozy video games.
Alyssa, who was drawn to the aesthetic and products in this niche, started purchasing various products to create her own desk setup. She then created her own “deskgram” account, @Alysdesk, in early Sept 2022 and started posting content.
“I enjoyed the aesthetic and products on the posts. I felt that this community best matched my interests,” said Alyssa.
From Alyssa’s perspective, pursuing a passion while being a full-time student is incredibly important because it allows you to find a balance and fulfillment in lids.
Alyssa said, “when you’re passionate about something, it can serve as a source of motivation and inspiration that helps you to stay focused and engaged in your studies.”
Pursuing a passion can help develop valuable skills that are transferable to other areas of your life.
For example Alyssa said, “I learned valuable lessons about marketing, branding, and communication that can be applied to a variety of industries and professions outside of tourism and hospitality.”
Pursuing a passion while being a full-time student can be challenging, and it requires a great deal of time management and discipline. However, the rewards of following your passions and pursuing your interests are immeasurable. It can help you to find greater happiness and success both inside and outside of the classroom.
Alyssa creates static posts and reels of her desk setup and keyboard collection.
Featuring products from various brands like Velocifire Tech and Drop.com. Her most popular post, an Instagram reel showcasing her desk setup, has garnered over 333,000 views, propelling her account to gain 3,000 followers in a short period of time.
Alyssa has collaborated with product brands in her niche, such as Velocifire Tech and Akaps Keyboards, who have sent her products to review or feature in posts.
Brands offer affiliate codes in which she can get commision from.
When asked why she creates content, her decision to start creating content in the “deskgram” niche was driven by her love of aesthetics and design.
Alyssa said, “I was drawn to the unique and creative setups that I had seen in the deskgram community and felt that it was a space where I could express my creativity and share my passion with others.”
Creating content had become a welcome break from her studies and provided a sense of balance in her life.
“I enjoy the process of curating Instagram feeds and find it allows me to explore interests outside of school,” said Alyssa.
Alyssa shared that she wasn’t initially motivated to grow her account, but she gradually put more effort into posting content because of how supportive and helpful the “deskgram” community was.
Alyssa said, “it was a surprise the amount of support that I was receiving from total strangers.”
As a full-time student, Alyssa doesn’t have a set schedule for content creation.
Instead, she makes a to-do list of content that she wants to post and uses her free time outside of school or work to create content.
“I find having a content calendar useful. It allows me to plan out my posts and not worry about shooting, drafting, and publishing content all at one time. Instead I can create content one day, draft it on another day, and have it ready to post whenever,” said Alyssa.
She finds that a to-do list helps her stay on track and ensures that she is making progress toward her goals.
While she always has new content ideas, she makes sure to test them to see if they will benefit her account.
As a full-time student and content creator, Alyssa faces unique challenges requiring her to balance her time and energy between her studies and her passion for content creation.
Despite challenges like finding it hard to post consistently when on break or “burn out,” from creating content for an extended period of time. Alyssa prioritizes quality over quantity.
Alyssa said, “I try to prioritize quality over quantity. Rather than posting just to post.”
Another challenge is staying motivated and inspired. “Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with new and creative ideas.”
But Alyssa has learned to overcome this by staying connected with her audience and engaging with her followers.
Despite the challenges, Alyssa finds the experience of being a full-time student and content creator to be incredibly rewarding.
“I love the sense of being a part of a community like deskgram. They provide me with the opportunity to share my passion with others,” said Alyssa.
While she doesn’t see a big connection between content creation and her school major. “I try to keep it separate.”
She notes that many of the things she does can be attributed to her marketing classes, such as finding out her target audience, performing consumer research, and analyzing consumer statistics. Helping her to create and adjust content that her followers will enjoy.
As for what the future holds, Alyssa hopes her account continues to grow so she can continue to engage with the “deskgram” community and have fun with it.
“I don’t care about the numbers,” said Alyssa. “I just want to continue to engage with the deskgram community and have fun with it.”
She believes that there is always room for growth and improvement.
“I’m excited to see where @Alysdesk will take me in the future,” exclaimed Alyssa.For more insight, follow Alyssa on Instagram @Alysdesk, or email alysdesk9@gmail.com
