Recently I was invited to be part of an international cake collaboration, for the Steam Cakes- Steampunk Collaboration and loved it!. Due to this opportunity, I had the chance to interact with Cake Designers from all around the globe and receiving their feedback was a blessing for me, working from home and in a very privet way makes you think of yourself as a little tiny dot in the cake design universe, and so many talented people that I admire took a chance to say something nice about my piece that it really warmed my heart.
Feeling blessed for all that, I realized that the feedback coming from international artists and local artists was a bit different if not absent.
Sorry if I am being to forward with this comment, but couldn´t help to come to this conclusion because it is actually a fact.
So it makes me wonder…
How do we see ourselves as cake designers? How do we see other cake designers?
The answer for me is easy…
I am my biggest competition!, I have to be better than yesterday, I have to improve my skills, I have to learn more and become the best I can be.
Others are sources of inspiration, are teachers on their own way even if they don´t know it, are role models, others have to be recognized for their talent because they are doing it for us, for our admiration and entertainment.
So, what is wrong with this equation?
When we mistake admiration for envy.
Envy comes from a place of ignorance, when you are not sure about yourself, in this thought is easy to knock down others than to make yourself meet their standards and even become better ( but for your own happiness) not to become better than…
Admiration comes from a peaceful place, where you can be humble enough to recognize other´s talents and strong enough to recognize that there is always room for improvement.
My point with this post is that it has to stop. If we want to grow in any activity or as cake designers, we have to grow together!
If we all lift each other up, there will be a lot of us on the top, therefore the cake design of any country and any place will be important.
Whoever is talented will always be talented and there will always be people that will stand up from the crowd, but TOGETHER we will make our country, area, group or school important.
From all my teaching years, all the time that I´ve been making cakes and meeting so many different people, the common denominator is to be better than…to have what others have…to be above the rest. Sorry, for me that is just wrong.
But…I have also found amazing people, humble in heart, extremely talented and super friendly that has thought me to be a better version of me, that have worked together with me, that have helped me when I needed it, that today are more than fellow cake designers, they are my friends!. And for them, talented enough, everyone on their own path and pace, I have to be better.
Please, let´s bring each other to the top, let´s be the best we can be, let´s just admire the good work and effort that everyone makes.
Hope you like it, so please comment, share and subscribe!
Love,
Cristina
Cristina Arévalo- The Art Cake Experience 