You know what’s all the rage? Food blogging. Wait… right?
This week marks the 10th year that I’ve showed up in this humble space as Joy the Baker. Ten full-on years. Can you believe it?
Here’s what I knew in 2008 when I started Joy the Baker: nothing. More accurately, I knew how to teach myself to navigate the kitchen with a recipe, and I knew I wanted to share that with no one / everyone (aka the Internet).
I knew I wanted to be a baker as evidenced by the fact that, at the time, I was one- working in one of those aggressively lit kitchens where your eyelashes fuse shut if you’re wearing mascara and open the giant deck oven too quickly.
In 2008 I knew that I was a rubbish wedding cake decorator (still am). I knew I wanted to share recipes and stories around food. I knew that there was a space on the internet where, for very little money you could create food and stories and shout into a void with the low, but present chance that someone might shout back. Aka, you could completely disrupt the small world of food magazine based food writing if you just kept at it. So here we are.
In ten years we’ve shared five kitchens: All The Kitchens We’ve Lived In. I’ve been in between 5 and 7 romantic relationships though as some point I decided to spared you most of those silly details. You’ve moved with me from California to Louisiana. I’ve written three cookbooks and you’ve come out for three book tours. There’s TRON, the largest cat this side of the Mississippi. And there have been countless incredible opportunities and friendships that have emerged from this space that just blow me away.
Ten years and it’s all just process. Everything and still.
Here are 10 things I’ve hustled together after ten years as a food blogger:
• Good grief…. be authentic. That means: be yourself, don’t use the word ‘branding’ in a sentence about yourself, and in general- try to use less sentences about yourself. I’m so much more comfortable when I’m just myself and talking about cats and Real Housewives and butter ratios.
• Always learn something new. Listen, I figure if I want to learn how to shove banana pudding into a freshly fried doughnut, you might want to learn too! I’ve recently mastered bagels and I’ll show you what I know soon. Important: Banana Cream Pie Doughnuts.
• Keep it loose, keep it tight. Things are always changing. I wake up at least once a week and wonder if blog life is over and it’s time for me to open a B&B or start bagging groceries at Whole Foods because if so, NO PROBLEM LET’S GO! Creating a career on the Internet is slippery and the key to holding on is not holding on too tight.
• Quality over quantity. Guess how much garbage there is in the world? Plenty. No need to add to it. Let’s just save everyone some time.
• Have some respect for peoples’ time, money and energy. I think a lot about what it takes when you decide you’re going to try a recipe for the first time. Getting to the grocery, finding all of the ingredients you need, fishing your debit card out of the tight slot in your wallet, measuring and chopping, mixing and stirring, wondering if you’re even doing it right…. and then viola! You’re done and maybe a little sweaty, hopefully proud and not disappointed, for better or worse. I hope this space is a tool for you. I respect your efforts.
• You can’t photoshop your way to a good recipe. Listen… if the mini chocolate chips in the cake batter settled to the bottom of the baked cake layers in a chocolate chip cake, sure you can photoshop them to look evenly dispersed- but what good will that do anyone? Well, it’ll make your photograph really popular on Pinterest. What it won’t do is give the person making your recipe a clear idea of how their recipe will turn out because their chocolate chips will sink to the bottom of the pan too and they’ll think they did something wrong and they didn’t…. but they don’t know that and you do.
Pro tip: dust your chocolate chips in flour before folding them into the batter.
• Do what you want to do creatively, even if it feels silly. See: Drake on Cake.
• There is no straight line to a dream. Sometimes, in all honesty, you don’t even know what your dream is until you’re halfway down a road. Persistence. There’s a lot to be said for just keeping on with a thing: persistence.
• Don’t believe the hype or the nastiness. There is plenty of both if you pay enough attention. I keep my eye on the prize and the prize is actually the process.
• Be kind, not nice. Kind people have nice qualities with (very important) clear boundaries. When what you love also becomes your business, kindness is more effective than niceness. In other words, don’t come for me…ya feel me?
• First post: Mis-En-Place.
• Most popular post: Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread.
• My favorite posts are most often unsolicited advice: The 7 Rules of Compliment Club. And I’ll throw these Double Chocolate Sunflower Cupcakes on the list because gosh I still love a sunflower (the perfume included).
Thank you for being here! Thank you for buying my cookbooks and sharing the recipes that you make on Instagram. I mean that most sincerely. I’m really so grateful for you and I’m thankful for this space.
Finally, thank you for being here even though the typos are sometimes ridiculous. Nevertheless, she persisted- you and me both.
xo Joy
Karen Chadwick
Ten years of “JOY”! I love your books, blogs, instagrams and love my Sunday mornings were I get to read your perspective on current events. Congratulations and keep up the Joy!
Victoria Danzig
I wake up every Sunday and snuggle in bed with my iphone reading your blog. I explore all the podcasts and articles that you have pointed us to – thank you so much. I’m a full time Care partner and your Sunday Blog carry’s me and lightens my stress.
Naté Dearden
Wow! Congrats! This makes me feel old…but also very grateful I’ve followed along for most of this journey. Love your observations, adventures, humor, and recipes. Here’s to more of all those good things in the years to come.
Konzi
Hi Joy, I’ve followed your wonderful blog for the last 9 years and proudly own all of your books. So many recipes I’ve tried in my kitchen, I can’t count them all. What I like the most – they all turned out so well, no failure! None! :) Til today your blog is the only one I follow, just because you make such an authentic impression in doing what you love. And you seem to be such a nice person :-).
Congratulations on 10 years and cheers on 10 more to come! xo
Laura Silberman
You are an inspiration AND one of my best recipe resources (cauliflower soup is one recent example). Thank you. As a fellow (4-year) blogger, I’m taking your advice to heart!
CKG
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on your blog, but I love it so and have for years. I went to a signing for your 1st cookbook at a Barnes & Noble in southern CA and it was so exciting!! I’m so happy that your blog is still thriving, you’ve made the coziest home in New Orleans, and are publishing up a storm. You deserve all of the success you’ve worked so hard for and it really is inspiring. Maybe you should have a celebratory episode of the JTB podcast? :D You and your maj remind me of me and my best friend and that podcast was like a big bear hug (from someone you actually wanted one from). Thank you for all that you do and here’s to many more years of your wonderfully refreshing “brand” of humor, kindness, talent, and a bazillion Tron photos. xo
Alicen
I first happened upon your blog a LONG time ago – probably close to the 10 years actually! I can’t believe it has been so long. You are amazing and I love your style! Keep on doing exactly what you’ve been doing!
Anne Taylor
I found your blog through my friend Shawnte in the summer of 2009, and I am so, so happy that she shoved those chocolate vegan avocado cupcakes into my mouth because you’ve been an amazing role model to me and internet-friend, and I’m just so happy “Joy the Baker” is in my life. Cheers to you and all of your successes, Joy! XO
Jessica
Love. And love your very first post too. Thank you.
Warmly (actually cold – lol) Jessica from Jersey ;-)
Greg
I first started following you in 2011. You have been a delight to read and watch. Your recipes that I have made work as advertised. Love the photos to guide my steps. Also, my wife adores pictures of TRON, and still advocates for him to have his own blog/Instagram in case you ever become a crazy cat lady. ;-)
Thanks for being you and being here, Greg
Suellen
I agree with Adrianne about the kind remark. Excellent. I’ve enjoyed your blog and outlook on life. Even though I am not that into baking, I do pick up tips (I’m more of a savory cook). Thank you, for being you. Cheers to another 10!
Martha
Joy, I just love your writing. Never once do we wonder if you are being authentic and that is just so great! Happy anniversary and here is to 10 more years from your faithful readers! Xoxo ?
Adrienne
Be kind, not nice are great words to live by period. I read something along the lines of “Let’s strive to be kind women not nice girls” somewhere (maybe it was here??) and I keep that in the forefront.
Happy 10 years anniversary! I truly enjoy the voice you bring to the world. X
Dennie
Hi Joy,
I have subscribed to many many blogs over the years but get rid of the ones that don’t contribute to enhancing, education, increasing my knowledge, and enjoyment of cooking. Yours is a keeper. Keep working, you are on the right track.
Judith herring
Been with you from the start, love at first read, tomato cobbler still my fav recipe.
Rianna
Hi Joy, I started reading your blog a couple years in and keep reading because I love it a lot! I know I can trust your recipes, your writing is fun, most everything is delicious, and Tron is the coolest sidekick. Thanks for making the internet a happy place.
Abbi Diego
Happy blogging anniversary!! I’m so glad you started 10 years ago! Thank you!
Sonya
Joy! Happy 10 years. Thank you for brightening my days, filling my belly and thinking up all the things I might want to eat. When I started my public (and not on the internet but unbeknownst to anyone) blog, my first post included a pic with your doughnuts! You’re the reason I own a doughnut tin (I used to live in an Australian country town with no good doughnuts). Just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you.
Rena
Thank you dear Joy, for being here! You are still a huge einrichten for the blogger world and I appreciate that what you learned made you to that expert you are definitely.
With love, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com