You're doing what?!?

I think I may have caught some by surprise when I seemingly out-of-the-blue announced that I was thinking of putting aside my graphic design career to start a new one in cake decorating. I'm not exactly known for spending much time in the kitchen, but I do enjoy baking when the mood strikes me. Not to mention that I have a killer sweet tooth.

What many people didn't know is that I always thought it might be fun to decorate cakes for a living and actually wanted to do that as my first job when I was in high school. I've spent most of my life drawing and designing, so cake decorating seemed a natural fit. I had no experience or training in that area though, so I ended up working my first job as a cashier at Michael's Arts and Crafts (not a bad gig —I got great discounts on expensive art supplies). Yes, I was one of those art nerd people in high school and even a little bit in college. Since it's virtually impossible to make a career out of doodling, I chose to study graphic design/production art instead.

A case of the Mondays...everyday
This brings us to where I am now. Ten years of designing using mouse clicks and drags had become a bit of a drag. I've grown a little weary of being tethered to an office chair and trying to find inspiration while surrounded by office drama and staring at a glowing monitor. I started to worry that if I didn't escape the world of office drudgery soon, my passion for design might be snuffed out entirely. So I decided to quit my job and take a little time to figure out what I wanted to do with my career.

Back to School
That's when I started reconsidering the path not taken, a path paved in frosting. When I got stressed out at work, I would often joke with my coworkers about quitting and decorating cakes instead. It hadn't dawned on me yet that that was what I actually wanted to do. I guess what they say about there being an ounce of truth in every joke is true. Now I'm actually pursuing this path! I've applied with the Culinary Academy of Austin and will start their Pastry Arts Program on November 2nd and will have my certificate 6 months later. I feel excited, driven and inspired — things I hadn't felt in quite some time now. I got my fire back and I'm ready to take on the cake decorating world with frosting guns a-blazing!