food blogger, gardener, rambunctious coffee fanatic
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Random Thoughts
Thanks for stopping by! I'm taking a creative pause. I haven't posted anything in the past month. I've been too tired/sick/busy to think about writing. Rather than barf uninspired posts to the internet, I'm taking the next month to rest and regain my creative spark. If you need me, email me at j@jlamode.com
-- à bientôt
If you follow my blog (mom), you've noticed a few weeks without posts. Part of this was traveling to Thailand, Guam, Hawaii and Japan; and San Francisco. It was awesome, and I posted some of it to Instagram (scroll back a few weeks).I also started a new Instagram: @rambunctiouscoffee
Recently, however, I've been so very busy that there wasn't time to cook, much less, write. And, even though Instagram and Twitter are easy, there's just no time to post - even less time to interact with you, the audience (mom).
Also, if you follow along on the instantgramz, you know I started teaching. I'm thrilled; it's a dream come true! All the same, curriculum development and class management are so time consuming. And, my full time job takes priority over my blogging.
Then, I remembered this video by Jake Roper:
It's disappointing to run into your limits. But, a full life results in discovering your limits.
For me, finding my limits means I still need to take care of the basics:
As much as I don't like to "be personal" on the blog, I want to share this part of my story.
Be well, friends!
I haven't done a book review in quite a while. This one is noteworthy!
A while ago, I wrote about Austin Kleon's last book, Steal Like an Artist. This one is equally amazing! I literally bookmarked about half of the pages. It's full of wisdom; it inspires.
Kleon writes about one of my favourite things: Ira Glass' explanation of Being Creative (video below). I've found this concept to be so true. I look back at my early work - it's gross, it's only relevant to me and I'm nearly embarrassed by it. But, I shared it anyway - I wanted to share things with the world even if they weren't perfect.
Ira Glass
Sharing something every day involves the audience in the creative process. It gives them a chance to provide feedback and to gain value by watching the content creation process. It also helps the content creator cultivate an understanding of the audience. As much as artists like to express themselves, it's important to understand that fine line between creating for the audience and personal creation. Sharing regularly, even if it's not on a daily basis, is one of the best ways to feed this interactivity.
And, last, something that's aggravated me for some time. When people ask, "Follow me back?" - it's the saddest question on the internet. I don't know exactly what irritates me about that question, but it's kind of like being invited to a party where I wouldn't fit in. Because, if I really liked a person's work, I would have already followed them.
Instead of asking someone to follow you, create irresistible content. And then, Show Your Work!
I get this question a lot, so I thought I'd answer it here. I'm the kind of vegan who always wears leather shoes... a perpetually lapsed vegan. The general trend of my diet is entirely plant-based. On occasion, a sliver of gruyère, a drizzle of honey or a slather of butter enters my victuals. All the same, I think that, if animal products are used, they should be ethically sourced and used with restraint.
"Why do you call yourself a vegan?!?" people ask. They inform me, "If you don't always eat vegan, then you're not vegan at all; you're vegetarian!!!"
That makes sense, but at the same time, it reminds me of a harsh mindset that seems to be pervasive in the vegan community. I have high admiration for strict veganism, but not the hostile disposition. I've gotten some hate from using organic, free-range, certified-cruelty-free, vegetarian-fed chicken eggs.
So how can we invite people to the plant-based diet? First, be passionate about veganism, but don't be scary-crazy about it. We're probably not going to win over anyone to the vegan diet by fanatically grouching at everyone who enjoys a hamburger. Secondly, make good food. No, make great food! So much vegan food is "health food." It's not just bland and boring, it's offensively flavoured and sometimes, literally stinks. Don't try to force veggies into some sort of meat counterfeit. Let the natural food, deliciously, stand on its own! Lastly, remember that everyone is at a different place. Invite people to try your plant-based food and try not to roll your eyes when they ask, "Where's the meat?" Show carnivores how genuinely delicious vegan can be. Be the happy, friendly vegan who inspires others to give the plant-based diet a try.
So that's it. I'm generally a dietary vegan and I'm passionate about showing people that vegan food can be delicious. I hope you're inspired to give it a try! And, no complaining about my leather shoes ;)
Happy 2014! Two years ago, jLAmode started as a two-year-commitment personal blog. It quickly grew into an artistic endeavour. It's a stout challenge to create something new every week, but it's been a very edifying process. Recently, I found this quote by Saul Bass - an icon in the design world - and it defines the essence of jLAmode: "I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares."
The things we create are extensions of our soul. This makes artists particularly vulnerable - we present, not our works for critique, but fragments of our souls. This in mind, it's easy to expect everyone to notice, eagerly anticipate and, invariably, swoon over each new thing we make.
The reality is, everyone is busy making their own thing. And often, since beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, the things we esteem so greatly attract little interest of others. I think Saul Bass was well acquainted with this scenario; I think it inspired his statement. For really, even if nobody cares about the beautiful things we create, it doesn't stop them from being beautiful things.
Happy New Year from jLAmode.
Make beautiful things.
j
I just received a gift from a fellow cooking enthusiast! The Bouchon Bakery
As I write this, I have the Olive Oil Cake (p. 110) baking in the oven. Buy this book - seriously, even if it's just for the photos, even if you just want extra insight into pastry technique - even if you're an expert baker. This book is inspiring.
I just finished reading an amazing book by Austin Kleon. Although the title may suggest (and Picasso profess) that art is theft, the content is focused on inspiration. Artists and humans first imitate and, through the artistic and growth process, begin to emulate. That is to say, after imitation, inspiration, introspection and maturation, we can begin to make new things.
The book also provided real advice to the art-hearted dreamers: Take care of yourself! Sleep, eat healthy, hold a steady job and stay connected to other people. This guy knows what he's talking about. As much as I love to avoid daylight, eat butter-laden French food and enjoy solitude, I agree with him.
Lastly, monitor your progress. Keep track - with calendars and logbooks - of the creative process. This reminds you of how far you've gone and serves as self-competitive motivation.
Buy it: Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
Read it - be inspired.
I decided to take a look back on my first year as a blogger. Generally it's been great! It's a wonderful chance to cultivate creativity and to maintain inspiration. I've also been more focused. Rather than blog about everything I'm working on, or post all my interests to the interwebz, I've been able to put an emphasis on three things (food, fashion and garden). I also have stretched my knowledge and grown as I've posted. I'd say I've expanded my culinary knowledge 30%. I've been inspired by the support of my friends, family and other bloggers.
There have been challenging times. It's not always easy to be inspired - art isn't something that's got an on/off switch. I've also got a real grownup job which always takes priority, so there's not always leisure time for blogging. There've been haters, too - random people who email me just to say how much they hate ... everything.
All the same, it's really been a good year:
Here's to another great year!
J
Last week a great inspiration to jLAmode passed away. Chloé was a fantastic cook, couturière and gardener. She was a constant inspiration and will be greatly missed.
Expect to see recipes and techniques that were learned from Chloé over the next few weeks/months/years... As long as jLAmode exists, it will reflect her inspiration and instilled talents.
A few months ago, I wrote that I was going to take a little break for inspiration. It came in the form of a month-long trek through Europe's finest art museums and sampling the cuisine. Here's some of the highlights:
Countries visited:
