I had a rather rough start to 2021, I had a brutal breakup from someone I had been seeing on and off for 7 years, but got myself back out there pretty quickly with online dating and found who I thought was then going to be the man for me. I went all in and gave the relationship everything I had. It went well for a bit and he supported me through finding out I was being made redundant. This was the second hurdle of 2021 when baking helped me get through a tough time. Being made redundant forced me into doing more with my baking and so this is where 'The Make and Bake House' began, rather than curling into a ball and sobbing my heart out worrying about having no job, I decided that I would bake from the moment I woke up til late at night, not even giving myself a chance to be sad and feel anxious.
Unfortunately, the relationship I thought was going to be something amazing, turned out to be the exact opposite and for a day or so made me very sad. But 'The Make and Bake House' I could see had the potential to be a success, so a little bit of heart break was not going to stop me pushing forward. In fact if it wasn't for that break up I don't think I would have got any further than it just being a dream.
In the week after the breakup I put everything into creating a brand and forming a small business, I registered as a sole trader, designed a logo, created a website and baked away for hours and hours to build content for the website. I made sure I was part of all the relevant social media platforms and linked them together. Once I had created the website I took it a step further and went on to accept payments for online orders. I must admit I was astonished at how much I was able to achieve in a week. If I could do that then I could do anything.
In that first week I also accepted two of my biggest orders to date, one was for a rose gold themed birthday party and the other was the open day for a new property development, which I have now secured further orders for.
Baking allowed me to have something creative to focus on and take my mind away from any anxiety I was feeling, don't get me wrong it was by no means a miracle cure and I still felt sad at times, but by focusing my attention on something positive, meant that I couldn't physically think about the negatives, because contrary to popular belief, not even women can multitask, it is impossible to think something that may make me low whilst I am thinking about what wonderful creations I am going to make next for my customers.
There are many other times when baking and crafting and generally being creative have pushed me through tough times, I think it helps to create something beautiful that you can be proud of, that will make you smile when it's complete. But however even if you create a mess rather than a masterpiece, don't be disheartened, no matter what it looks like, I bet its still edible, fill your face with that yummy goodness and that is sure to make you smile.
What have you made that has helped you through darker days? I would love to hear your stories if you would like to leave a message for me in the comments.
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