My birthday is in May, and last year for my birthday I decided to invest in a few more cake tools. I’ve always made the cakes for my kids’ birthdays, but realizing that I have 5 (almost 6) kids with 18 birthdays at home at least- that’s a lot of cakes! I really wanted to improve this skill, and decided it was time to get a few basics, like a turntable, an icing scraper, and some new frosting tips.

One year later, I’m so glad I decided to take the leap. I have found so much joy from this one simple hobby. I am not a professional by any means, and as the saying goes “the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know”. I have so much learning to do still, and my cakes are far from perfect. But the process of picking a new tasty recipe, layering it together, planning a fun way to decorate it and putting my limited artistic skills to work has actually been really therapeutic and enjoyable for me.


It stretches me out of my comfort zone just enough to be something that feels like it’s challenging me; but at the same time, it’s something which doesn’t feel daunting or impossible. I have made a variety of cakes, and I have truly enjoyed making each one!


I don’t have plans to start an in-home bakery anytime soon, or to do paid orders or anything like that. As a homeschooling mama of almost 6 kids, I have enough on my plate for sure! This is something I’m learning to do purely for me. My kids would be happy with cake mix and store bought frosting. I could pay someone to make themed cakes that would probably be fancier and nicer than mine.


But then I would lose the joy of that creative process. I truly look forward to the times I get to make cake, and sometimes I plan on making one just because I see a recipe that sounds heavenly and I have the creative itch to make something beautiful!


I think everyone needs a creative outlet in life. If you’ve ever read Brene Brown’s book “The Gift of Imperfections”, she has a whole chapter about the importance of being creative- not to create something perfect, but just to participate in the act of creating. There is such a simple and real joy that comes from creating. And it’s actually great for our mental health! She says “There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t. Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear. It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear”. She also talks about not comparing and worrying about if something will turn out perfectly. Just create for the joy found in creating!


Maybe it’s baking a cake. Maybe it’s decorating cookies. Maybe it’s cooking up gourmet dishes. Maybe it has nothing to do with the kitchen! Maybe it’s painting, sketching, knitting, playing a musical instrument, writing poetry, dancing or one of another thousand things. The important thing is to find something that truly brings YOU joy. You don’t do it for other people (though other people can certainly benefit from it and enjoy it), but you do it because YOU want to do it.


What creative hobbies do you have that bring you joy? What projects get you excited? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

    Camille Hoffmann
    Monthly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com