Food blogging is a language of self-expression

The truth is that I love talking with our customers, no matter if the dialogue occurs via interviews, e-mails, Facebook reviews or tickets, I always feel I still have plenty to learn. However, there’s no doubt that the approach that fits best my style is linked to storytelling. That’s why going in-depth and having a solid image of the creatives who buy our work is my favorite way of discovering their stories.

Today I have the pleasure to share with you an inspiring journey from Tina, a food creator with a taste for good music and all kinds of culinary experiments. She uses Gema, a flexible WordPress theme that she made it look stunning for her drooling recipes. Most important, Tina loves what she does on a daily basis, and that’s great since people like her keep our wheels spinning.

Ladies and gents, grab a coffee or tea and enjoy our conversation.

What makes Tina-Tina?

Puh, just a tough start for this conversation…I think my friends would say that my authenticity and honesty are the most important characteristic. I am pretty clear in my visions and I know exactly what I want and expect from others. This is not always easy, especially for my friends and family.

The “ugly truth” can be very tough and – of course – it is not the easiest way but on the other hand you will always know where you stand with me. And this is, especially in this “fake times”, the most important thing between friends, family, and in general all relationships.

You’ve been playing violin since you were two years old. How come?

I started playing the violin because of a animatic movie which I saw as a young child: Mole.

The little mole had a friend, a grille, which was playing the violin in one episode. Since I saw it playing I started to act with two wooden sticks that I was playing the violin too. So my mom decided to search for a possibility for me to learn it. I was the youngest child my teacher ever taught, so this was an exciting time, also for him.

How does classical music with food get along?

I am not aware whether there is a connection between classical music and food, but both can be really artistic disciplines, dependent on “which level” you practise. Despite I cook and bake a lot, and I do it more often than playing the violin, playing music is my greatest passion.

Where comes this passion for delicious food?

It started early, when I was a child. My mom, despite she was working all the time, did never serve any convenience food to me. So I learned in early days that cooking and eating healthy, fresh and good food is not a time-problem but depends on effort and convincement. In my teenage times I started to experiment in the kitchen by myself and when I moved out I cooked fresh food for me every day.

When you pay attention to something in such an intensive way it is a logical step to get better and better and be more and more passionate about good food.

How would you describe your creative process in the kitchen?

It really depends. Sometimes I just look in the fridge and try to combine what I find. On other days I plan my meals meticulous. Independently it starts with a small idea which I either saw on another blog or cookbook or comes spontaneously in my mind. Based on that I build the small idea until it becomes a plan.

What do you enjoy most: cooking, photographing, food styling?

I cannot say that in general. There are some times I love to cook or to bake and after that I am annoyed to shoot the prepared food afterwards (this is the thing with hot cooked stuff: the food blogger eats cold most of the time).

Sometimes it is the other way round and I am so excited about the styling and photographing that it cannot wait until the food is ready. Most times I enjoy every step, especially with food where it doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold.

Who are the people who read your food blog?

Unfortunately I do not know them personally, but most of them do want to cook in a superior way. Some of them just want to experiment with unknown spices, meat cuts or special ingredients.

I communicate with them via the blog comments, Instagram and Facebook. Social media is the most important way to get to know your audience a bit better.

Why do you think social media is the most essential way to get to know your audience?

I am not sure whether it is the most essential way to get to know my audience, but, at the moment, it is obviously the easiest way to communicate with it. I think the most important thing is, to let your audience get to know you. So, for instance, by using Instagram stories show them my everyday life.

Unfortunately it is not possible to get to know thousands of people via Internet, but instead I can give them the chance to get to know me a bit more.

How do you know people find your content valuable?

Because they tell me. The most beautiful compliments are messages where people are telling me that they struggled with something and managed to make it work because they tried my recipes. I get these messages via e-mail, social media messages and it always make me smile.

I don’t ask one special person what kind of recipes he or she wants to see, but of course it happens that readers ask you something and I build a plan out from this idea.

Could you make a profile of the person who consumes your content?

No, there are so many different people who love to see, cook and bake my recipes and because I do also have so many different recipe types on my blog, the reader profile could be wrong. But, what I can say is that more than half of my audience is male which is very unusual for a female blogger.

What motivates you to be part of a community of food bloggers?

That’s easy: motivation! I love what I do, but – of course – everything is far better if you can share it with others.

Connect to food bloggers and you will get the best tips, and you will also find people who are crazy about the same things as you are. That’s brilliant.

Additionally to get confirmation for your work and to hear that your passion is touching people’s emotions are the greatest compliments. The possibility to give and receive. Whether it is ideas, insider tips, advice or anything else. Give something and get something.

Tina found her food path not by having a long-term super plan or by trying to demonstrate something. Instead, she fuelled her passion for good looking and great tasting food and was not afraid to experiment, fail, try it again, everything while sharing her journey with the world. If you too want to do the same, then wait no longer. There’s no better time to start than today.