So whilst I've been quiet on the old blog front, I have been a very busy bee indeed. At the beginning of this month, I finished the manuscript for my first recipe book, Baking with Bailey Ana.
As you might imagine, it has been a massive undertaking and like most things that are hard work, it's been very rewarding.
The book is a collection of simple tasty recipes for cakes and other sweet treats that the budding baker can master. There are some appearances from recipes that I've blogged about as well as a ton of new ones.
The book will be released later on this year so please head over to my new website: www.baileyana.co.uk, to sign up on the pre-order list.
You can also see some of my more recent cakes, hear about upcoming classes and generally see what I'm up to these days. Also check me out on Instagram to see my videos where I talk about the process of writing the book and document my journey.
If you have been following my work, you will know that I love art and that my baking is more than just about making sweet things. It is an expression of creativity and a chance to spread love.
I decided to start a project to bake cakes that have been inspired by creative people, people whose work or essence I respect and admire. I asked each of the artists a series of questions about their tastes and inspirations and designed and created something especially for them. This is the first of the series and I hope that you enjoy it as much I have.
Introducing Lakwena;
A few years ago I was introduced to the work of the London based artist Lakwena Maciver by my sister and I instantly fell in love with the boldness, colour and simplicity of her style.
Lakwena on inspiration and motivation
Do you pursue your creative passion full time?
YES
What do you want the world to know about you/themselves? And is that expressed in your work/creativity?
That everything beautiful and electric is a reflection of God - blossom, glitter, sunsets, stars, pink, gold etc. That black is beautiful and strong. Yes I hope it's expressed in my work.
What is the best thing & the worst thing about social media for you personally?
Best - business potential. Worst - looking at an edited version of other people's lives and feeling jealous
Name 2 people that inspire you and why?
My husband Slidercuts. He's a business, man (in the words of Jay Z). He's got so much capacity and he's so positive and generous and he's really taught me a lot about community. My mum. She is an incredibly bold woman. Unafraid of just being herself, even though she is unconventional. She's got guts. And she embraces confrontation.
Do you consider yourself to be a role model?
Yes I think I am a role model to some people.
How many hours do you sleep on average each night?
It depends on what jobs I've got on, but I do always make a priority of sleeping! I couldn't live on 4hours a night. If I'm near a crazy deadline it might be 6. If I'm on a rest time I might have even 9! I have never had a problem sleeping and I'm very grateful for that.
What do you tell yourself when things get hard?
Lots of things. That God is holding everything together and I am hidden in him.
What makes you smile and/or calms you down when things get tough?
Music. My family, my friends. Falling asleep lol!
Are you your best creatively when things are good/you're feeling happy & if not what emotional state brings out the best in you creatively & why do you believe that?
It is strange and I've heard other people say the same thing about themselves, that creatively I'm sometimes at my best when I'm a bit depressed. I think my art becomes an outlet for me. A voice. And I am more hungry to make my voice heard when I'm feeling low.
My thoughts
I was really excited to be able to meet and bake for Lakwena as I am a big fan of her work. I was struck by how humble and peaceful her energy is and yet how big her heart is. This is reflected in her work - the scale and size of many of her pieces is in my opinion, a testament to her drive and passion and energy. Sometimes we mistake noise for impact but this woman is making a big impact without all of the noise!
The Cake
The cake was 6 layers of vanilla and red velvet cake covered in vanilla buttercream and coloured fondant shapes. I experimented with covering the top with Persian Fairy Floss, but like all candy floss it ended up absorbing the moisture from the air! I have also been working with Miss Cake who designs and makes cool cake toppers.
The design is based on my favourite piece of her work, the installation in East London called the Power of Girl (perhaps by me, I'm not sure what it's actually called as pictured above!)
I wasn't able to take great pictures of the finished cake due to the reduced daylight hours but you can see a video of the making! Enjoy :)
A couple of weeks ago I visited Morocco for the second time. The first time I went was in 2001, in the aftermath of car accident that took the life of my sister and my mum's best friend. As you can imagine it was a traumatic experience and I never expected to ever go there again.
Some months ago, I felt ready. Ready to face my demons and ready to heal. 2014 was a year that my stress levels were at their maximum. I've had more heart wrenching years, but this was one where I knew that I had to make some serious changes in order to truly move forward. Going around the same mountain for years and years is not my portion in life. I want to live life and live it to the fullest.
It's so easy to fill your life with distractions and things that keep you from going to the places that you need to go. Taking that long hard look in the mirror and addressing what you see. It's not just about me. When you go through life refusing to face up to the truth, you don't just hurt yourself, you hurt the people around you, the people you love and care for.
So as part of this journey, I decided to go back to Morocco. It was a powerful and emotional time. I cried and remembered her and I said goodbye.
It wasn't a heavy trip though. I had a lot of fun travelling with my friend who is studying in Morocco for a while. We laughed, drank mint tea, ate bread and haggled!
All in all it was a beautiful trip and a real step towards healing.
