From Idea to Food Blog + Who Has Inspired Me

Have you ever had an idea? Like a really good idea that gives you shivers and just totally frees your mind up because it is more than just an idea. It is an adventure. And sometimes this little idea/adventure of yours becomes your everyday life. Well for me, this idea came to me around the Summer/Fall of 2015. I was going to start a food blog.

I spent a couple of months brainstorming about the name of it, theme, style, etc. I officially started my blog in January 2016 and for some reason my focus was “low budget” instead of “produce great content.” Regardless, I got it started. That was my goal at that point in time. All of a sudden that wasn’t enough- now I wanted better photography and better food styling. My goal changed- I wanted a food blog with great recipes AND great photography.

I started here…

And now I am here👇

Now, finally, I have been able to invest more money in my blog including a new camera, new website, new props and books (this one and this one), and membership to Food Blogger Pro. Why the change in my goal? I have always tried to have one thing that I love and then run with it. For the past couple of years, that thing is my blog. More specifically, I love recipe development, food styling, and food photography.

The food blog world is certainly growing but I draw inspiration from some of the best food bloggers including Lindsay at Pinch of Yum, Ali at Gimme Some Oven, and Chelsea at Chelsea’s Messy Apron. There’s a whole lot more but I would say I have followed these three ladies the closest. They all have their own unique brand and way of styling but the one thing that remains the same is every time I go to one of their blogs, I feel inspired to get to work on my own blog.

Lindsay Ostrum from Pinch of Yum wrote an e-book called Tasty Food Photography. It is an awesome book discussing the details of how to use a DSLR camera, how to shoot in manual mode, the importance of lighting, tips for styling and composition, and so much more. I highly recommend it. In addition, Lindsay and her husband Bjork have started Food Blogger Pro which is a place for bloggers to connect and grow their blog. I joined Food Blogger Pro after starting my blog and I really loved all of the videos on manual settings of a DSLR camera and photography. I have learned so much! Most recently, I am making a point to become more active with the Live Q&A sessions where they talk about anything and everything in the food blog world. One of my favorite podcasts on Food Blogger Pro is where Bjork and Lindsay talk about 10 ways to help with blogger burnout. A great podcast to listen to for any blogger!

Chelsea wrote an e-book, How I Made 40K My First Year of Blogging. This book is so well written. She breaks down everything, including what were the most important things she learned every month in her first year. I still go back to her book when I am looking for a little inspiration. Chelsea talks about things in great detail with step-by-step instructions on things like setting up ads, giveaways, example spreadsheets to track expenses, and so much more. I highly recommend this book. She totally has this blogging thing down and it shows because her blog and photos are amazing.

Ali at Gimme Some Oven has multiple resources on her blog. First of all, I adore her photography style. Her photos are so bright and colorful and she really emphasizes white backgrounds in her photography, which is a style I really love. Ali has an awesome list of links on her resource page that focuses on editing photography, tips with using Pinterest, and some fun tutorials that are helpful when shooting your photos.

I am also inspired every day by my husband, children, parents, siblings, and my grandma. It gives me the motivation to continue this hobby blog of mine and see what happens. Because while many people see having a food blog as a lot of work, I see it as play. This is what I love to do, so I am doing it. Is it always easy? Heck no! But I still love doing it. According to Austin Kleon in Steal Like an Artist, “the secret: do good work and share it with people. It’s a two-step process. Step 1: do good work, is incredibly hard. There are no shortcuts. Make stuff every day. Know you’re going to suck for awhile. Fail. Get Better. Step 2: Share it with people, was really hard up until about ten years ago or so. Now, it’s very simple: Put your stuff on the internet.” I love this little blurb. It’s a different take on the whole “practice makes perfect” saying and I like it. It is to the point, honest, and I love how it suggests a lot of practice is the key.

One of the things that this blog is giving me is the ability to use my knowledge as a dietitian and put it into practice online. As I continue in the future, I am looking forward to expanding this area of my blog to provide resources to many different audiences.

To sum it all up, the internet is the thing that is inspiring my uncreative brain to in fact be creative in the area which I love most and that is food/wellness. I think it is true that when focused on something we are truly enjoying, we can all be creative. I am amazed all of the time by how my little idea of starting a food blog nearly two years ago has changed my life. I now feel like I have found “my thing” and I get to share it with the world. How cool is that!! 🙂

Cheers to a great Friday!

Disclosure: There are affiliate links on this page meaning if a purchase is made from those links I will receive a small commission. I only link to products I have used, love, and would recommend to you!