I have loved working in the food industry for over 25 years. I’ve worked as a waitress and a caterer, in small specialty food shops, in large family-owned grocery stores and I ran my own baking business for 15 years. On the side, I love to be creative: small sculptures, oil paintings, hand-lettered signs and birthday cakes with fun themes are some of the projects I’ve enjoyed. Just put a piece of paper in front of me and hand me a pen, and that paper will be filled with doodles.
What I never thought I’d be able to do is combine my food industry skills with my love of art. I’d never known what I wanted to do, until I decided to take a social media marketing class and a design basics class. When I walked into the design basics classroom, with the drafting tables and smell of graphite pencils, I realized it was right where I needed to be.
As a non-traditional student, I was worried I wouldn’t fit in with my younger classmates, but it’s been amazing to stretch my brain and push my creative skills. I will be earning an associate’s degree in marketing communications technology, adding to the degrees I already hold from my 20s. The phrase “It’s never too late to be who you might have been” is true for all of us. Go be who you might have been.
Amy Goetz is a FoodE Expert for Lunds & Byerlys Woodbury. She helps customers with recipe ideas, teaches cooking classes and plans events. She writes about food and recipes.
