It began with a twinkle that had ignited into a wildfire. When KiraKira was younger, pastries were nothing short of magic; Turning a bunch of goop into something beautiful and tasty was far more fascinating than any witchcraft a fantasy author could conjure up. No matter how many overcooked turnovers or burnt bundts, she persevered. From her very first macaron, she knew it was the love of her life. This wasn’t a talent she was born with, but rather one she created herself. Everybody else was so caught up with getting perfect grades or meeting the perfect partner– but baking?
Baking was hers.

But time came to dull the twinkle in her eyes, as she began to work towards her dream of owning a bakery. She came to hate the way batter would muddy her clothes or the dust of flour that felt impossible to clean. Or maybe it was the way she under-sweetened her pastries, only to add too much sugar to compensate? Or perhaps it was because no matter how hard she tried, there was always somebody better than her. That was the thing about pursuing your passion as a career: you learn that no matter how proud of yourself you become, you quickly realize that you were never even a contender. And for many years, a dream that bakery stayed.

No matter how many people believed in her, she found it hard to believe in herself. No matter how much she convinced herself that she loved what she did, nothing could erase the crushing disappointments of the countless lost competitions or the times when she wasn’t taken seriously. Her resolve was strong, but still bent under the weight of her own expectations. But there was still a glimmer of hope, like a stubborn piece of glitter stuck to her apron.

And then, one day everything changed. “You’re incredible,” and those words were all it took. They rolled around in her mind over and over, coaxing a smile from her each and every time. She held them close like a child holding their security blanket. And with that comfort in hand, she sat down and made a plan and put her dreams into action. And that was that. Because despite the countless compliments over the years, those words of affection were the first ones drawn from her own lips. Through her reborn resolve came a reconciliation with the craft she loved so dearly.

And though she had a long way to go, it wasn’t long until that wildfire burned brightly once again.

Loosely inspired by my journey with my own creative pursuit.