First signs of Spring (taken from my Instagram)
Today, I received a comment that really left me speechless.
It was from a young 13yo boy, named Elliot Baker. This remarkable fella dropped me a tweet saying that he had read a letter I wrote for a book competition and it really inspired him. At first, I really wasn't sure which letter he was talking about and asked him if he had mistaken me for someone else. Then, I realised that he was actually referring to the entry I wrote a very long time ago for Leaf's cookbook giveaway.
WOW. I honestly didn't expect what I wrote SO long ago would have any "impact" on anyone, as I felt like I was writing it more for myself (and didn't think anyone would be paying it any attention). But I meant every word. So, I took a trip down memory lane and looked back at what I had written almost a year ago...
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FOOD WRITING ASPIRATIONS:
My passion is to reach out to people everywhere through Food Blogging with my writing and photos. I would like to appeal to the average person, from an average person's point of view. Though I don't have any professional knowledge and experience on Food, I honestly believe this is what makes my point of views more personal and easy-to-relate.
I prefer to adopt a more honest, light-hearted and friendly approach in my form of writing. As far as I'm concerned, Food is always meant to be Fun and never to be taken too seriously.
At the end of the day, I truly I hope I can show people that Food really is more meaningful when it is shared and that they, too, will feel inspired to open up spaces to share Life* with other people over Food, whether at home or at a restaurant. It is for this reason that Food Blogging, to me, is more than just a hobby, but a passion.
WHAT I'M DOING TO ACHIEVE THEM:
I have begun food blogging again about a month ago and I believe that's a start. I have been dedicating time out of my week to share recipes and reviews and can only hope that people find it just as Fun to read as it was for me to write.
At the same time, I feel very strongly about showing the same support and encouragements that I have been so blessed to receive during my short time of blogging to as many people out there, both in and out of the food blogging community. These people have truly made this whole experience so enjoyable for me and has reaffirmed me of the reasons I do the things that I do on my blog.
My plan is to keep blogging for a very, very long time. Why stop now, right? It's been great so far and I'm sure it'll only keep getting better. It is a journey and I hope to find growth in my writing and pictures continuously over time.
(Winston, October 2011)
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In many ways, I think this couldn't have come in better timing. I was just catching up with Yasmeen (of Wandering Spice) the other day for the first time and we were both just sharing about our passions for cooking, reasons for starting a blog and thoughts on our future with Food. It was a great conversation, which I truly appreciated. Thank you, Yas.
I say this because it really made me think about what this blog means to me and what I hope to achieve through it, i.e. to show people the beauty of celebrating Life with one another through Food.
And reading back at that old letter that I wrote, really gave me the further affirmation and reminder that I need. To not get too caught up with the superficial highs and lows that come with blogging but to continue to engage with the people that I come across through this space. On top of that, I'm just really touched from re-reading all the comments I received that day and want to especially thank Leaf, Sarah, Hannah, Ellie, Adrian and Vee for their encouragement.
In the past year alone, I'm so grateful to be able to form great friendships with people that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten a chance to meet if it weren't through blogging. Whether it's a fellow blogger or just someone who I never really got the chance to spend time with, but just wanted to share their love of Food with me. I feel so blessed to be able to share a meal with each of you. And my hope is that people DO see that Food really CAN bring people together, from all walks of Life. Hopefully, people will get inspired to want to share Life with others around them too.
A lot has changed in the past year alone, and I do feel like I've grown as a blogger, photographer and person in general. But, no matter where this blog takes me, I sincerely hope that I never lose sight of why I started The Hungry Excavator in the first place.
Thank you all for following me on this journey. And also to Elliot, for your kind words today. Your real fire and passion for cooking is one of the most inspiring things I've ever seen, and I'm dedicating this post to you. Good luck with realising your dreams because you've got an incredibly bright future ahead of you.
Sincerely,
Winston.
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