Lily Hardy Hammond wrote, “You don’t pay love back; you pay it forward” in her 1916 book Garden of Delight. Paying it forward is exactly what “My Writing Process Blog Tour” is all about.
Once you let go and allow the creative process to flow, a whole new community of peers ready and willing to embrace your contributions reveal themselves. I let go almost two years ago by starting Corbin In The Dell and am forever grateful for the support of my family and friends (old and new.)
When Jill Melton, editor of Relish Magazine, asked if I would be a part of this blog tour, I did not hesitate. She and I met about a year ago at Fido in Hillsboro Village through a couple of mutual friends. Her philosophy of food is “If you cook it yourself, and cook using seasonal, wholesome ingredients, it’s going to be healthy.” Now here’s a woman who is passionate about where and how her food hits the plate. I can get behind her philosophies for sure! Learn more about Jill at jillcookshere.com. I am tickled to call her friend. Thanks Jill for embracing the flow and paying it forward!
There are four questions that all of us on the tour must answer:
What am I working on?
These French Breakfast Radishes from our garden made delicious relish.
I develop and manage content for various restaurants’ and artisans’ social media strategies. I am a freelance writer. I develop recipes for publications and client marketing strategies. I assist with farm inspections for farmers markets. I am a story teller. Pank and I have approximately 1/4 acre of garden space. I take breaks throughout the day to either plant, weed, feed, cultivate or harvest in the garden. “Torn hands, mended soul,” I once heard. There is always something to can, pickle, freeze or otherwise preserve. My days are full of all things food and farms. I couldn’t be happier.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
Farms and securing the future of our food system is one of the most important core values of Corbin In The Dell. My day consists of many tasks: social media strategist, marketer, sales person, recipe developer, freelance journalist, event planner, farmer and chef. Most entrepreneurs wear an array of hats. We all would like to think our work differs from everyone else’s. The thing that sets us apart revolves around if we give a damn about the work we are producing. Passion and drive make all the difference.
Cows are most happy roaming the pasture.
Why do I write about what I do?
Humans have been shittin’ in their own pool long enough, and someone has to grab the net and go to fishin’. Food does not come from a big box with a parking lot out front. It comes from the land and hands of society’s backbone….farms. Food is one of the most controversial issues of our time and it seems that both sides of the aisle are having one big food fight. The intrinsic need to leave our mark is engrained in all of us. Becoming an agent for positive change has always been my legacy of choice. So, I have gone off and grabbed the net.
My Great-Great Grandmother’s Handywork.
How does your writing process work?
It just dawned on me that the Corbin In The Dell homepage resembles a patchwork quilt of photos. This may be because my subject matter is based upon the seasons, events and people that are connected to our plate. I always carry a notebook in my bag full of scribbled thoughts. Transcribed interviews and other bits and pieces to stories are among the contents of these notebooks. There’s also grease and sauce stained recipes in there. I write my recipes as I cook them. This helps me to remember more than a pinch of this or a drizzle of that. I never throw them away, as these words serve as inspiration.
Regardless of the medium, writing is a process of creativity. I would like to say I always start with an opening and closing line, but that would be a lie. While I have a basic outline of how the story will be told, it’s in the flow that the feeling happens. Two thousand words can be much easier to tell a story than 500 words. As the old saying goes, “Sorry for the long content, I didn’t have time to write the short.”
…I come from a long line of storytellers. I can’t help myself.
There are many folks in my life that I would like to pay it forward to. They believed in me and I am grateful. I have asked three fun ladies who I am lucky to have as friends to join “My Writing Process Blog Tour.” They have indeed paid it forward along the way. Joining next week’s leg of the tour is:
Nicki Pendleton Wood’s latest blog site is The Project Kitchen. Discovering a new cookbook or technique is her idea of fun. She even has a cookbook of her own coming out later this year entitled Southern Cooking For Company. You can also find her work in publications such as The Nashville Scene. Thank you Nicki for sharing your knowledge and experiences with me about the world of food!
Betsy Barbour writes about running and her life at My Decade of Running. This is one lady full of courage and persistence. I came to know her when we planned a community 5k run together. While my running shoes may not need replacing as much as hers these days, I am thankful for Betsy’s inspiration and encouragement.
Helen Gaye Brewster has been learning to manage anxiety and depression most of her adult life. She shares her life-long journey via My Jittery Life. Southern grace and charm are certainly part of her character, but it’s the desire to connect with folks of all walks of life that is my favorite attribute of this “Steele Magnolia.” Thanks HGB for being a ray of sunshine.