We recently connected with Ally Paige and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ally thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Pursuing a life as an artist was never a choice, it is who I am as a person. Everything I have ever done, including becoming the artist I am today has been my art. My entire life is an orchestrated creative act, one where I have learned to trust the process and experience life as it happens and express how I perceive it through my eyes.
Some of my earliest memories are that of creation. Drawing, painting, baking, making, writing, anything I could touch with my hands or my mind, became my medium.
Becoming a professional creative was never a really a goal for me until rather recently, but it has always been a lifelong dream. I hadn’t realized I wanted to be a professional artist, until noticing that I have been the entire time. It is a lifestyle as much as it is a career choice.
Ally, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Ally Paige, sole-founder and creative mind behind Dane Lady Bake Co., an artisan brand, surround bespoke cakes and curated art. Dane Lady Bake Co. is a female owned small-business located in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula. As a young entrepreneur and artist I wish it to be my legacy to my future family. Not only is the goals and intentions of Dane Lady Bake Co. being to benefit my local community, but also to benefit the community which is that of Cake Decorating and artists. With a background that is diverse in baking and having been self-taught, I’ve incorporated learned skills from previous jobs (Baking, Bartending, Barista/Managing Café, Painter) that complement my skill set. With this unique skill set, I can provide an insight that is unfound in anyone else, to share and teach to others who are passionate about the discipline of cake decorating. If I am not personally growing the community and industry myself, I will be able to teach others the skills I have acquired so they can do so. Either way the outcome is contributing to expanding the field of professional sugar artistry.
The home baking business is an incredibly saturated market, especially with the modern convenience of social media and having endured the post-quarantine period. There is a confidence that can only be gained through experience, hard work, and resilience to failure. When taking others working in this field, Dane Lady Bake Co’s approach is simple:
The only person you are competing with is yourself, ask questions, teach what you know, and support others who are truly passionate about what you do. If you are consistent enough, and motivated enough, you can succeed at anything you want.
I have a unique background in classical cake decorating, having taken the time to train in classic buttercream piping techniques. Where many cake decorators utilize the convenience and durability of fondant (an edible icing, that is made with gelatin and sugar). It is a personal choice to use my skills in buttercream to please both your eyes and tastebuds. Every cake is completely custom and aimed at creating a memory for the recipient of the sweet sentiment. Each cake will be hand delivered or personally placed in your vehicle to encourage safe transportation and every large event order will include a custom design session and cake tasting. I draws from a well of skill sets which include painting, classical music, and sugar work to provide a service and artistry that is un-replicable. Every order is unique to each client and offers a broad spectrum of technical skill that makes Dane Lady Bake Co. Products special.
To Quote my interview from VoyageMichigan, perfectly defines the work produced from Dane Lady Bake Co.
“ The cake is my medium because it resembles life. Life is temporary and often taken for granted but also beautiful and can be turned into anything you want it to be. The cake is a wonderful reminder of this, unlike paintings and statues cake exists for only a short amount of time and therefore must be appreciated more at the moment and it is a wonderful philosophy to live life by. The work that I create is prided on its uniqueness and breaking the mold. I pride myself on creating bespoke sentiments that capture the feeling of the recipient and the smile and Joy that brings them when receiving my cakes. The person receiving a Cake of mine will feel special because that cake was made for them with love and every intention that is good. What sets me apart from others Is that no other person can create a Dane lady bake Co. cake, anyone can be a cake decorator but like I said in the beginning I am an artist first — it’s all about technique and intuition. ”
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Society as a whole can better support artists by funding art programs within our communities and schools. With educating more people about the history and fundamental principles of art, not only could we expect more support for our artists; society would see a rise in the amount of art being produced, social stigma surrounding creatives would diminish, and we would be encouraging the general population to better understand their personal role in humanity through the creative act.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Personally, the process of turning an idea into reality through trusting my intuition, is the most satisfying aspect of being an artist. Viewing an expression of yourself, through lenses of different mediums after delaying gratification by having to trust the self in a meditative state, is an incredible experience.
Beyond the experience of “trusting the process”, creating for others to help curate memories and drawing out happiness out of people makes being an artist the most rewarding profession.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: @Daneladybakeco
Image Credits
Flash Photography Ashleigh Mrozek @ashphotography906