We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marina Barrios. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marina below.
Alright, Marina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?
As a vegan it is very easy to be put into a stereotypical box. Sometimes when I present my creations with the word vegan attached to it I am automatically judged. I’ve had people say”oh no thank you” after they ask what I’m selling or I mention it’s vegan. Surprisingly, most of my returning customers follow a non-vegan diet and continue to return because they love the flavor and details in my creations. I think most associate vegan food with having little to no flavor and automatically think of salads. Vegan food has come a long way over the last decade and there is so many alternatives available that make it easier to veganize any recipe. I think what surprises most is how moist and flavorful my cakes are without using egg and dairy products. It’s taken me a lot of trial and errors to come up with the right consistency in my treats and I’m always striving to improve and make them better.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I started my baking journey 12 years ago when my son was born. I had baked before with friends and just made the usual cake from a box. When I first went vegan 18 years ago, vegan treats were very far and few in between. I think the first vegan treat I bought was a candy bar I had come across at Whole Foods. Then a small all vegan grocery store had opened up near my town called “Viva La Vegan” it was heaven. They had a section with vegan desserts from twinkies to cookies. It was awesome! As my son was reaching his first birthday I realized there was no where near where we lived at the time to buy him an all vegan cake. So, I started my research and started looking for egg replacers and started experimenting with cake box and soy milk. I made his first birthday cake which was a crumbly delicious mess but it didn’t really matter because it was vegan and he loved it. As the years went on I kept trying different recipes and completely ditched boxed cake and started making cakes from scratch. As, I got more familiar with the different ingredients and how they can change the consistency of the cake I had come up with the prefect recipe for cakes and cupcakes. Every year I would make our birthday cakes or take extra cupcakes to the birthday parties we would be invited to, making sure my kids never felt left out. As time went on this was just our tradition now and when covid hit I started selling custom cakes and treats from home. A lot of businesses/bakeries where closed and the area I live in doesn’t have a lot of vegan options available when it comes to cakes. So, I had a lot of opportunity and that’s when I realized I had more and more customers by word of mouth and most of them would mention how they couldn’t believe it was vegan and how they did not follow a vegan diet but loved my cakes. One of my most repeated comments is how most customers do not want to eat their cake or treat because it’s a piece of art. What I enjoy most is not only making the treats but decorating and designing them. I love adding little details and combing unique flavors and textures that just create the whole experience. I am a Halloween enthusiast and I love all things earthy, spooky and magical. When I get custom orders for witchy, foresty cakes I’m in my true element and my mind starts going and ideas just start pouring out as I start decorating the cake. It’s a very great feeling seeing everything come together and seeing my customers eyes light up when I show them their cake. I think the most rewarding feeling of it all is that no animals were harmed in the making. It’s a win, win for all!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The mission driving my creative journey is animal rights. I truly believe we are at a point where we no longer need to exploit animals. We have advanced so much that we have enough research, substitutions and technological advances that exploiting animals in all forms ( food industry, clothing, entertainment, medical experimentation, beauty industry, etc.) is a thing of the past. I love creating a positive experience for people without causing harm and exploiting animals. Most of us consider ourselves an animal lover and yet are able to disassociate the animal on the plate in front of us as being a sentient being like the dog or cat that sits besides us. When in reality the same animals that are deemed food all have the will to live and can feel pain and emotion just likes us and the dog or cat we consider as part of the “family”.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is having the freedom to express myself in a way that can help and bring joy to others. Most celebrations involve a cake and the opportunity I get to make someone smile while creating an option that is cruelty free during a memorable moment is a rewarding feeling.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/tomb_n_sage_treats