We recently connected with Skylar Edberg and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Skylar, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Because food is my favorite form of art and storytelling. I’ve always loved turning everyday ingredients into something extraordinary. As a kid growing up in LA, I was constantly surrounded by movie sets and production magic, and I think that energy stuck with me. I was the type to build food sculptures, host imaginary cooking shows, and dream up wild recipes with whatever was in the pantry, all for the fun of it.

In 2007, I found an unpaid culinary internship on Craigslist (yes, really), and the moment I stepped onto that set, something clicked. I knew I had to be part of this world. It felt like home. From there, I cold-emailed every food stylist I could find on LA 411 and asked to assist them. Some turned me down kindly, some not so kindly, but a few amazing people gave me a shot. Assisting on set taught me everything, (sometimes what to do, sometimes what not to do) but every experience helped shape my style and work ethic.

I quickly realized that food styling isn’t just about knowing tips and tricks, though those are fun. It’s about reading a room, being good with people, adapting on the fly, and balancing creativity with serious technical skill. Honestly, some of it can’t be taught. Some of it you’re just born with.

Even now, whether I’m on a print stage shooting tabletop or stepping onto a backlot, I still get butterflies. It never gets old. It feels like a calling, like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be…Helping brands stand out and bringing beauty, color, and emotion into the world through food. Every set, every shoot, every challenge reminds me how lucky I am to do what I love. It’s never felt like work. It’s felt like purpose.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I work with brands, agencies, and creative teams to make food look irresistible on camera, whether it’s for commercials, packaging, cookbooks, or social content. My job blends technical skill, creative vision, and a deep understanding of how food behaves, both emotionally and physically. I love turning a product or recipe into a visual story that people can connect with instantly.

I offer food styling, recipe development, culinary production, and creative consultation. Whether I’m sourcing ingredients, prepping hero dishes, or overseeing the entire culinary side of a shoot, I’m focused on bringing a brand’s vision to life through food that looks real, craveable, and full of personality. From beautifully messy drips to clean, elevated plating, I style with intention, always thinking about how the final image will make someone feel.

What sets me apart is my ability to adapt quickly, collaborate easily, and solve problems under pressure. I know how to work with a creative brief, a demanding schedule, and the ever-changing nature of food on set. I care deeply about the details…the ones you see and the ones you feel. My goal is always to elevate, to surprise, and to make the food look as magical as it tastes in real life.

I’m proud of the relationships I’ve built in this industry and the fact that I built this career from the ground up with passion and persistence. I want potential clients and collaborators to know that I bring heart, hustle, and a sharp creative eye to every single project. Food is my medium, and I use it to make the world more beautiful, one bite at a time.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Before I became a food stylist, I lived an entirely different creative life in music. I was a recording artist performing all over Los Angeles. I opened for artists like Eddie Money, sang demos for Babyface and other producers around the country, and even had a residency at BB King’s on Universal CityWalk. One of my songs went platinum in Hungary, which still feels like such a surreal and special part of my story.

The music industry taught me everything about persistence, resilience, and reinvention. I was constantly grinding, constantly almost making it. It was exciting, but also exhausting. After a while, I realized I was chasing a version of success that didn’t necessarily match what I truly wanted. I’ve always believed in doing what brings me joy, and I’ve never had an ego about how that needs to look.

That moment of realization led to one of the biggest pivots of my life. It wasn’t dramatic, just honest. I didn’t walk away from music with bitterness. I simply followed a new path that felt more aligned with who I was becoming. Food styling gave me a way to stay creative, collaborative, and expressive, but in a way that felt more grounded and sustainable.

Pivots are not failures. They are powerful acts of self-awareness. And making that shift was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A big lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that in order to be successful, it has to hurt. That you have to grind yourself down, stay in constant stress, or prove your worth through pain. In the early days of my career, I saw a lot of that mindset play out on set. I witnessed assistants being yelled at, mistakes being treated like career-ending disasters, and this pressure-filled culture where fear was somehow seen as motivation.

I have so much respect for the people who came before me, but I knew I wanted to build something different. I believe in calm, focused sets where people feel safe to learn, ask questions, and enjoy the process. I remind my team all the time..”t’s just food”. We are here to create beauty and connection, not chaos. And honestly, the work is always better when people feel supported.

But the hardest lesson I had to unlearn was the internal one. That voice in my head that told me I wasn’t good enough. That I had to be perfect to belong. That if I wasn’t constantly proving myself, I would lose everything I built. That voice has lived in me for a long time, and learning how to soften it has been one of the most important parts of my personal and professional growth. I’m still learning this by the way :)

I had to teach myself that I am enough. Not because of a perfect hero shot or a flawless execution, but because of the heart, vision, and care I bring to everything I do. The more I believe that, the more others do too. And that shift has changed everything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://TheFoodArtist.com
• Instagram: The_FoodArtist
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skylaredberg

Image Credits

For the egg sandwich, deli meat sandwich and main Portrait of myself ( Phototgrapher Erica Allen)

For the Ice cream and red drink (Photographer Hulswit Design)

The Nacho fries (Photographer Renee Bones)

The orange drink and chocolate pretzels (Scott Uhlfelder)

The tillamook Mac and Cheese Pull ( Photographer Leslie Grow)