Artist Interview: Liz Joy, Inspired to Taste

If I’d known how truly amazing Liz Joy of Inspired to Taste is when I asked to interview her for my blog, I would have been far too starstruck to ever send the first message! She’s been featured by Forbes, People Magazine, BuzzFeed Tasty, and more. Her clients have included Warner Bros., Sephora, and HBO Max. According to her website, Joy is “an award-winning dessert designer” who “specializes in helping brands think outside the box with uniquely-crafted ‘edible’ content for ads, social media, and events.” Yes, you read that correctly: it’s food.

Look at those details!

While Joy has incredible skills in a variety of creative aspects like design and branding, her baked artworks are captivating in a way I’ve not seen before – which, can we all take a moment to thank the invention of the internet? Because with it we have access to an entire world of artists, at our fingertips! That might need to be its own blog post topic.

Joy’s current favorite medium is, you guessed it, pastry! “Getting into edible mediums has been such a fun discovery,” she said. “It provides firm parameters (‘must be tasty and edible’) along with an incredible amount of creative freedom… I accidentally fell into baking about six years ago when I was looking for a creative outlet I could easily practice at home.”

It’s almost too beautiful to eat!

I asked Joy what her favorite subject is, and she replied, “I tend to gravitate towards fashion, beauty, and pop culture for inspiration (probably because I used to work as an art director within those categories and have always been drawn to them.) Recently, though, I’ve been delving more into the storytelling possibilities of edible art, and am immensely inspired by fairytales as a jumping off point for those concepts.”

“I’m currently working on a Cinderella-inspired multi-piece bake that’s turning out to be much more complicated and time-consuming than I’d originally anticipated,” she said. “After that, I’ll be working on a pie design for my dad’s birthday.”

A nest like that is a big ol’ nope for me!

“My personal favorite pieces are the annual pies I design for my dad’s birthday. He was born and raised in Honduras in the middle of the last century, and I grew up mesmerized by the stories he’d tell my brother and me about running wild in the mountains and jungles of Central America. Every year, I select a favorite story and ‘pie-ify’ it for him, and then share the process and story online.” In addition to sharing photos and videos of her process, Joy teaches classes sometimes on cookie decorating, with a focus on mixed-media edible designs with many layers and textures.

And I always ask, because the answers are so very, very different from artist to artist: what’s your favorite art tool? “Penblades are an awesome tool for getting precise cuts on custom designs, from dough to fondant,” Joy said. “I use a kitchen knife sharpener to keep mine nice and sharp, and they last a really long time.”

Good for lots of things! Well, cutting lots of things.

Her advice to artists just beginning their journey is excellent: “Plan to create stuff you hate.”

“We creative people tend to hold ourselves to high standards and also have a habit of constantly comparing ourselves to other artists. You can’t expect to start out at level 100 (or even 10). Most of us have to slog through the experimentation and trial-and-error process for a while before we even begin to understand our own skills and style and potential… I’ve been creating professionally for several decades and still have issues with this (it’s at the heart of any procrastination incident). You HAVE to be okay with screwing up, making messes and figuring things out as you go. Don’t be a perfectionist and don’t be too hard on yourself.”

She says her general rule for each new project is simply to improve on her last one, even if it’s just a tiny bit. “Keep moving forward just focusing on improving and eventually you’ll be astonished by what you can do.”

“Until recently, I was entirely self-taught in the baking department. Last year I began getting frustrated with my limitations, so decided to attend Pastry Academy. I’m so happy with the decision and investment because it’s opened up a wide new world of possibilities to me.”

What an incredible wonderland she’s created here!

“Never stop trying new things,” Joy advises. “If an idea pops into your head and makes your heart race, try it out, even if you don’t feel ready yet. Learn to develop your creativity, watch tutorials, read, try various mediums and techniques, study a variety of subjects. Stay curious.”

“Be WEIRD. We're lucky to work in a profession where that’s more widely accepted. Lean into it and see where it takes you.”

If you’d like to see more of Liz Joy’s amazing artwork (she’s talented with illustration and design outside the kitchen, too) you can check out her website at https://www.InspiredtoTaste.com/, and her social media accounts (@inspiredtotaste) on Facebook and Instagram. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed by what she creates!