On Recycling…cakes!
Over the course of the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to judge two separate respectable cake shows. As customary, several entries were recognizable as pieces that had been created for a past show elsewhere. While I understand the interest in having as many individuals as possible see a Decorator’s work, as an Adjudicator at the shows, I would like to encourage all Decorators to create new pieces for each competition.
Cake shows provide a medium for learning on many fronts. Novice Decorators get a glimpse of the myriad skills that they have yet to learn, Master Decorators exchange ideas and learn how to apply advanced techniques in new or unique ways…and the general public learns just how far the world of cake decorating has advanced and they begin to understand that the next cake they order from their local Cake Designer can be so much more than a round cake with piped flowers.
Where Decorators who recycle cakes (that is to show the same display used in a previous show with minor or no adjustments) miss the boat is in this learning cycle. At the conclusion of each show, the Decorators receive feedback from the Decorators who judged the show. This critical feedback provides necessary information on areas on which to focus in order to improve one’s craft and skill. Through the process of creating a new display utitilizing this feedback, the Decorator’s overall workmanship improves. By competing regularly, the Decorator’s daily production pace improves and general productivity is better.
Decorators whose primary concern is to bring home a blue ribbon are cheating themselves out of one of the most beneficial elements of the shows: Learning. Although a cake may place in one show and not another, it does not change the workmanship nor will the Decorator gain any new useful feedback. Winning a ribbon is certainly a thrill, but is somewhat meaningless if it is won by default.
If you are a Decorator entering multiple shows, consider using the feedback provided by the judges and your fellow decorators to re-create the same piece. This will allow you the opportunity to learn, put your knowledge into practice, and truly show your skill.