I look at some of the photos under other prolific bakers and I say, "I can do that and mine are about as good" and sometimes, "Mine are better than that." but then...

You see these REALLY good cakes and you realize that's a whole 'nother league? I could practice and practice and practice and I will NEVER have a cake like some I see here. I do not have the artistic talent to make real looking figures or flowers that looks so real you could almost smell their natural smell. And there's not just a few of them there are TONS of them!

When I go to any grocery store in our area I KNOW I make better cakes than that, but I'm also not cranking out a cake every 45 minutes either, but when I look at professional decorators here and in magazines, I'm just blown away and ask myself, "why am I trying to go into this to make money? If I were a customer, I would go to Ms. X and get this cake for the 20% difference in price as her's LOOKS FABBO! Now, I'm a good baker, so I'm gonna bet my cakes are top notch in flavor, but... I've only tried a handful of recipes and don't have a whole menu under my belt...

Anyone else feel that way? Like, "who am I kidding that I think I can make a little money with this?"

Melissa

I feel that way everytime I make a cake! I think it a matter of finding your "spot" or your style that suits your talent. Look at Warren Brown who started Cake Love inD.C. I'm going to go out on a limb and say he probably can't decorate but he makes a fortune on his cakes by keeping it simple and flavor. That's his marketing schtick-they don't even put borders on the cakes! It's all about putting yourself out there in the best light possible!

Yep! I have felt it... I feel it.... and I know I will continue to feel it. I have to remember that many people are buying for taste AND looks. Not just looks. The people that are buying for looks and not taste are not usually the people that are willing to pay for what you are worth...

Even the people who do those great cakes think their work is awful. I've won lots of awards for my cakes and cookies and yet I think I've only ever made 3 cakes I actually like. I'm always finding something wrong with them and think everyone's is better. We all feel like "what the heck am I doing". Just enjoy it. Here are a couple of my cakes that I liked.

Not sure why this pic posted. Here's the one I like.