I have gotten the cookie thing down pretty good and LOVE it. But people keep saying, "Is ALL you do is cookies?" I have tried cakes and just can't get it down. I can't get the icing smooth and I really get frustrated! I just don't think I am good at it. I make one every now and then and it never looks good. Tastes good, just doesn't look like I would want it to look.

I LOVE doing cookies so I have been sticking with it but then people make me feel bad when they comment that I "only" do cookies!

Tell them that like a doctor, you have chosen to "specialize"! I know how you feel, as I've caught some grief for "only" decorating cakes in BC. But I don't let it bug me, as I'm doing what I want to do. It's not my job to cater to their wishes. Continue to enjoy decorating cookies, and if they are boorish enough to want more, than it's no more cookies for them!

I only do cookies too. However, nobody has made that comment to me yet, but I like Gemini's response. Also, how many cake decorators get the comment, "Oh, you only do cakes?" I would think it isn't many. If you're decorating cookies as a business, making money, having fun and getting a good customer base, there is no reason why you sould need to branch out, IMO of course. Good luck!

not everyone is good at everything. no problem to find what you are good at. and if thats cookies then its cookies. go for it and have fun.

Perhaps they mean it as a compliment. They're so impressed with your cookies that they're inquiring if you do other things as well.

Joyce Meyer said something that I've kind of adopted as my motto. She said (and I'm paraphrasing), don't waste your time trying to be mediocre at everything so you can please people, try to perfect what you are good at so you can be excellent instead.

How odd - that people would say that.
*You only do cookies*...i wonder if they are masters of everything in the kitchen...
LOL - i can't do a figurine to save my life so i stay away from that form of decorating - but feel content within myself of other things that i can do.
Like the others said - if you ae happy with what you do - enjoy and feel proud that you have a niche market covered. As not everyone can do cookies.

Bh

Twopeasinapod ~ I also did just cookies for a long time because I could never decorate a cake. Sometimes I thought my five year old could do a better if not just as equally good job of it! But, I loved doing cookies and it worked well for me so I saw no need to change it.
A friend asked me to make a cake for her son's birthday party one year. It was a small, simple party so I thought "what the heck". It wasn't a paid order so I didn't have to worry about pleasing the customer and it was for a bunch of people I knew so I wasn't worried about what everyone would think if (or when) it turned out horrible (but like yours, I knew it tasted great). Then, the craziest thing happened ~ I made a decent looking cake!
I couldn't believe it! From then on, I started making more and more cakes and my creativity starting pouring out and now I absolutely love cake making as well as cookie making. I guess I just needed a little bit of confidence in myself!
Maybe your time will come too!!!

I've tried my hand at cookies but I can't do them, so I stick to cupcakes. I just tell my family and friends that I can't be good at everything! They need to learn to appreciate your talent and not get so carried away. If they want something so bad they can learn how to do it!

I too 'only' do cookies. I like how Gemini put it - that is what I specialize in. You can say somethng along the line of, "My cookies are very time-intensive from the design process to completion and this is what I choose to focus on for now."

Tita's quote is perfect! I used to be all over the board - designing cards, doing meringues/truffles/toffee, designing quilts, plus a bit of cookies and my best friend told me that if I just honed in on one thing, I could perfect it. I don't know about 'perfecting' it, but by focusing on this one thing, I have gotten better with my skills. Oh, I have tried doing a cake and it was a disaster! Nope, I am sticking with cookies!

Don't take it as a negative..maybe they think your cookies are so beautiful that your cakes could only look (and taste) just as good!

i tried making cookies, and they looked terrible haha!!! they tasted good, but looked like a 4 year old had decorated them lmao! yet i can whip out a cake thats stunning, but all ive ever 'known' is cakes and cake things. i mean you wouldnt go up to a brain surgeon and ask him is that all you do? lol. i say perfect what your good at! and if you fancy trying someelse, Why not, give it a shot, practise makes perfect

Hey! Cookie people are special people. If you make a beautiful cookies, I am impressed!!! Do not be cowed into changing a thing. Do what you love. (Drop cookies are where I'm at.)

I would love it if i was super good at ONE thing. I think it is great that you have found something that you are really good at and you enjoy it. Don't worry what other people say.

I'm a cookie chick, too. I haven't given up on the cake thing, but I realize that I am not an awesome caker.

I kinda had a little chuckle when I read your post...only because people used to say that to me about baking for a living. I used to think, "why are they always saying that to me?"...as time passed I found out that although I absolutely love to bake, and if the truth were known ?..I would probably bake and give it away, because I enjoy it so much I'm thinking maybe people in your case, just don'r realize the work that goes into making cookies and how much of an artist you have to be, let alone be able to earn good money in the process. I know that I for one, envy & admire people who can turn out all those marvellous cookie bouquets, cookie lollipops and designs...kudos to you for all the work it takes to end up with the final product. In time, I hope anyone who had doubts will turn out to be your regular customers. Just "keep on, keeping on".

I agree with m1m and bellotrixthresis (sorry if I misspelled that! )...that way I read the comment gave me the impression that someone was interested your other products....which is a compliment!!

Good point, SweetJan! Twopeasinapod, that is a compliment! I jumped on the 'why one ,ay only do cookies', but she is right. You obviously are very good at cookies and if they didn't like what you did, they wouldn't ask if you did other items as well.

Thanks for all the words of encouragement! You have all made me realize that I do not need to worry but be happy! I will probably try cakes here and there but not beat myself up if it doesn't turn out. I'll just keep on making my cookies! I am also like the lady that said she enjoys baking so much, she would probably do it and just give them away. I am a school teacher also and my class loves it when I decide to try something new and then take the cookies to them! My sons friends love to come check out the cookie jar and my husband's coworkers are always checking his office for a box of cookies!
I think cookies are my preferred art palate!