Multidisciplinary storytelling workshop with Tara O’Brady | Seattle, October 25 & 26, 2014

People often ask me what it is that attracts me to a blog. Ultimately, it is all about telling a story of food and life.

There are many facets to blogging – many disciplines encompassed in one platform and most of the time, including my case, it is a one-person show. How remarkable is that? Not very often we have seen in publishing individuals who can be so prolific – from writing, to photography, to developing recipes, to being your own art director and editor.

There are a handful of people that I look up to for inspiration. How can they do so much and do it all so well? I think to myself often.

Tara O’Brady has set the bar up very high.

I have been following Tara and her blog Seven Spoons since the beginning. Words drive her and photos are the anchor to support her stories. On top of that, her recipes are always classic and inventive. In awe, I tell you. She makes it seem effortless although I know how much work goes into it. She is thorough and thoughful in everything she does.

And now she is coming to Seattle to teach a workshop about it all.

Tara O’Brady is a food writer, author of the upcoming cookbook Seven Spoons (Ten Speed Press, 2015), and creator of the award-winning food blog of the same name. She is a core contributor to UPPERCASE magazine and her work has appeared in and on Saveur, Bon Appétit, The Wall Street Journal, Olive magazine, The Globe and Mail, Kinfolk magazine, and The Guardian, among others. She lives in Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada, with her husband and their two young sons.

The two days will focus on encouraging and understanding one’s own creative process, teaching how to find and build a story, and how to express that story through various media in a cohesive whole.

Throughout the course, Tara will be sharing her own work; published work, some exclusive to the event, as well as previews from her upcoming cookbook.

Tara will go over the basics of story mapping, grammar, and general and copy editing, before moving over to the language and elements of visual presentation. With that foundation, Tara will transition to the importance of critique and analysis, explore the fundamental commonalities between writing and photography, and the relationship between the two artforms.

With our studio lunch as the subject, Tara will then demonstrate her approach to recipe development, food preparation, and styling, integrating photography as we go. From there, Tara will lead participants through practical writing and photography exercises in an open, collaborative session.

On the second morning, participants will share their notes and favorite images from the previous day; from there, there will be the opportunity to build upon those notes and pictures, first in open discussion, then independently, and with Tara one-on-one. There will be a presentation of work to close the day.

Here is a summary:

I cannot wait.

All photos in this post by Tara O’Brady.