My Why
It Was Never Just About the Bread
I’ve been asked, in different ways, why I do this.
Why the early mornings.
Why the long days.
Why the commitment to something that, on the surface, looks like flour, water, and time.
For a while, I don’t know that I could fully answer that.
Because it has been unfolding as I go.
The Moment It Was Reflected Back
Recently, I received a message from someone who has been part of this journey from the beginning.
Someone who gave me my very first opportunity to share Art of The Crumb with this community.
She wrote:
“You carry a peace that fills the room.”
I paused when I read that.
Because if I’m honest…that is what I am trying to build.
Not just bread.
Not just something to sell.
But something people can feel.
The Bread Is the Beginning
There was another moment this week.
A mom called me.
We talked for twenty minutes.
Not just about bread…
but about her family.
She told me her children will only eat my bread.
She ordered five loaves, and now each Saturday, I’ll set them aside for her.
But what lingered wasn’t the order.
It was the conversation.
She asked about my vacation.
She asked if I felt rested…ready for the rest of the summer and the markets ahead.
We talked about ingredients.
About what it means to feed your family something clean.
Something intentional.
Something you trust.
And in that moment, it became very clear…
This is what I am building.
The Reach I Didn’t Expect
I’ve also received messages from people who have been following along quietly.
A friend who picked up sketching again after years.
Another friend who shared that he is now the proud caretaker of a sourdough starter and is preparing to bake his very first loaf.
And then a message from a pastor in Santa Barbara:
“Your ‘bread of life’ ministry has given me the example to bake bread and share it around to neighbors and friends. God is using you and your ministry. Your life is like a Bible that so many who know you are reading, and it is building their faith.”
I read those words slowly.
Not as something to hold onto…
but as something to receive with care.
What I Am Beginning to Understand
This was never about building something big.
It was never about scale or numbers or recognition.
It has always been about showing up.
Consistently.
Honestly.
Faithfully.
And allowing whatever comes from that…to come.
My Why
My why is this:
To create something that nourishes more than hunger.
To build connection in a world that feels increasingly disconnected.
To offer something real, something intentional, something made with care.
To show that beginning again is possible.
At any age.
In any season.
To live my faith in a way that doesn’t need to be spoken loudly…
but can be felt.
And Still…
At the end of the day, I go back to the kitchen.
Back to the dough.
Back to the rhythm.
Because that is where it all begins.
And where, somehow…
It continues to grow.
Warmly~
Kathy
Art of The Crumb