What motivates a busy baker to dedicate his or her talents to The Pixel Project? In this interview series, we find out! All Paint It Purple Ambassador Cupcakeries/bakeries were invited to share with us the reasons they chose to take part in the Paint It Purple campaign and the inspiration behind their unique twist on the classic Paint It Purple cupcake design. This interview is with Corina Bakery in Tacoma, Washington whose Paint It Purple Bake Sale benefits YWCA Pierce County and The Pixel Project.
Tell us about Corina Bakery and why you decided to take part in this year’s Paint It Purple campaign.
Corina Bakery is a small, from-scratch bakery and coffee shop that focuses on handmade desserts and locally sourced coffee and tea. We wanted to take part in the Paint It Purple Campaign because it just makes sense to! I’m a fan of logic and it is illogical to say no to this. We support a ton of non-profit organisations in the community and the YWCA is one of favourites for personal and professional reasons.
Tell us about the special Paint It Purple cupcake you have designed for the campaign this year. (E.g. flavor, whether it’s vegan/vegetarian, how you put your own spin on the Paint It Purple cupcake design etc)
We took the design ideas that were already presented and spun them a bit. We wanted them to be branded and recognisable, so we kept it simple.We have a tinted Vanilla cupcake with a Bavarian Cream filling, topped with Vanilla Buttercream and a handmade purple and white ribbon our of fondant. We then accented them with white pearl dragees. They are always vegetarian and fully customisable; this means they can be different flavors, gluten-free, vegan or gluten-free AND vegan.
What do you think independent businesses such as Corina Bakery can do to help with efforts to prevent and stop violence against women in communities worldwide?
It’s a really big question! All we can do is continue to support efforts that aid in the prevention of violence against women as well as the continued education efforts. We are still a business, trying to pay the bills, so events like the Paint It Purple Campaign are the best because they are easy for us to participate in so we continue to thrive but can still support at the same time. Personally, each one of us at the bakery, which is predominately female staffed, work in our personal lives to be supportive of those seeking help and knowledgeable of the community resources available to our co-workers as well as our customers, with whom we form really tight bonds.
In your opinion, how can we encourage people (especially men and boys) to take an interest in and step up to help stop violence against women?
It all comes down to education. Looking at our history, the concept that women are just chattel and can be abused has a long history. Our voices, united as one, make a new sound. Gals like me grew up in a single mom household, so an independent woman is not a new thing. But she did it when few others did and that is what I have to keep in mind. I have to remember that I am a part of the “education by example”. There is a new generation of boys/men that honour and respect women and are a part of the movement WITH us. We need to encourage them to educate other men. We cannot do it all as women. We do enough. Women have a sense of our collective community–it’s a part of our being–but men do not. They come from a history of solitude and silence that includes shaming displays of emotion that ultimately boil over in tears or violence. We need to empower them to empower ourselves; we need their help and they need ours.
The annual “Paint It Purple” campaign raises awareness about Violence Against Women (VAW) by getting a global audience to “paint” the internet purple during the campaign using social media. The campaign also raises funds for The Pixel Project, our partners and participating VAW nonprofits worldwide through cupcake bake sales and “Paint It Purple” parties. For more information, visit http://paintitpurple.thepixelproject.net.