Spotlight on April Blake

inthejasperspotlight_AprilBlakeApril Blake, who you may know from her food blog (theaprilblake.com) or from her writing in the Free Times or from South Carolina Girls’ Pint Out or from her media relations work or from various restaurants around town, was once an administrative assistant. As you might imagine, she found herself restless in this job and knew there was something else for her—something much better.

To remedy her restlessness, Blake started her blog. Her goals were to build a portfolio and to attain freelance writing jobs, but she says the creative outlet that the blog provided was a bonus as well. “I didn’t realize at the time, but when I started blogging, I was building my identity capital for a better job and a better future for myself.” Blake explains that this concept, “building your identity capital”, comes from a TED talk by Dr. Meg Jay that resonates with her. Blake says, “I encourage everyone to build their identity capital as early in their career as possible, don’t dick around in your twenties and wonder why you hate your job in your late twenties. Putting the effort in now will bring rewards if you put those efforts into the right place. Whether it’s writing or food or music or making things out of wood, put yourself into something you really enjoy and if you put yourself out there, you’ll find that you will like who you become a lot more than if you hadn’t.”

Blake truly did put herself out there, and she continues to do so. Ashley Bower, a friend whom she met on Twitter, had the idea to start South Carolina Girls’ Pint Out and Blake jumped right on board with her, saying that she “can’t say no to brilliant ideas.” Blake helps with the social media and says, “we’ve got a solid group of lady drinkers here in the Midlands who are excited about being a part of Girls’ Pint Out, and I’m excited to be part of empowering women to feel comfortable and accepted in what is traditionally thought of as a male dominated past time…We’re just a conduit for inspiring confidence in women, and there’s nothing I love more than that.”

If you visit theaprilblake.com, which you absolutely should, you will find 59 different mouthwatering vegetarian recipes, excellent and enjoyable writing, and a whole lot of love for the Palmetto State. Of the 29 blogs that Blake links her readers to, 20 of them feature an asterisk denoting “South Caroline love!” Blake says, “I’ve never lived anywhere else and I don’t want to, honestly. This is home to me…Plus there is so much lore and pride around Southern dishes, it’s part of what makes the food taste so good, is that storied component to it. Sure, butter and fat and stuff makes food taste good, but knowing that it’s stood the test of time, that really says something.”

Blake’s personal favorite recipe from her blog is the one for squacos, or squash-filled tacos, which both look and sound scrumptious. Her favorite dishes in the area include the veggie ramen at Menkoi, the drunken noodle with tofu at Mai Thai, and the tri-color potatoes with a sunny side up egg at 116 State Street—“My husband Patrick and I like to bicycle over there when the weather is nice for a relaxing brunch and breakfast cocktails.”

For more April Blake, visit theaprilblake.com and look for her writing in the Free Times.

-by Abby Davis

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