It's so interesting to see what people are doing in the world of food photography, cooking events and food packaging. This whole world of food is something that I love to follow because it ties in closely to what I do and I find a ton of crossover between styling interiors and styling food. So many things that work for interiors also work for food and vice versa. Do you find this too?

I learned this first hand when I was lecturing at a Food Styling & Photography class this past summer in Weimar, Germany. I was able to apply my knowledge of interiors to food styling and the students definitely enjoyed my take as my personal experiences and overall perspective felt very fresh to them. Like anything, if you are only getting advice from peers, you can quickly dry up or become bored. You may begin to notice too much repetition or "inspired" work and after awhile this can be very draining and frustrating. Everyone tries to be different in the exact same way! This is precisely why I like to learn from those in other creative professions in addition to my own because then your mind stays open and your ideas are always being challenged and therefore, freshened. Do you feel the same way?

I would like to share something with you today that I fell upon while doing some random Googling and was surprised to learn that this fascinating company called Mit Essen spielt man (this is German and means Play With Food) belongs to a creative lady from Hannover, Germany who lives in a nearby district called Linden. I also live in Hannover (in the List) and love finding other creatives who live here and share my passions - it is very exciting! The talented lady behind Mit Essen spielt man is Lina Meyer who runs a small design and cooking studio out of a small building behind her apartment and enjoys, through her concepts and workshops, teaching others to really taste food when they are eating - to pull it apart and have fun, to be in the moment and to savor it.

Lina says, "Food is a very exciting process, it is a very sensual and intimate experience. What we eat has a cultural value for us, supporting us in our identity and our way of life, tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are." Wonderful!

I love her recent Playing With Food dinner party that she had out of her studio space in Hannover - I hope she'll have another because I would love to attend!

This is such an inspiration to see. Wow!

(images: Mit Essen spielt man and Nona Schmidt - the illustrations were done by Hannover-based artist, Pamela Rama.)