About Iski

mom, dad, sister, and younger sister Chinese American Family smiling all together for christmas

chocolate oreo cake and female baker holding it smiling

How it Began

young girl smiling in grandmas kitchen, with a blue apron on getting ready to bake

strawberry cake hand drawn cute illustration of food strawberry shortcake

two young girls baking in the kitchen with hands in the bowls mixing

young girl in taiwan taipei smiling with tall huge taro purple ice cream at street food market

pretty floral and colorful plate and bowl of homemade shortbread heart thumbprint cookies, a journal, and tea mug strawberry

smiling woman in yellow sundress with a cute sun hat, under a white trellis

mango sticky rice illustration watercolor with mango, coconut sticky rice, thai food illustration

A hands-on learner

As a child, I was endlessly curious. I wanted to know how things worked, how they felt, and why certain moments stayed with me longer than others. That curiosity followed me everywhere, especially through food.

I grew up overseas as a military child, moving more than nine times before the age of twenty-two and spending my earliest years abroad. Kitchens changed with each place we lived, as well as the food. Meals were how we settled in, how we learned about the area, observed, and how we found comfort in unfamiliar places. Over time, I learned to associate food with belonging and love.

Some of my earliest memories are tied to being observant. Wandering through Bangkok with my sister, looking at each street food vendor. Spending hours outside collecting leaves, watching insects, and noticing how light moved through trees in Guam. During my childhood, I was paying attention to colors, textures, and quiet details. I did not know it yet, but I was already learning how much I adored learning.

As I grew older, that same curiosity showed up in new ways. I people-watched on buses, wandered into cafés and art stores, and took long walks through the arboretum during college. Those moments of stillness helped me reconnect with what mattered. Yet somewhere between expectations and the pace of life, I began moving too fast. I stopped noticing the ordinary beauty that once grounded me.

I started baking

What began as a way to fill quiet time slowly became something deeper. Baking asked me to slow down, to trust the process, and to be present. Measuring, mixing, waiting, and sharing became grounding practices for a fast-paced college student (at the time). Over time, baking expanded into watercolor painting, writing, photography, and storytelling. All of it became connected through the act of creating with love.

Through Iski Bakery, I share recipes, essays, photographs, and artwork inspired by food, memory, and the places that have shaped me.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)

I believe creativity is a gift meant to be used thoughtfully. Whether it is baking, painting, or writing a story, creating allows us to slow down and notice what is already good. This space exists to capture those moments and to invite others into a gentler pace.

This space is a creative journal, one rooted in curiosity, care, and gratitude. Nothing here is about perfection. It is about process, presence, and the joy of making something with love.

sketch hand drawn illustration of woman journaling and writing with a matcha latte