DAYNA ALTMAN: For me, mindfulness
is really being present.
With someone who lives with OCD like I do,
the process of making cupcakes or baking
forces me to think about what's right in front of me.
And I think that is invaluable.
My name is Dayna Altman.
And I am the founder of Bake It Till You Make It,
a community-based organization that uses food
and baking to talk about mental health
in a way that's authentic, vulnerable, but also fun.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Bake It Till You Make It is really three pillars--
cookbooks, workshops, and events.
And the last piece is really creating community.
Hi.
Welcome.
Thank you so much for coming back.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
DAYNA ALTMAN: Hi.
Bake It Till You Make It days are really special to me.
It looks like inviting friends over, getting really messy,
but usually using like box cake mixes or something
that's really easy.
So much of mental health struggles
really comes with isolation.
And I think that bringing people together is probably
the most valuable tool that Bake It Till You Make
It can give one's community.
People always ask me if I'm a baker or a chef first.
But honestly, I'm a mental health advocate
and I don't even know if I would say I'm a baker second.
I think a big part of Bake It Till You Make It
and what people connect to is that I'm not a baker.
People relate to Bake It Till You Make
It because I am living this and I'm
going to continue to live it.
But for me, it's worth it to maybe make
the next person feel less alone and lighten
the load a little bit.