Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Willars Vastine.
Crystal, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Since I was a kid, I loved watching cooking shows like “Yan Can Cook” and always enjoyed traditions like Christmas-time tamale making with my family. After I finished my MBA at TCU in 2005, I moved to Chicago where I didn’t know anyone and challenged myself to spend time trying new recipes – anything from Sunday suppers to candy-making. After returning to Fort Worth, I decided to take it a step further by attending to the Culinary School of Fort Worth where I graduated in 2009. As a project during school, I began publishing Fort Worth Foodie magazine because I wanted to highlight independent restaurants that make Fort Worth such a unique place to live and dine.
The magazine led me to meet so many wonderful people in the restaurant industry and it’s the reason I was invited to be on the planning committee that started the Fort Worth Food & Wine Festival in 2014. We just put on our 5th festival and it’s been so fun serving as Volunteer Chair and getting local foodies involved in this fantastic event that celebrates the food culture in Fort Worth.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I published the last issue of Fort Worth Foodie magazine in late 2013, then started to keep local Foodie followers updated through social media. I was actually at the Austin Food & Wine Festival with Kari Crowe Seher from Melt Ice Creams (our Fort Worth Foodie photographer at the time) and she sort of forced me to start the @fwfoodie Instagram account during a social media workshop. It was a great way to keep foodies informed on the constantly evolving local food scene, so I’m glad she encouraged me to get my social media knowledge in gear! It really took off and has become the most followed food Instagram account in Fort Worth with over 22,000 followers. I’ve love being able to make that connection between a restaurant and a potential new customer that may not have tried it otherwise. There are so many ways to be an explorer in your own city, from trying new restaurants to attending local festivals and pop-up dinners.
It’s fun to play with photography on social media. I use my little Sony RX100 a lot because it’s unobtrusive and takes great photos in low light situations, and lately I rely a lot on my iPhoneX. Friends help out with a phone flashlight for lighting or doing a bit of impromptu food styling. I try to only take photos when I’m trying something new that I want to share with followers. I never want taking photos to get in the way of enjoying a good meal with friends!
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
I think it’s interesting that there is a prevalent opinion that social media is impersonal and pushes us further away form each other. In some ways it does if it’s abused, but it’s satisfying to talk to business owners and change their opinion of how social media can influence people in a way that brings us closer together.
I’ve made so many personal connections that have led to collaborations between chefs, or connecting restaurants with customers, and even lots of personal friendships (remember tweet-ups, lol!). I met nearly every contributor to the magazine I published through social media! It’s so easy to reach out to someone you don’t even know because you see a post that you have a personal connection with and end up meeting in person and collaborating on a project. It’s definitely made Fort Worth an even smaller world for me in a great way!
Contact Info:
- Email: crystal@fortworthfoodie.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/fwfoodie
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/fwfoodie
Image Credit:
Crystal Willars Vastine
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
