We went to see our friend Emily Gold, the baker and artist, at the Bennington Farmer’s Market, we got some fresh bread and we had a talk about blog opening pages.

“This,” Maria said, “is why you don’t have a lot of friends,” after I asked Emily why she had a big photo of a “slimy” danish on the cover of her beautiful blog, but no big photo of the sketches or amazing collages she has been making and selling.

She has a list of people signing up for her new collage virtual classes, people are loving her art. Every time I mention this on the blog, more people sign up. This is wonderful, to have readers so tuned into creativity and art.

I didn’t mean to diss Emily’s baked goods, lots of people love them also, and they usually sell out at the Farmer’s Market before we get there.

Emily and I get each other.

She listens but makes up her own mind, and she disagreed that the danish looked slimy. Maria was laughing, “he doesn’t like your danish photo. Feel free to ignore him.”

I’m sure Emily will feel free to ignore me, but the danish has been bugging me for a while. It just came out. Old people can afford to be honest, it’s a perk.

I have nothing against pastries, but I am a  fan of Emily’s sketches and collage art. I just suggested they might be more prominently displayed on the blog so people would know they were there.

As my blog readers know, I’m all into impact,  especially in a world where people are deluged with information and information providers.

I enjoy talking to people like Emily (who, not surprisingly, is not unlike my wife in some ways). People who are creative, smart, curious, ambitious, and driven.

And who have no problem blowing me off.

One of the things I loved about working in newsrooms – print and TV – was the creative arguments that raged day and night. We all knew that this where the best ideas come from.

I enjoyed working with people who don’t quit and who never stop experimenting. It is, of course, not my business what image she puts up on her blog, so of course, I had to say it.

That is, in fact, why I have few friends.

My blog has taught me a great deal about the Internet. I can’t get over how much I love writing on the blog and how surprised I am at how many people read it.

People are busy and distracted. Impact matters.

That’s why I greatly expanded the size of the photographs on the Farm Journal Page, people see them and are drawn to see what’s happening.

They want to know more, even if they don’t like it when they see it.

The truth is there are very few good blogs on the Internet, despite the fact that there are now more than 30 million of them.

Emily already has one of them, and without any input from me.

But so many creative people fear them.

People are afraid of misspelling words, thieves and trolls, and critical family members, spouses, or friends. People are often afraid to put themselves out there –  there is often someone eager to ridicule or get ticked off.

Emily has been making and selling wonderful baked goods for a decade now and has a lot of loyal and happy customers, “regulars” as Maria and Emily would put it.

I can’t help loving her art.

It’s like Zinnia in a way, you can’t help but laugh and smile and be uplifted when you see it. Emily is very much her own person, she’s not living by what I say or think.

“I think that danish looks fricken delicious,” Maria told me, “I love the way it tastes.”

Yes, I replied but I don’t see one on your blog.

Maria always sticks up for her friends.

It is always fun to talk with her and to see her friendship with Maria deepen. It is touching to discover how many smart people agree with me – teachers, mothers, grandmothers want to take her classes.

“I get you,” she told me today after our brief danish,” I love to hear new ideas.” That’s a rare treat to hear.  You can see Emily’s danish here.