Chief Smile Maker
- vidya.birkhoff
- Aug 6
- 6 min read
There’s something magical about a smile. It’s universal, timeless, and deeply human. A smile transcends language, culture, and class and doesn’t need translation. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey through art, food, and human connection, it’s that a genuine smile can heal, connect, and uplift. That’s why I call myself the “Chief Smile Maker".
It’s not just a title on my business card. It’s a life philosophy and a job description with no clock-out time. It’s my quiet mission, whether I’m handing over a warm cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven or revealing a finished oil painting that evokes the comfort of home.
Let me take you back to where this title was born, and how it continues to shape everything I do.
JavaLava Art Café
Where Smiles Were Served with Cinnamon Rolls and knock-off Krispy Kreme Donuts.
In 2014, I was the proud owner of the JavaLava Art Café, a cozy little spot that blended two of my greatest passions: art and baking. I poured everything I had into that café - my energy, my creativity, and my personality. I wore every hat; chef, barista, server, cashier, cleaner, and yes - even plumber on more than one occasion.
But the role I loved most was being the Chief Smile Maker. There was something so special about watching a person’s face light up when I handed them a cinnamon roll or my homemade caramel Frappuccino. The corners of their mouths would instantly turn upward.
The café became more than a place to grab coffee - it became a place to feel seen, welcomed, and appreciated. It became a place where people bonded and where my husband and I made lifelong friends.
That smile, that little transformation was the real recipe for success. The café wasn’t just about food or décor. It was about creating a warm, nourishing experience. And while we moved on from JavaLava, the spirit of what it represented stayed with me.
Art School at 53 - A Different Kind of Leap
For a long time, I carried within me the quiet dream of becoming an artist. Life took me down many other paths – corporate America, travel, and reinvention - but that dream never left me. And in December 2021, I finally achieved my dream and graduated from the Ani Art Academy after 4 years and 10,200 hours of training.
At 56 years old, I was no longer the student society expected. I was a woman with a history and a vision, and I was ready. Graduating was more than a personal achievement - it was an awakening. I felt like I had to make up for lost time and I answered the call to create art with urgency and complete dedication.
Since then, I’ve been painting non-stop. Day after day, night after night, I poured stories onto canvas. Memories. Culture. Identity. Belonging. Food. Color. Emotion. Nostalgia. Painting conveyed who I am. What I remember. What I want to share. What I leave behind.
Sixty Before Sixty: A Personal Challenge
Some people write bucket lists. I set goals. I challenged myself to complete 60 paintings before my 60th birthday - a symbolic journey toward honoring the life that I chose to live and the stories I still have to tell. And I did it.
More than just a number, those paintings - now up to 74 - became a body of work that includes the “Taste of Home” collection - a nostalgic celebration of West Indian childhood, memories that bind us to who we are. A tin of Channa. A bottle of Bitters. A glass jar of Mango Amchar. A plastic Chubby bottle with a flower. A can of Angostura LLB cradling bird of paradise flowers. A Carib Cap, a Stag Bottle, a pack of Rough Tops with a Solo Apple-J and my favorite, a Tunnock’s Caramel Bar. These weren’t just still-life paintings. They were memories and little treats I looked forward to as a child.
When people walk into my studio and see these works, they often pause. Then something wonderful happens, they smile. Sometimes it's a quiet smile of recognition. Sometimes it’s a broad grin followed by laughter. “My grandmother used to put flowers in the Amchar Jar!” they say. Or, “This takes me back to sitting in my mother’s kitchen, waiting for her to cool the hot cup of MILO.”
Once again, I’m the “Chief Smile Maker”. But this time, instead of cinnamon rolls, I serve memories.
Yellow Butterfly Studios:
My Heart on Display
Today, I live and work in Tobago, West Indies, where I founded Yellow Butterfly Studios - my little creative sanctuary on the Scarborough Waterfront. People wander in, sometimes just curious, and leave moved or inspired. Some come searching for the perfect piece to hang in their home. Others are simply drawn to the energy of the space. But the result is often the same - a smile, a story, a connection.
My studio is not just a place where I paint. It’s where I share my soul. It’s where I greet every guest as if they were a friend, and where you’re always welcome to sit, chat, and linger.
It’s the cinnamon-roll feeling, but now in paint and conversation of memories.
The Power of a Smile: More Than Just a Moment
You might be wondering why I continue to build my personal brand - both as an artist and as a woman - around something as simple as a smile. But a smile, to me, is never just a moment. It’s a signal of recognition, a spark of joy, a crack in the armor we sometimes wear through life.
Smiles can heal wounds we don’t speak about.
Smiles can bridge cultural divides.
Smiles are how we say, “I see you,” without saying a word.
My mission as the Chief Smile Maker is to keep creating spaces - physical and emotional - where people feel that kind of resonance. Whether through food, art, storytelling, or simply the warmth of presence, I want to continue giving people moments of connection.
The Art of Slowing Down
After years of painting non-stop, I’m now at a bit of a turning point. Having completed the "60 before 60" goal and the “Taste of Home” collection, I find myself reflecting on what comes next. The fire hasn’t dimmed, but it’s time to pause, breathe, and regroup. Creativity needs space to roam. The well needs refilling.
So, for now, I’ll take a short break from daily painting and focus on a few special commissions - intimate works that tell individual stories. Portraits, family heirlooms, customized scenes of home. I love these personal journeys. They’re a different kind of smile-making: one that goes deeper, one that often ends in tears of joy.
The rest will come as it should. Inspiration always returns when you treat it with respect and care.
What the Title Means to Me Now
So yes, I still call myself the Chief Smile Maker.
Not because it’s cute or quirky (though it is a great conversation starter!), but because it reminds me of what truly matters. It reminds me that art, like food, is an act of service. It’s how I nourish the world around me. It’s how I reach into someone’s past and bring a little beauty back into their present.
Whether through the aroma of fresh pastries or the familiar gleam of a shiny bottle on canvas, I aim to offer a kind of emotional nourishment. Something that lingers long after the moment has passed.
For Anyone Wondering About Their Next Chapter
If you’re reading this and wondering whether it’s too late to follow a dream; to go back to school, to start painting, to open that little café or write that book, let me tell you this:
It’s never too late.
I started again at 56 and painted like my life depended on it because, in many ways, it did. And now, I’m 60, fulfilled, and still creating joy one smile at a time.
So give yourself permission to be bold, to be different and to begin again (and again, if you have to).
In Closing: Keep Smiling, Keep Creating
My journey has been one of twists and turns, paved with tears and triumphs, heartbreak and healing. But through it all, the smiles remained as a guiding light and a reward.
So next time you see my name - or step foot into Yellow Butterfly Studios - know that my real job isn’t just to paint pretty pictures. It’s to make you smile from the inside out.
That’s what it means to be the Chief Smile Maker, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
Comments