How to Cook up Creativity

(Perhaps a more creative title than “A recipe for Creativity”)

When I was kicked out of my parent’s nest I was kicked out of their kitchen and lost my privilege of enjoying the domestic worker’s, Dorothy, home cooked meals. I might have scrambled an egg for breakfast here and there, made an avo and bacon sandwich for lunch once or twice and surprisingly managed to put together a reasonably tasty Boboti one evening; but I did not know how to cook!

Food is like art which makes it a creative, yet intelligent, process. To me a recipe book is cheating! I wanted to cook like a cook – a cook who mastered the art of cooking through trial and error, which, let’s be honest equals creativity. Last night I tried something new. I only had mushrooms, yoghurt, oranges, whole wheat wraps, eggplant, haloumi cheese, sweet potato and some spices, in my amateur kitchen. And I was determined to cook up a storm! I followed my instinct and fried mushrooms, eggplant and haloumi in a pan and laid it on a bed of honey mustard and peri-peri sauce in the wrap. To my confident surprise it was delicious!! It was then that I grilled up the topic for this blog post.

You see, creativity is a lot like cooking!

1. Everyone is capable of cooking!

In fact, I’d argue that even more so than in cooking, creativity is in everyone! Each human being has a large pinkish-grey walnut in their head, called the brain, which can be divided down the middle lengthwise into two halves, called cerebral hemispheres. Creativity and innovation is sparked in the right cerebral hemisphere, more specifically from the frontal lobe (above your eyes) and the cognitive functions of the cerebellum (the little brain at the bottom of the brain). Therefore, it is safe to say that, if you have a brain you can be creative. Repeat after me: “I have a brain, I am creative”. Now, you need to learn how to release all that creativity inside of you.

2. You can learn to cook and you can learn to cook better and better.

In the exact same way that you can get into a habit of preparing your own meals daily and expect your meals to become more tasty with time, you can learn to use and grow your creativity.  There are simple creativity exercises such as focussing on making connections between objects and topics and creating the right atmospheres to promote creativity that you can do regularly to let your creative juices flow better. And as with all things in life: practice makes perfect.  On the opposite side of the knife you can learn NOT to cook.  For example, choosing to eat out at restaurants or always buying takeaways will not give you any opportunities to learn how to cook!  It is the same with creativity. We can train our brains to not be creative by never engaging in creative exercises and always relying on Google and Pinterest for ideas and solutions.

3. All Chefs steal other Chefs’ dishes.

I know you have done this before! You have supper at a friend and promise yourself that you will try that recipe for your next dinner party! Musicians do the same. So do web designers, and writers. All artists steal.  Pablo Picasso once said, “Art is theft.” Creative people borrow from others!  There is nothing wrong with taking someone else’s idea, tweaking it here and there and making it your own! Always remember the wise words of Picasso, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.”

4. Cooking goes hand in hand with a glass of red wine.

Q: What is the difference between good food and great food? A: Great food contains half a bottle of wine!

That is the first Law of Cooking. “Thou shalt always cook with wine (in thine hand and in thine pot)!”

I’d like to make this a rule for creativity too. But before my Mother reads this post, let me explain the analogy. Latent inhibition is a person’s ability to ignore irrelevant information in the world, helping one move between the cluttered complexities of life. After a glass or two or three of wine, we can assume that one has low latent inhibition: less of a filter and thus one is more likely to notice seemingly irrelevant information. Due to the fact that their logic force is constantly subdued, they are more likely to act creatively as they are able to make unexpected connections. The lesson behind this metaphor is to try discard logic and reasoning when practising creativity! Just Be and Just Do.

5. The ingredient list is endless!

Creativity is infinite. Possibilities are infinite. Tools and techniques are infinite. Everything in this universe was created by someone or something! We too, possess those abilities and the power of creation. But it all starts in the mind. Know that you are able. Know that YOU can. Believe that you can. Then go ahead and create!

6. Use it or lose it!

Creativity is like a muscle (or mussel) that you must train. If you practice creativity often, your creativity muscle will strengthen and grow. If you stop practising your creativity muscle it will desiccate like a thirsty abandoned mussel. The moral of this story is: just keep cooking, just keep cooking, and just keep cooking (up your creativity).

7. Cooking is most fun when done naked.

Sometimes it is necessary to do some stripping. Strip off everything that holds you back. Strip away the fear of failing to generate an innovative idea. Strip away all logic, reason and judgement. Strip away the boundaries of the norm. Strip away your own mental limitations. Get comfortable and stop trying so hard! In the exact same way that writers experience writer’s block when they need to write, you are more likely to get creative block when you try to “get in the zone”. Spontaneity is just what you need to be creative!

8. Cooking takes time and effort.

No dish gets made by staring at it. A chef needs to decide to cook. He needs to prepare for the cooking by thinking about what ingredients are necessary, what pots and pans are needed, which spices will complement the dish and how long it will take to prepare the dish. In the same way, one needs to make a conscious decision to be creative. I once read, “Creativity takes work, time and energy. Being creative is a lifestyle choice.” I would argue that it is a state of mind, a mentality.  Nonetheless, you have to plan for it, prepare for it and then jump into action.  Dr Seuss said, “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try.”  Seems like Dr Seuss is silly and smart!

9. Great cooks publish recipe books.

It is often on the journey to creation that one comes across precious gems. These gems are treasures to be used, perhaps on your next adventure, but it can only be used if you pick it up, place it in your pocket and cherish it until a later stage. For a cook, these gems might be special combinations that they stumbled upon that tastes delicious! They would immediately take note of the gem discovered and document it. I would urge everyone to have a small notebook with them and scribble down ideas that come to mind – big ideas, small ideas, stupid ideas, complicated ideas, all ideas. Two years down the line, you might just find that that silly idea from the day in the coffee shop is the right idea!

10. Who cares if it doesn’t taste good!

A motto of mine is, “It is not about the destination, it is about the journey”. If it ends up tasting good, it’s only bonus. The value lies in the experience gained in the process. It is also important to realise that we all have our own unique pallets – some like spicy food, some prefer it mild; what is too rich for me, is too bland for you. We will never be able to agree on what it the perfect dish and that is okay! Salvador Dali might seem like a nutcase to you and me, but I bet he had fun painting those melting clocks!

You have something uniquely creative in you! Grant the world the privilege of seeing what beautiful creation you have to arrange on your tray!

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