01/04: Not all in my head

What I miss most sometimes working for and by myself is that I don’t have a restaurant kitchen full of like-minded cooks to bounce ideas off of.  Even though I do know what I’m doing most of the time (I’m pretty sure of that), it’s still nice to get some positive feedback or input from another source.  Sure, I can text, call or email a friend for ideas or suggestions, but the response isn’t always immediate and you kind of want to strike while the creative iron is hot.

I think I’ve always gotten my best ideas out of impromptu brainstorming sessions with friends/colleagues.  My friend Nicole loves to tease me about having my “Dr Evil” moments during our brainstorming–that’s when a “brilliant” idea pops into my head and I instinctively put an unturned pinky to my lips.  And no, I don’t follow that up with “Mmmwahhh!”  I just bob up and down on my toes like a giddy school girl.

It’s the thrill of coming up with new things that really gets me going.  Sometimes I can find the inspiration on my own or figure out a way to do something I’ve never done before–in a MacGyver sort of way–like replicating a skateboard out of fondant and cardboard.  But for me, the most satisfying, creative things are born out of collaboration–a kind of jam session–when a little help from my friends can take me out of my own head and outside the box.

Posted January 4th, 2009

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