Photo by Shelley Pauls on Unsplash
THINKING ABOUT:
What does creativity look like? We just watched two movies about mad creativity: American Symphony followed by Maestro. Both about composers with equally talented wives. Wives who may or may not have been overshadowed by their husband’s creative accomplishments. I’ll tell you below what I thought of the movies, but it got me wondering about creativity itself. What does it mean to be creative? A common belief is that creativity lands upon certain people while missing others. You’re born with it or not. You’re either a creative type or someone boring.
Hogwash. Creativity is a practice, and it’s work. It’s writing morning pages every day. Or crafting beautiful wedding decorations. Or figuring out another way to read the same damn book to your kid every night. It’s deciding to bring light to your co-workers instead of negative energy. Finding a faster way to make vaccines. Organizing your farmer’s market stand with pride and beauty.
I wasn’t always a recipe developer. I’ve cooked since I was a teenager, and in grad school I started “renovating” recipes to make them fit a particular low-fat diet model that was popular at the time. But when I started my food blog in 2010, I had no idea how to write a recipe. I’d done some food styling back in the early 80s and learned some aspects of photography in film school, but everything about food blogging—at age 49—was new to me. My food blog never reached the same popularity as others because I followed my own whims instead of a marketing plan. Had anyone ever taken the flavors of beef stroganoff and put them into a lasagna? (Not that I could find, and yes it was freaking delicious. I need to make it again.)
Could I make buttermilk biscuits that were gluten-free AND vegan? (It took 7 or 8 tries, but yes. Ish.)
Creativity can be cultivated and it’s worth finding an outlet, as it makes life infinitely richer.
WATCHING:
American Symphony (Netflix) showcases the creative partnership and marriage between musician and composer Jon Baptiste and writer, musician, and painter Suleika Jaouad. He’s working on a piece called American Symphony to be performed at Carnegie Hall which incorporates every aspect of American music, from Native Indian performers to New Orleans jazz. She’s had a recurrence of leukemia and is getting treatment. It’s a beautiful love story and truly inspiring.
Maestro (Netflix) is Bradley Cooper’s love letter to composer Leonard Bernstein. While I find it remarkable how Cooper can transform his voice to play a role (as he did in A Star Is Born), I found the movie’s creative choices baffling. It’s in color! Now it’s in black and white! It’s frenetic and zany! Now it’s deeply sad! I found myself fast forwarding a LOT. But Cary Mulligan is remarkable in it, so there’s that. I found this interview he did about the movie far more interesting than the film. Feel free to argue with me in the comments.
READING:
I’m currently reading a memoir manuscript for a friend. As counterpoint, I pulled The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs from my Little Free Library. One of those satisfying reads about family and relationships and finding your place.
KITCHEN HACK:
Buy five containers and keep them filled with prepped vegetables. Slicing radishes razor thin brings out their wonderful watery crispness. I swear it has made all the difference in me consistently making lovely salads for us every night. I’m a obsessed with the Little Gem lettuce that my Trader Joe’s has consistently been offering. I blend that with something else, often their organic cabbage blend. A sprinkling of each prepped veg. (Now the salad contains 7 vegetables, yay.) Some walnuts for crunch (heart healthy and great for reducing inflammation.) A bit of cheese for creaminess (goat cheese, goat cheddar, whatever floats your boat). And dressing of choice.
Your note about prepping cut veggies is so wise -- and reminds me of a Jamie Oliver video (srsly!) about doing a week's worth of meal prep ahead of time on a Sunday or something. Both remind me that I'd eat better if I took a chunk of time one day a week and acted as my own sous chef. Along with that great Kitchen Aid: Trader Joe!