Quick Win: Ben Shewry’s secret to staying creative with a busy schedule
Jun 2, 2025
A successful chef reveals how achieving fame can sometimes make creativity feel like a chore. He shares invaluable tips on keeping the passion alive in your creative projects. Discover the transformative role of music in the kitchen, enhancing both the cooking experience and creativity. Learn how diversifying interests can nourish your joy and maintain that spark in your work!
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Return to Core Passion
Keep returning to the original passion that brought success to maintain joy in your work.
Prioritize making time to engage in the core creative activity despite many distractions and demands.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Protect Creative Time
Make time daily to do the thing that brings you joy, even when other tasks demand your attention.
Explore new ways to engage with your creative work outside the usual routine or environment.
insights INSIGHT
Value of Diverse Interests
Having diverse interests outside your main passion broadens your perspective and fuels creativity.
Engaging with different experiences and people refreshes and enhances your primary creative work.
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In 'Uses for Obsession,' Ben Shewry shares a deeply personal and honest account of his life as a chef. The book is both a memoir and a treatise on leadership, highlighting Shewry's journey from his childhood in rural New Zealand to his current role as the head chef and owner of Attica. It delves into his struggles, inspirations, and the values that guide his culinary philosophy, including his emphasis on indigenous ingredients and sustainability. The book also critiques the culinary industry, addressing issues such as sexism, the cult of the chef, and the flaws in food journalism and award systems. Shewry's narrative is filled with vivid anecdotes and a commitment to honesty, making it an entertaining and eye-opening read[1][2][4].
The big catch with a creative business is that the more successful you get, the more your creative endeavour can feel like a chore instead of a passion. But what if there was one thing you could do to ensure the passion stays?
Ben Shewry is head chef and owner of multi-award winning Melbourne restaurant, Attica. Attica has been featured several times in the The World's 50 Best Restaurants and has been named the Best Restaurant in Australia. He is also the author of bestseller Uses for Obsession, a memoir about Ben’s experiences in hospitality.
With all of this success and all these projects, Ben has definitely found more demands on his time, and yet he still manages to keep that joy and passion with his creative work.
Ben shares:
🎭 Why becoming successful could make it harder to do your creative passion
🔥 A simple way you can ensure the passion stays with your creative projects
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