What is it that finally drives people to take the leap and switch to a more creative life? Is it a push away from a lifestyle or job where you don’t feel fulfilled? Or is it a pull towards the excitement and passion of a creative way of living? Chef Theo Michaels talks to Nikki Vallance about the push / pull of his own creative switch.

Guest bio

Theo Michaels  Executive Chef, award winning author and co-founder of FiveDinners.com 

After appearing on Masterchef 2014, Theo resigned from his IT business of 15 years to follow his passion for food. Theo comes from a large Greek Cypriot family, lived in America for five years and has backpacked around the world and now lives in Hertfordshire with his wife, three children and dog.  

Theo is famed for love of Mediterranean food taking inspiration from his Greek Cypriot roots to cooking easy family food from around the world. 

Theo is resident chef on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch, has a monthly food column in Hertfordshire Life Magazine, is a Kenwood Ambassador and frequently in the press and media and food festivals.

Theo is co-founder of FiveDinners.com an online meal planning service and is an award winning author with his eight cookbook being published autumn 2023. 

Two of Theo’s books have won the Gourmand World Cookbook awards, with some of his titles including Orexi (translated into 3 languages) Rustica, SHARE, CANNED, Grazing and Feasting Boards. 

 Theo still gets’ his hands dirty as Executive Chef for an international events company and also co-owns a cool little coffee shop in Hertfordshire.

Theo has three children and during lockdown Theo was named internationally as the ‘UK’s home economist’ after hosting 36 live kids cookalongs for 3 months to thousands of families around the world.

  [00:06] - The Edge. Nikki shares creative news stories and explores how creativity is showing up in the world.

·       [04:17] – Theo explains where his passion for food came from.

·       [06:18] – Theo and Nikki discuss the push and pull drivers that can lead to making a creative switch.

·       [13.21] – ‘How do you keep the passion when you’ve turned your passion into a job?’

·       [26.47] – ‘What advice do you have for people considering switching direction?’

·       [31.52] – Doubting Doris. Nikki share stories from people who were turned away from a creative life by their own ‘Doubting Doris’

Creative Nuggets

·       The move towards a more creative life can be driven by either the desire to push away from an unfulfilled life or the pull towards a passion. Or both!

·       Turning a creative passion into a full-time job requires a different mindset and realistic expectations about the balance of creative work and non-creative work.

·       Be prepared to be vulnerable! It’s a big thing to put your creativity out into the world, but ultimately worth it.

·       Be open to the evolution of your creative passion. There are lots of opportunities that you may have never considered.

Links

Theo

https://www.fivedinners.com/