Two accomplished millennials—one in culinary, the other in photography—share their secrets to beating every artist’s worst enemy: creative block.
Creative block is akin to hitting a wall that obstructs ideas, or creative juices, so to speak, from flowing.
“For a creative professional, a creative block isn’t just frustrating—it’s potentially career-damaging. When you rely on your creativity to pay the bills and build your reputation, you can’t afford to be short of ideas or the energy to put them into action,” writes Mark McGuiness in his article published in Adobe’s 99U.
Cooking formula for success
Before Nicco Santos became one of today’s sought-after chefs/brand ambassadors and restaurateurs, he had to forge an unorthodox path to get where he is today.
Santos never got to work for any other restaurant apart from those he currently owns, but instead, got his needed training under home cooks. His exposure in Singapore cooking was what pinned his curiosity further, specifically after getting a taste of the famous chicken rice. Because of his willingness to learn, he eventually got cooking lessons that expanded his knowledge of Asian cuisine.
The young chef took the learnings to his mind and heart, and upon his return to his homeland, he opened Your Local and, two years later, Hey, Handsome with his business partners.
“Food for me is love. Food for me is family. Food is bringing people together—cooking from a context that everybody matters,” says Santos.
Capturing memories
Succeeding the “gifted child” label she gained during her childhood, Shaira Luna has redirected her talent to her love for photography.
Her fascination with vintage has led her to incorporate a signature retro theme into the majority of her work.
“I love old things whether it’s music, an object, or talking to older people, and when I discovered that I could connect my love for old things with photography, I think that was just a match made in heaven. It was meant to be,” says the 31-year-old photographer.
Luna shares one of her favorite projects was when she recreated ‘60 icons John and Yoko.
“I didn’t have a John. I only had a Yoko. So, I reimagined her in the actual photos without John, and I wondered what it would look like, or what kind of reaction it would generate. It’s really one of my most memorable shoots, because I think it’s the emotion it conveyed, how unexpected it was, how sad it was, but also how happy it was,” she relates.
Hitting a creative block
Chef Nicco Santos is no stranger to creative blocks. He says, “As an artist and creative chef, I always experience creative blocks.”
“Usually, when I experience a creative block, the best way to get through it is to get away,” shares Santos.
He continues, “Driving is a positive response for me. It clears my mind and inspires creativity. For me, one of the fastest and most inspiring things that help me get through a block is to just visit Gejo’s farm in Malipayon.”
Getting an alone time in the car is also Luna’s way of beating creative blocks.
“I always have a lot of ideas in my head, and sometimes, I need a space where I can be alone and just take myself to places,” she says. “When I encounter creative blocks, I usually just take a drive and look around. I always enjoy driving because that’s my alone time.”
Santos and Luna are two of the creative millennials Ford is featuring in its The Creative BLK campaign.
The campaign is Ford’s way of connecting with today’s Filipino youth with powerful visual storytelling through a series of videos that showcase how the Ford EcoSport can take millennials to their own Creative BLK—any place where they can be inspired to pursue and live their creative passions and interests.
