Wednesday, July 13, 2011

(Mis)adventures in Creativity

the tart that wouldn't
The Tart That Wouldn't.

I actually had a great time working on this strawberry-rhubarb tart. There was fresh local rhubarb on sale at the store just as it was going out of season, I had a new tart pan to try out, and I was determined to make up a new recipe on the fly that would combine the two. Well, as you can tell from the photo, it never quite set. It was delicious and I've figured out where I went wrong since then, but alas there is no more rhubarb and no more patience in my head for a do-over if there was.

Do you ever have a dish or project that ends up like that? This miraculous vision in your head followed by results that are so far from it and feel like it may have been a complete waste of time and energy and ingredients/materials? In the back of my mind, I know it is never a wasted effort to make mistakes that one can learn from but it can be hard to listen to that voice all of the time. On the up side, at least this mistake was completely edible!

It seems that I've been working on a slew of different things like that lately, rather scatterbrained but with o so much gusto and good intentions. None of the projects seem to be photo-friendly or quite worthy of blogdom just yet but I keep inching towards the vision in my head for each and find that some days I am really hopeful and giddy and excited about my ideas and other days I am completely stalled out and frustrated that they don't come together justthewayiwantthem. I suppose one's success with creativity would be not half as meaningful if every project came out looking just the way you wanted it on the first try though right?

5 comments:

Rachel at Stitched in Color said...

Brandon and I recently went to all this trouble to make a dish with the local eggplant from our CSA. Like marinating and buying new, expensive ingredients. We both hated it. I know what ya mean!

Meeling said...

What the expression...try, try again or third times a charm.

I think we learn the most from crafting/cooking mistakes...I know I do. You learn what flavor combos work well together and those that don't...done that a time or two.

Your tart looks amazing, even if it didn't set up quite as much as you would have liked...I'll bet it was delicious!!

Maureen Cracknell Handmade said...

Agreed! This is how I feel about quilting? I start one believing I have the greatest idea ever and then it just doesn't come together for me. I think I want to make quilt and then the process keeps convincing me that this is not the thing for me? I started a new, new one...we'll see!

The tart looks delish, set or not! :)

Janice / Dancing with Sunflowers said...

Your tart looks delicious, even if it didn't set.
As for projects turning out not quite the way we wanted them, hmmm... I guess it's about allowing ourselves to make mistakes rather than expecting perfection every time. I am getting better at this, but like you, hate to waste too much time and too many expensive ingredients / materials.

thestoryofkat said...

It did taste pretty good, so not a total loss! Try, try, again indeed, it's all part of the process :) It's good to try and learn, you are all so right, and even share our mistakes and learn from each other. I hope I can be just as good about that here as I am about sharing the things I'm pleased with.