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Event Cook Papa Serra Jr. on creativity
- Karim Mustaghni
- May 2
- 1 min read
Updated: May 27
Joel Serra, also known as Papa Serra Jr., is a Barcelona-based chef and storyteller who uses food as his canvas for emotional and cultural expression. In this interview with The Creativs in 2017, he shares how creativity shapes his approach to cooking and to life.
Chef Joel Serra shares his unique philosophy on creativity, food, and life. Here are a few thought-provoking insights he reveals:
“It’s not about what you cook, but what you make other people taste.” For Serra, creativity is about blending unlikely ingredients, not just flavors, but also memories, emotions, and cultures, to create food that tells a story and connects with people on a deeper level.
“Put yourself in situations that scare you.” He believes creativity flourishes in discomfort. By placing himself in unfamiliar environments, surrounded by new languages, ideas, and people, he sparks unexpected inspiration and growth.
“I’m not after the Truman Show. I’m after something messier, less quantifiable.” Serra embraces the emotional highs and lows of life as fuel for his creativity. He finds beauty in imperfection and believes that the messiness of real experience is what makes creative work truly resonate.
