My Creative Hero: Thomas Keller

With over 20 years as a creative, Dan has a remarkable way of bringing words and ideas to life on the big screen. His sense of humour is unmatched, his approach to "out of the box thinking" is unparalleled, and he is known to leave a lasting impression. 

LBB> Who would you say is your creative hero? 

Dan> Thomas Keller, a famous chef. 

LBB> How long has this person been important to you and what are your first memories of meeting them or coming across their work? 

Dan> I took a trip to Napa, California, in 2013. I knew there would be wine and maybe food, but didn’t know much else. I never thought of food as art. Kinda blew my mind to see the level of craftsmanship that went into it. I love the expression of culture and care through food. Living in Los Angeles, I’m pretty spoiled. But I do love Waffle House as much as any Michelin Star place–maybe more. 

LBB> If it’s someone you personally know, how did you get to know them and how has your relationship evolved over the years? If you don’t know this person, how did you go about finding to learn more about them and their work? 

Dan> I’ve been to some of his restaurants but not the French Laundry—top of the bucket list. I’ve probably watched every interview he’s given. This episode of A Cooks Tour, with Anthony Bourdain, is great. 

Bourdain has a crush on him too, so I’m in good company. 

LBB> Why is the person such an inspiration to you? 

Dan> I think chefs, fine dining, and restaurants in general are really similar to creative agencies. The positions are the same. It’s all made to order. Some restaurants (agencies) specialise in a particular type of cuisine. There are awards, egos, and long hours. I heard a story about Thomas Keller once where a chef was chopping vegetables, and Keller passed by and came back to adjust the mat under the chef’s feet. The small details. Pursuing perfection and never getting there. That’s the job, and in an espresso-sipping-berete-sort-of-way, the life. 

LBB> How does this person influence you in your approach to your creative work? 

Dan> I like that he views it more as a craft than anything else. There’s no pretension in how he talks, just hard work and the desire to nourish people. 

LBB> What piece or pieces of this person’s work do you keep coming back to and why? 

Dan> He has some pretty crazy cookbooks, but I’ve only eaten at one of his restaurants two-three times. It’s more of his philosophy. “Take your time. Take a long time. Move slowly and deliberately and with great attention. When you acknowledge, as you must, that there is no such thing as perfect food, only the idea of it, then the real purpose of striving toward perfection becomes clear: to make people happy, that is what cooking is all about.”