The High C’s of Creativity

Coming from a background in screenwriting and industrial design, as well as modern dance and photography, Baltz can tap into a breadth of experiences. And oh, by the way, she also earned a master's degree at Pratt. "At the heart of having all of these disparate careers in life is that I absolutely adore curiosity and creativity,” she explains. The takeaway here, just in case it isn't obvious: to think out of the box, you need to get out of your cube every now and then.

Baltz credits her time at Pratt with having provided “a foundation that takes you through organizing the creative process.” Hers typically starts, not unlike most, by setting goals: “We wanted to make food and sound come together. We wanted to make it interactive and physical. We wanted it to be delightful and joyful.” From there, she begins a “complex system of sketching and prototyping” that often includes “many, many ideas.” Importantly, her process allows for non-linear experimentation and often involves asking for outside help for a “more objective point of entry into your work.”

Preferring to work with a partner whenever she can, both to complement her expertise and to share the experience, Baltz acknowledges the importance of “mutual commitment.” Since she’s focused on art that is essentially “two-way,” having a second set of eyes and hands is a natural part of her approach. For the partner-resistant, Baltz adds, “What I love about collaboration is that it pushes my boundaries, and I learn much more than just being with myself.”

Deadlines are not typically associated with the artistic process, but Baltz, for one, fully embraces them as a critical catalyst. “The second that the clock starts ticking, your senses become razor sharp,” she exclaims, while adding, “I know that neurologically it lights up parts of my brain.” Baltz links this sensitivity to a professional work ethic, explaining, “Self-discipline is one of the things I admire most in people, because it’s very, very challenging as a creative.” Her solution to producing art all the time may also surprise you: “Treat it like a job.”

Baltz also created the L.O.V.E. Foodbook that she describes as a "cookbook about love,” which also turned out to be a labor of love. After selling the idea to a French publisher, Baltz traveled around the world, interviewing 15 chefs and photographing collages that expressed their "definition of love in food.” The book is stunningly appetizing and reflects the contagious passion of Baltz, a passion to which all creative wannabes should aspire.

If you’ve ever tried to come up with a fresh idea at work, then hopefully you’ve asked yourself, “Is that any good?” Baltz believes that “the best ones [evoke] a magical ‘duh,'” which belied a far deeper insight. “The ‘duh’ is the revelation that all the pieces are fitting together,” explains Baltz, who acknowledges that all her training, all her different experiences, all her experimentation during her organized process enable her &quotduh” to be magical indeed.