I’ve always believed cooking is an art.

Not just because it looks beautiful on a plate, but because it brings together colour, aroma, taste, and even care for health, just like any well-crafted piece of design. It’s not accidental. It’s intentional.

What I didn’t realize was how deeply it would shape the way I think as a designer.

It began on an ordinary day. I just wanted to cook something quick. But midway, instinct took over. I added a spice I had never tried before, adjusted the texture, and even spent time plating it like it meant something.

That moment felt familiar…

Because that’s exactly how I design.

I may start with a structure, a plan, but somewhere along the way, intuition steps in. I tweak, experiment, sometimes get it wrong… but often discover something better than what I had in mind.

Cooking taught me that creativity isn’t always planned. It evolves.

I still remember the first time I tried making fish curry. It wasn’t great. There was a lot of feedback, a lot to improve. Instead of giving up, I became curious. I started tasting fish curry from different places, learning from different people, understanding the process.

Attempt after attempt, something changed.

Not just the dish, but me.

I wasn’t just following recipes anymore. I was developing my own style, balancing flavours, making choices, designing the experience of the dish.

And then I understood, practice and preparation are everything. Whether it’s cooking or design, growth comes from showing up, failing, learning, and trying again.

There’s something else people often say about cooking:
A good dish fills the house with its aroma.

That stayed with me.

Because design should do the same. It should travel. It should reach people. It should serve a purpose beyond just looking good.

A dish unfolds in layers. You see it, you smell it, you taste it.

That’s storytelling.

Now when I design, I think the same way:
What do people see first?
What do they feel next?
What do they remember after?

Cooking slowed me down. It taught me to notice details, to respect balance, to design with emotion, not just logic.

And somewhere between stirring a pot and adjusting a layout, I realized something simple:

The best ideas don’t always come from the screen.

Sometimes, they come quietly. Through the colours, the aroma, and the stories we create in a kitchen.

And now, I share my very own cooking tales on Instagram. Not for others to see, but for me to archive @shanthini.inn on Instagram.

Storyteller

Shanthini P

Unconscious Storyteller

Shanthini is a daydreamer, chasing dreams and learning from everything life throws her way. A quiet singer with loud ambitions, friendly, yet deeply emotional.

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