Meet Eliot Hillis

We were lucky to catch up with Eliot Hillis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Eliot, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

I always hear a ton about people in high stress situations, like chefs that get “burnt out” and I never really got it. I think that gaining perspective on how bad things can really get helps to alleviate a lot of doom and gloom. Knowing that you still have some fight left really does feed the creative monster. As long as there’s any life left in me, I’ll be creating. I can only hope that people enjoy it as much as I do.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

As far as what we do, we like to joke that whatever it is, we are doing it the hardest way possible. No shortcuts, no excuses or shiny objects to distract. I think what we do best is to play with ideas until only the soul remains. We cook in a way that speaks to the conversation we have with our past. We are trying to shine a light on those memories that can only be accessed through taste, texture, through longing.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I can’t remember which coach said it first but it remains true in any case: ” the most important ability is availability.” To always be present and prepared. Second I think having a hunger, need to do these things, it’s not simple passion, it’s a drive, we are compelled. I think when you are truly where you need to be, everyone gets in that groove. Last I think that having more than anyone thinks you’ll need, from an informational standpoint is vital, you never know when a tiny bit of knowledge will make the difference between success and failure. The only advice I have to give is what has worked for me. Hold nothing back, go to bed exhausted as often as possible and give as much of yourself as you can squeeze out of the tube.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

It really comes down to two: “man’s search for meaning” by Viktor Frankle and “slapstick” by Kurt Vonnegut. Both books show the nature of the human spirit, of what a bizarre and silly world this place can be and neither offer a real prescription to solve it. Just hold on and work it through.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://redpandanoodle.com
• Instagram: @redpandanoodle