We recently connected with Lee Anna Woodcock and have shared our conversation below.
Lee Anna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
My senior year of college I interned at MTV Networks. I’d always been more of an artist so I felt like I was stealing myself to fit into a corporate world there and when I did I was so proud. Still, one of the VPs had a check-in meeting with me and I remember she told me with such joy that I “oozed creativity.” I spent years building careers and businesses ignoring that creativity because I felt like business strategy was the way to stable profit. After burning myself out with that mentality, I decided to finally lead with the creativity and become the artist version of myself, and it has easily been the most profitable decision of my life. I walk in to clients’ homes and have to remind myself that they will enjoy art more than service and be grateful to see the whole me as an artist than someone who is just there to try to meet their every need. So, in summary, earning a full-time living from my creativity has felt like achieving the impossible and yet it was the only way I’ve ever actually felt abundant in my life, metaphorically and financially.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I dabbled in food and taught cooking classes here and there but ultimately became a private chef by cooking for friends’ birthdays to practice the craft and being in that headspace when an opportunity came along because of it. I’m gonna be honest, when someone tells me this is the best steak they’ve ever had or this might be one of the best dishes I’ve had in years, that makes me so proud. I almost can’t believe it. I think food is important and all I want to do is nourish them, whole body. I definitely specialize in game meats or alternative eating focused on digestion and regeneration of the soil. Minerals and fibers we’ve lost in our diets. That all goes hand in hand with the desire to gift nourishment.
I’m also so proud of a joint venture with my friend Chef Christine Daley called the LA Supper Series. We incorporate that nourishment and seasonal fare with our love for each other and community. It’s such a creatively fulfilling experience and I hope that it continues to grow and grow so we can share that with the people who want and need that too!
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
It would be helpful to end the narrative of the starving artist. I have found that there is nothing people will pay more for than art. There is nothing more spectacular or special or life-affirming than art. How much would you pay for a real artistic experience of a dinner? For inspiration and intention and a peak into someone’s abstract world and view of existence? So why must the artist starve? On a granular level, encourage the artists around you to know their work has monetary value almost as an inherent quality so that it doesn’t get in the way of their artistic process or their survival.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I feel like my inner child is honored when I’m creative. And that brings so much joy. I also find that clients are so grateful when you give them a view of your art and creativity. We might be a somewhat closed off society, but when someone opens up, we’re all so grateful.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @cookingwithleeanna
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@leeannacookstoo?_t=8kIPDqoFJrK&_r=1