honest opinions needed!

[takemyheartx]

Do people who want to get into pastry need to have an art background? I now nothing is required, but since pastry is such an art form, it makes senses that art experience is helpful right?

I love the whole art of pastry, especially cake decorating, and initially I was planning on going to school for it, but now I'm starting to have a doubt in my mind that I'm not "artsy" enough. (I would say i'm creative, but nothing close to artsy.)

Is it better to go to school for culinary instead of pastry? Be honest.

Thanks for any help! I really need it.

[LePeche]

You don't have to be artsy to be a pastry chef. A steady hand and imagination are great things to have, don't get me wrong. but making delicious desserts and learning the skills that go into making them is all about your own personal drive, work ethic and perseverance to get in and train at places that will allow you to grow your passion.

hope that helps.

[Chef Ladybug]

Go with whichever you like best. I don't feel too artsy myself, though I'm told different but that is only because when I'm surrounded by creative people who push me to be creative, I become it. I'm not into poetry but if I was forced to read poetry books all semester and write poetry and share them in class, judging from past similar and very brief experiences I think I'd be pretty good. Same with other fields. As I sit here I can't think of anything I can be creative with, but once you get into it and you live it and breathe it (it = your future profession), it comes naturally because your mind is geared into thinking differently -- it's not just a tabula rasa as it feels now when you think about art. Ideas will come to you when you're in a movie theater watching a movie or at home having an all girls' sleepover.... You ARE a girl, right? Though that doesn't matter because if you were a boy, I doubt you'd be too inconvenienced by a girl's night in... lol

The main point is that creativity is helpful, but it could also be something you had all along but simply hadn't fully tapped into it yet. It's like a muscle that hasn't had all the right exercising. Until then it'll remain... unimpressive.

Mary Sunshinely,
Chef Ladybug.