One of my favorite shows on the telly these days is the original Japanese show Iron Chef (on Tubi). Starting back in 1993, these chefs went beyond creative and sophisticated to a realm of cooking I’ve never experienced. It’s like they existed in another world. Iron Chef spawned later shows such as Iron Chef America and Iron Chef Thailand, but none had the exotic depth of the original show.

The entertainment style of Japan truly possesses its own identity. It doesn’t matter what kind of entertainment; a Japanese production has a distinct and extraordinary flavor. And so it was with The Iron Chef.

Just in the past few episodes I have watched chefs use an abalone shell instead of a steel knife for taste; use kidneys, nodules, fish heads, and tomato leaves in their dishes; use plant leaves and feet to flavor broth; and the inclusion of various innards and outards for cooking and presentation.

Never in a thousand years could I come up with ideas and transformations that came anywhere close to these master chefs.

I also am into watching Blown Away (on Netflix), four seasons of glass blowers creating extraordinary pieces of art which include texture, inner swirls, crackled glass, pulling and stretching and whirling the glass by hand around in a big circle — I can’t event explain everything I’ve seen.

Past shows on my list of amazing artists include Forged in Fire (advanced weaponry) and Project Runway (clothes designers). Each show went off into unique directions I’d never seen before, opening horizons I never knew were there.

These sort of shows set my creative curiosity on fire, for they highlight artists who are so advanced in their craft that they reach realms I can’t even dream of.

When you specialize in a particular craft — when you really “get” it and immerse yourself in your ambitions — there is no limit to what you can create. There is depth in every craft, from crocheting to glass blowing to oil painting to writing music. So many ways to fine tune your craft.

I cannot help but ask: Where do these creative people get these ideas?

Professional training is important. There are reasons for cooking schools and metalworking shops and quilting classes. These educational outlets fill in the blanks of your chosen field and then some, encouraging self expression along with the basics.

I have always been in awe of artists who are so into their craft that they go beyond the boundaries of normalcy. I am envious of anyone who takes the next step and the next and the next, honing their skills along with their passions to create totally unique creations. I may not like everything they create, but I give them kudos for experimentation.

I am a mere bead stringer and single strand suncatcher maker, an old(er) lady who didn’t step into crafts until her 60s. I’m not dissing my own talent for creating, but think of how far I could have gone if I would have had more formal training in my field.

Same goes for writing. I’m also a decent writer, but think of what I could have done had I gone to college.

I know outside education can be expensive, but research is free. 

That’s why I tend to dig a little deeper into my unique artists, reading how they created such precise miniatures or set type on plates and bowls. Someone somewhere had to teach them how to do what they do. Someone had to influence their genre so that they were willing to try something new and different.

Don’t give up experimenting in your craft. There are all sorts of classes and columns on the Internet that can help you with your creativity. Take what they teach, take what they share, and run with it. Bend and shape knowledge into what fits your style best.

Any other TV shows out there that can blow my creative mind?