SAISON. DE. VIE
by Sherwin Poon
A young aspiring chef, Sherwin created Saison.De.Vie (Seasons of Life), a platform to host organized dinner parties that showcased food inspired by his journey of figuring out a “different cuisine”.
“I wanted to prove to myself that doing God and artistry could seamlessly exist. And to use each dish or dinner party concept as a form of reflection of this journey I embark together with God.”
What were the challenges you faced?
“Finding time and energy, as I was pursuing this alongside serving my National Service. And building up my confidence, as I often felt like my ideas were too unrealistic. I also grew in my resilience, because when I experienced things that did not work out, I had to persevere and keep trying.”
But…
“The people in The Evolution supported me and believed in me more than anyone else. Pastor Charmaine and leaders really stood by me and their encouragement gave me a lot of courage to continue what I was doing. The messages and teachings from church were also a huge part of my inspiration for my concepts. And my relationships with God and people at The Evolution shaped my world view which became an inspiration to my art/cooking.”
Do you enjoy doing this?
Yes I do. I feel like it isn’t really much of a profit-making business, but it is something that has allowed me to explore and learn more about myself. I enjoy the realization of my imagination and the goodness it gives off. It is really exciting, in spite of it being tiring.
I also enjoy learning about being practical and administrative while being artistic. It has been an opportunity to work out my weaknesses and to learn from my mistakes. This has allowed me to build up an arsenal of skills that will can in handy when I set up other businesses in the future.
Any advice for other youth?
“DO IT. Go ahead. Have lots of fun while going at it! Be creative, dream and be imaginative, but also be practical at the same time. Lastly, have friends to whom you are accountable to.”