I love to cook. Why? Because cooking is not just about food. “Excitement, that’s what cooking is all about” says Jamie Oliver.

Seeing Jamie Oliver cook, it’s obvious that his style is unique. Jamie’s shows are about atmosphere (check out his ‘Jamie at home’ series), simplicity and engaging all the senses in a divine dance of smells, textures, colours, tastes and sizzling sounds. But when is a dish perfect? I don’t mean finished, I mean perfect? The same question relates to any art form, also to speaking. So when is a speech perfect?

In terms of communication and speaking I had the luxury of being mentored by a professional method acting trainer since I was 11 years old. This trainer was my dad. Curiously I soaked up his latest ideas and teaching methods, which he happily tested on me. On the topic of perfection my dad once said:

“Don’t worry whether your speech is perfect or not. Just do what you know now. Perfection is not up to you anyway. Art finds perfection only in the interaction with the audience. It’s perfect when you do it.”

Today I see the same applies to cooking and to other arts as well: Art is perfect when it reaches the senses of the audience. The audience closes the circle, interprets the information and recognises the beauty.

To sum it up: You don’t have to be perfect to finish. You have to finish to be perfect.