The Next Chapter

What Kyo Maclear learned from a pâtisserie shop

The author of Birds Art Life talks about life lessons from the interesting job she had as a teenager.
Kyo Maclear learned about enjoying life while working among pastries. (CBC)

Kyo Maclear is the author of numerous children's books and the recent bestselling memoir Birds Art Life, which is about finding lessons in unexpected places. When she was in high school, Maclear worked in a pâtisserie shop, where she learned some surprising lessons.

When I was 15 until I was 18 I worked in a small French pâtisserie in Toronto. I learned that there were a lot of lessons from my French boss that could be applied to living a very happy and meaningful life. For example: always serve your life with a little bit of garnish. Always indulge in sweetness. Always take time to enjoy the simple, decorative things. Those things have stayed with me.

Kyo Maclear's comments have been edited and condensed.