Episode 119: Behind the Lens: Fueling Creativity with Rest, Ritual & Visual Storytelling with Food Photographer Silvia Bifaro
Podcast
Episode 119: Behind the Lens: Fueling Creativity with Rest, Ritual & Visual Storytelling with Food Photographer Silvia Bifaro
“Sometimes creativity is a place where I hide, especially right now with everything going on in the world. I need that respite.” — Silvia Bifaro
This episode is your invitation to explore creativity through the lens of artistry, honesty, and finding your way back to your creative work. I’m joined by Silvia Bifaro, food photographer, stylist, and teacher whose evocative imagery blends storytelling, soul, and seasonal beauty.
Silvia shares how creativity became both a refuge and a form of expression during early motherhood and personal transitions. We talk about the fantasy world she builds through photography, how her aesthetic reflects her inner life, and why every object she styles has a soul.
She speaks to the physical and emotional demands of creativity: How burnout creeps in, how resistance builds, and how honoring your body’s needs becomes essential to living a creative life. Silvia opens up about rest, seeking help, and why nourishing your body is inseparable from nourishing your work.
In a time when the world can feel heavy, Silvia reminds us that creativity can also be a form of sanctuary. And that creative blocks aren’t failures, they’re signals to slow down, restore, return with intention, and perhaps, a little bit of spoiling yourself.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create. Get the full show notes & transcript below.
Resources Mentioned:
Silvia’s Instagram: @silvia_bifaro
Silvia’s website: Silviabifaro.com
Silvia’s video tips newsletter for food photography
Her upcoming course: Details and waitlist on her website
Questions to Reflect On:
Sit with these questions: Journal, take them on a walk, create a voice note, chat with a friend, or sit with a cup of tea and reflect on them.
Leave a comment below or connect with us on Instagram @chefcarlacontreras & @silvia_bifaro to share your takeaway from the episode.
In what ways has creativity been a sanctuary for you lately? Has it helped you process, escape, or restore?
Are there creative blocks you’re currently facing? What might they be asking you to slow down and notice?
What’s one small way you could spoil yourself this week?
xo Carla
PS: Upgrade to Nourished Creator Studio for quick-hit micro workshops, BTS Podcast, and simple tools to help you work on your creative dreams now, not someday.
Disclaimer: Always seek the counsel of a qualified medical practitioner or other healthcare provider for an individual consultation before making any significant changes to your health, lifestyle, or to answer questions about specific medical conditions. If you are driving or doing an activity that needs your attention, save the energy practice for later. This podcast is for entertainment and information purposes only.
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About Silvia Bifaro
Silvia is a food photographer and educator based in London. She graduated from Marangoni and was one of the youngest people appointed fashion manager at Benetton. Then she picked up a camera...
She grew up in Italy watching her nonna cook, where she learned that food is never just food - it's memory, tradition, connection. That's what she tries to capture in every image.
Being Italian means she approachs teaching through connection. She creates spaces where people talk, share, and support each other. The community that forms in her workshops and online course is just as valuable as the technical skills.
Silvia has been featured in Corriere Della Sera, worked with brands like Nespresso, and spent the last 8 years teaching photographers how to create work that actually reflects their vision.
Her approach is technical but not fussy. Moody but not pretentious. She works on marble counters and scaffolding planks pulled from skips because the tools don't matter as much as knowing what to do with them.
Find + Work With Silvia:
Full Transcript:
Carla (00:01):
Welcome to Nourishing Creativity. The cycle of the last few years has left you and me feeling mentally, physically, emotionally and creatively drained. Nourish your very full life through interviews with creatives and entrepreneurs about how they create and move through their creative blocks. If you don't know me, I'm Chef Carla Contreras, a food stylist and content strategist. You can find me Chef Carla Contreras across all social media platforms and more information in today's show notes. Sylvia, welcome to the podcast. Can you share who you are and how you serve your community?
Sylvia (00:46):
Hi, Carla. Thank you so much. I'm so honored to be here. I am a food photographer that comes from fashion design and I have a massive love for teaching food photography and also to create stylings and storytelling. So I merged this two massive love of my life into teaching courses and online and in my studio in London.
Carla (01:16):
What was the last thing that sparked your creativity?
Sylvia (01:21):
Oh my goodness. There are so many things that spark my creativity. I have two things. One has been in the last month something that suit myself and my creativity and has been listening constantly to Bella Freud podcast Fashion New Roses. And the other one that's been incredibly inspiring has been my best friend restyling my studio and that really refreshed. You know when you get a little bit stale, she gave me a massive refresh on my photography.
Carla (01:57):
Can you share with us about evocative photography? What is it and why is it important to you?
Sylvia (02:05):
So photography for me was born to give me an outlet. When I became pregnant, I thought to create an outlet for myself that could become then a portfolio in the month. I got pregnant pretty quickly with both my children. So it was back to back pregnancies. And I wanted to create a portfolio and keep getting engaged with my creativity. And so it became a way to also create a fantasy world where I could just hide a little bit when I was tired or when I needed my nourishment, especially in a moment where you're nourishing a lot someone else. So I had a very positive impact in that sense. And then it became a way to hide from a failing marriage as well. And from there, I had to turn things around because it wasn't the value that I had anymore. And it became a way to express my creativity in a fun way where I take you to a complete fantasy.
(03:15)
I call it the drag race of photography. I am taking it to something that doesn't exist, but it's just beauty and it's just a tale. And I think from people reaction is exactly what it does for them. It brings them to worlds that don't exist. The countryside/modern life in London, we don't know exactly where I am. If it's more countryside, more London, and depending on the season we get. I love Christmas, for example. Christmases. I love it so much. It's one of the best season in my family and we celebrate it big time. So there is a lot of fantasizing around Christmas and the memories in my grandma house and everything comes together into my storytelling.
Carla (04:04):
Can you tell us about creativity and your work in particular? And this is something that I'm so curious about. How do you live your aesthetic?
Sylvia (04:15):
I live into my aesthetic. My aesthetic is me. Like we were saying before, the way I express my aesthetic in my stylings is a way to express my neuroses. So it's that neurotic mind that wants everything perfect, that wants the beauty, the extreme beauty in every detail that obviously cannot live into the day-to-day life when kids are running around. When you come back from a day of working and you don't want to tidy up your kitchen, for example. But in that creative rectangle that my table becomes, I can get all that and just again, build that fantasy. But if you open my drawers, if you open my wardrobe, if you walk in my house, what you see in my photos is what happens in my daily life. Everything is mismatched. Everything is as a soul. Everything, even the kids that belong to them, toys, everything has a kind of a soul, as a kind of a story.
(05:16)
And that's the most important thing for me. I have a lot of different also aesthetics that live at the same time with me contemporarily. So there is a more of a rustic aesthetic, a more sexy aesthetic. But I think what brings them all together is that they whole have a soul. Every piece that is in my house from a shoe to my forks and knives, they have a story.
Carla (05:42):
What is your current relationship with creativity? Because as we're talking about this and things evolving and things shifting, I'm curious about right now, what does creativity look like for you?
Sylvia (05:58):
So creativity, for me, it's a thermometer, gives me the measure of where I am in my life. And so it can't be only one thing. So sometimes creativity is a place where I hide, especially right now with everything going on in the world. I need the respite. Sometimes it's a place of truth where I'm actually getting into creativity with the rage of who wants to express themself in a world that want to silence everybody. And sometimes creativity is that space of nourishment as a mother, as a carer. It's where I rely for my moment of to myself, where I want to be just me and myself. So creativity can have a lot of meanings for me throughout even the week.
Carla (06:54):
Can you tell us about your creative process? Because you've talked about nourishing yourself, and that's literally the name of this podcast, but I'm curious about what this looks like for creating for yourself and creating for clients, because you also have courses. There's multiple facets to how you create. You even go into restaurants. And what does that process look like when you are creating in all of those different areas?
Sylvia (07:23):
So there is a lot of componentalization that has been working until recently. And now with my biggest course out actually, it hasn't been working that well. And that's why I reached out and I have an assistant now because creativity really needs a lot of empty space. Empty space and nourishment is different for everybody, depending on your life situations. For mothers is mainly if I talk to any mother, it's silence, a book, a low light, but for someone else, it can be different. It can be someone else, something else. It can be go clubbing. For me, it's a mix of excitement and fun and calm moments. And that I'm mentioning because I cannot have my business balance without my life balance. So I cannot possibly put together my creativity and be ready for my clients and for my own creativity if I don't have outlets. And outlets for immigrant, first generation immigrants are limited because when I go back to Italy, I have all my friends.
(08:33)
I know everybody on every street. And just that announces my life so much. When I come back to England, my circle is very restricted. Even if I have friends, we are distant from each other. In London, it's very hard to get that community flow and that also gains a lot of my creativity. So I nourish myself with a lot for me with a lot of reading. I read a lot of philosophy. I read a lot of ... I read even second analysis. I read a lot of women biography. Women lives nourish my life. So I want to know everything and listen to everything that women have ever done. And then what I do in the practical, I take empty days, especially before my clients work. I've done this with a lot of resistance because I feel like every day I need to work, but I have very creative projects or sometimes I now started teaching corporates as well.
(09:37)
And so I have to prepare the material. I have to prepare myself. So there is always an empty day before big projects where I can sit down with myself, even rest. Even in the resting part, my brain is letting the dust come down and collect, and then I'm able to perform at my best. And then I divide my week, if that can help, I divide my week based on how my energy levels are going to be. Monday after a weekend at home with kids, friends, I have a frantic energy on me. So Monday is always admins, Monday and Tuesday are kind of sit down, take back the order in myself. And then Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday is shooting. And I start very often with my own content because kind of breaks the ice. I do something very comfortable and it nourishes me because I'm doing things more based on inspiration.
(10:44)
And then Thursday and Friday, it's deep down client work. But recently with the last course, I had to dedicate to marketing and to the sale process and the content creation and the service to my community in lots of hours. So during the launch, I worked every day of the week from five in the morning to eight in the evening easily. So I don't recommend that. Once I started, I had to finish because I didn't realize how much help I needed. And that, not going to lie, that stopped me from being creative. Not right on the spot. Right on the spot, I was metal to the pedal, so I kept going and I felt like I could do everything. But now at the end of the course and the release of my last balance, I'm not able to produce as much. It's really hard to get to the styling table.
(11:46)
It backlashed on me, but that made me realize I needed help. I'm really marblehead, we say in Italy. Before I believe something, I have to feel it with my hands and I have to try on myself and really I have the hardest time and then I can admit, okay, I need help.
Carla (12:06):
Let's talk about Creative Blocks because as I hear you and also know this deeply from launching my Substack course, The Accelerator, I feel this deeply. It's like, how do you get back to that styling table?
Sylvia (12:25):
It's a process I have to do a few times this year to go back to the styling table. First of all, it's a fantastic technique that I use since I'm in university. Creative Block has been a great friend of mine, so I know the person very well. And has been to just get to the table and do whatever comes out as crappy as it is. Just break the ice. Just actually, sometimes I was so frustrated with myself, I would do intentionally the worst possible thing ever. And sometimes actually you get a real inspiration because you let go of the control and then you free yourself and then you're ready to start again. Then I go on art date with myself and I don't go into galleries. I go buying flowers for my shooting. So I go out, I don't look at the budget for once and I take all the flowers or the ingredients or the fruits in these expensive groceries that are here in Hampstead and really get everything inspire me.
(13:37)
Even if it's too much, even if I'm not going to use all of it, no string attached. I'm just going to spoil myself with everything that I see. And usually it works. Usually this kind of just opposition of just putting out the worst that comes to me and doesn't matter and just going on a spoiling shopping date for a photo shooting with myself. They both really help. More than going on Pinterest and trying to force myself to get some inspiration that's especially dangerous when you are a beginner because when you're frustrated with yourself and you see something that's really beautiful, then it's super hard to move yourself away from this other person work, this other person photo, and then it becomes a copycutting situation. And obviously you don't want that, but it happens because you are empty. There is nothing in you to give anymore.
(14:38)
And so please don't do that. Just go spoil yourself, nourish yourself. And I know that's also very difficult because we want to go, go, go, but plenty of sleep, plenty of sleep and early rise and very good food. I'm over 40 now and food has become the fuel of my brain, 100%. So I try to really nourish myself the best possible way.
Carla (15:07):
This is beautiful, Sylvia. I love that this is a reminder that not only is it creative nourishment, but it's physical nourishment.
Sylvia (15:17):
Yeah, because we are all one thing and the gut, it's really our second brain. I can feel that on myself. I think when you're younger, you feel it less. It still happens. It's not that happens after 40, but you feel it less. And when you're 40, you feel it immediately. The day after that I drank some wine, I rarely drink, but the day after I cannot be creative and inspired like I should have been. So I really am really careful in a nourishing way. I try not to be restrictive, otherwise that becomes something else. Can you
Carla (16:00):
Tell us how we can find you, how we can work with you, how we can support you?
Sylvia (16:05):
So you can find me a Sylvia Desco Bifero on Instagram. Now I'm going to be there with more recipes and more entertaining. I'm there with tips and there with a lot of support from my community. And then on my website, Sylvia Bifaro, if you subscribe to my newsletter, you become part of my community and there you can receive ... Every other week I send a video with five minutes. So everything that you can listen even on Tube going to work and the videos about food photography, about creativity and you can watch the video. There are usually slides or you can listen to it. It's made for a busy day and busy people and just to remain connected to food photography and get some easy tips that you can immediately apply, my course is going to be released again. And the good thing about this course is that you can choose to come on the course and get also one-to-one help.
(17:09)
So if you're doing the course for fun, for your entertainment, you can choose like a relaxed way to do it and it's all recorded and you're there for ... It's for you for the rest of your life. But if you are a professional photographer or you want to become a professional photographer, you have the choice to get on the one-to-one help as well.
(17:34)
So we have Q&As every week and a final styling altogether. So there is a lot of things that we do together and that I notice my students have loved so much becomes literally a community. And so if you go on my website to sign in for the waiting list, then you're going to receive all the details and more.
Carla (17:57):
Thanks so much for tuning in to Nourishing Creativity. You can find me Chef Carla Contreras across all social media platforms and more information in today's show notes. While you have your phone out, please leave a review on iTunes or Spotify. This is how others find this show. I really appreciate your support, sending you and yours so much love.