She is a well-known celebrity chef, artist, author and TV personality. And she proves that one doesn’t necessarily have to choose just one career path to be successful. Chef Zarmik Halladjian shows how to achieve success by doing everything that you love, whether that’s food or the arts.
In an interview with Qatar Tribune on the sidelines of her well-attended art exhibition titled ‘May Blossom’ at the Katara Cultural Village on Saturday,Halladjian pointed out that in order to successfully carve out one’s own path and make a mark in one’s field, it is essential to stop the comparison.
Author of 24 culinary books, the celebrity chef of Armenian and Lebanese roots has already conducted nine solo art exhibitions in Qatar and other countries.
She said that as a young girl, she was not really sure that she was going to be a chef or an artist someday. But she was always hopeful that she would be somebody and that she would make it big someday.
Another thing that she’s very sure of? "I love myself. And I love what I do. I’m very happy with the life I chose to live. For the title ‘May Blossom’, I prefer it to be ‘May’ also because it’s the mother’s month.And the ‘Blossom’ is about blooming, success, self-confidence, and inspiration. It’s the positivity in life that every human, especially women who pass through challenging situations have to be strong to survive. A woman will face struggles in life that will also strengthen her, and together this all brings the meaning of blossom,” said Halladjian.
Her latest art exhibit, which is also her third solo art expo at Katara, features around 30 art paintings. Many of the art pieces were also created during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked how she was able to overcome the challenges and sustain herself during the pandemic, Halladjian said she just continued creating.
"I was not lazy. I was creating during those days. I did not spend my time doing nothing. So I said I have to create. I always have to be full of power and energy. I did not let this time, or the pandemic affect my career or personality. I wrote two new cooking books. I’m the author of 24 cooking books, but I did two new cooking books during this time, and after a couple of months I will do the book signing. I also started preparing for this painting exhibition,” added Halladjian.
She said she took the time to focus on working on her personal businesses or passion projects.
She added: "You cannot be lazy. You should always be awake. The blossom, this is what I mean, to never give up, always continue, always achieve, and love yourself. If life is difficult, it doesn’t mean that you have to stop yourself from being creative. We can still be blooming amidst difficulties or challenges, we choose how we can live our lives. So you cannot blame anyone for your failures or if you are unsuccessful, angry, or depressed”.
Halladjian already has a full plate this year. She looks forward to a book signing event for her two latest cooking books in the next couple of months. And before the end of the year, she’s also bound to the US and Lebanon for another round of painting exhibitions.
Giving advice to women, especially younger women who are at the crossroads and are still confused about which career path to take, or how to begin their career journey, Halladjian said: "Social media greatly affects the new generation. And it adds to the pressure. Why are many of them feeling lost? Because they are following everyone, looking to the left and right. What the others are doing, they also want to do and they are lost. For me, they have to take a step back from social media for a while and really ask themselves. It’s as simple as talking to yourself in the mirror, and asking ‘Who am I?’, ‘What do I really want?’, ‘What do I want to be?’, ‘What has God given me and what am I blessed to do?’ In that case, you will know what to do, not look at others. Never care about what others are doing in life. Be you”.
"Let’s say you don’t really like arts, but others are doing arts, and if you force yourself to be an artist, you can never succeed. So do what you love. First, love yourself, and then do what you love. Comparing ourselves to others takes away happiness. God created us and each one of us has our unique blessings from Him,” she added.
And for women who are already in the middle of their career journeys, but are still struggling in the workplace, she reminded them to turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
"Without challenge, one cannot really succeed. Without bad comments or negative energy, you can never succeed. Challenges wake you up, make you strong and support you to stand up again,” Halladjian added.
Recalling her early days in the male-dominated hospitality industry, Halladjian said: "As a woman chef, I have my cooking shows and my cooking books. It’s a field that’s really tough where you have to be strong. Especially, while I started my career working in hotel restaurants, it was a tough job. And being in an Arab country, working with men in the kitchen and hospitality industry was not easy. But everything changes in life, even in several careers. Women and men are still different on many levels. But, it’s also true that nowadays women can also do male-dominated jobs and the same with men who can now also do female-dominated jobs.
"Yet still, even if we’re doing male-dominated jobs, we as women should still keep our feminine touches. Women have their own feminine touches, and we are more sensitive. When you’re creating anything, whether that’s cooking or painting, you always want to be unique. You want to put your unique touches when creating anything. And the food is art. I like to make it special and unique. I do food carvings and structures on chocolates and ice. This is a talent, a blessing from God,” she added.
Another thing Halladjian is also most well known for is her intimate relationship with her mother, as well as her brothers.
Across the room during the art exhibition, it would be hard to not notice the beaming Sossy Boyadjian, also known as Chef Zarmik’s mother. With her gentle and unassuming nature, Boyadjian is simply glowing with joy and portrays a picture of a proud mother who’s celebrating her daughter’s latest achievement.
Speaking to Qatar Tribune, she said: "I’m so proud of her. Zarmik is special to me. She is a gift for me from God. Thank God that she is my daughter. She is very talented and she has a very big heart. She was only four and a half years old when she started to make a salad. She loved cooking, and so I said ‘Go ahead’. And then, when she was nine or 10 years old, she sat on a balcony and she painted on a cloth and then showed it to me”.
Giving advice to mothers of high-achieving daughters, Boyadjian added: "We are like sisters. And everything that must be told to a mother, she tells me, while still maintaining her privacy. I will tell the mothers to love their daughters. Take care of her. And be with her, because life is very short. As much as you can, enjoy it with your daughter as well as your other children or sons. And happy Mother’s Day”.
On the occasion of Mother’s Month, Halladjian also said: "A mother is a blessing. A mother’s mere presence is a blessing in life. And in the end, we can have lots of friends and people we can meet in life, but a mother can only be one. I was 16 years old when I lost my father. I love my father so much. Losing him affected me a lot that I had to be a strong woman growing up. I had to survive and achieve a lot of things, even without a father. It was very bad that even after 23 or 24 years of losing him, I’m still broken-hearted to lose my father.
"But for us, having my mom and my two brothers, we are still a very happy family. We are four, but we’re like one person. We have a group chat where we can share anything about what we’re doing 24/7. This is a blessing from God. We’re like one person, on good days or on bad days. And this is all because of my mom, who trained us this way,” she added.
During the entire evening, Halladjian was radiating with energy, passion, and joy. She was a happy daughter who was fortunate to have her mother witness and celebrate her accomplishments in person.
"My mom is not just merely attending this exhibition. She was also there from the beginning. Whatever I do, it’s all with her. She’s always there in my life journey. I’m proud of my mom, and she’s proud of me. We’re a happy family,”Halladjian concluded.