I had just graduated with a bachelor is science, with a major in therapeutic nutrition and biochemistry, valedictorian and all, but I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. My mum assumed I would do my masters and I nearly puked at the idea of going back to study what I had for the last 4 years. I was lost. I just knew one thing for sure; working in a hospital as a dietician was really not at all what I saw myself doing. So, had I just wasted four precious years of my life? My dad, ever-supporting, said, you will figure it out!
Lesson learnt: time spent on education is never time lost.
So, enters the scene a family friend who knew I liked art. By the way, what a waste of time it was considered in those days, specially in the cultural context I belonged to. I had not heard of Graphic Design then. He told me he knows a friend who I should speak to. He introduces me to TM, a graphic designer who worked for a design house. At the time, I had no idea what kind of an influence this person would have on my life. T spoke to me about her work and I instantly knew that’s what I wanted to do. Somehow it just felt right.
Going back to my childhood, it is said that we become what we grow up with. I became just that. My father had a paper business. My brother and myself got crap load of amazing paper samples from his office, that he brought home for us to dabble with. Though it was my brother who was always the artistic one, I did not realize till pretty recent, how much of an impact that paper in the house had on me. Today, I am complete paper fanatic. I love the touch, feel, smell and texture attached to paper.
My dad also loved stationary and crazy gadgets. At work, he had a drawer full of all these goodies I was allowed to dig into when I went to his workplace. I just loved doing that. Rummaging through those drawers, typing on the typewriter and later fiddling on that first computer and not to forget, eating the best samosas in town, were just some key highlights for me. My summer holidays were spent in that paper and creativity filled environment.
That kind of brings me to another story about my artistic endeavours J When I was in grade one. I think one could say I had the creative gene, along with that family weirdness that uses creativity and madness synonymously. I was six years old and we had our drawing final exam [yes, we had those]. We were asked to draw a flower. Before colouring the flower in, I looked around and realized that all the other students were colouring the flower red or pink and the leaf green. I thought that was boring and of course, I decided to reverse it. Green flower with a red leaf looked lovely to me. The art teacher thought otherwise and gave me a failing grade.
Lesson learnt: dare to be different, even if the so called ‘normal’ people don’t appreciate it. I have always thought that being normal or regular was overrated and boring anyway!
Today, as a design educator what motivates me the most, to do what I do, is making students appreciate design beyond the aspect of the technical or technological dimensions of the field. If I can get even one student to understand and appreciate the potential that they have to be the designers of the future, I have succeeded in my endeavour. I truly love doing what I do…. And that’s the passion I want to pass on – that’s what motivates me. Every time I am in class I learn something new and profound from being with this group of young energetic humans, and that’s what inspires me each day. The world around me, travelling, going for my walks, observing people and my love for reading is where my influences lie.
[Prompt for illustration [Adobe Firefly]: A happy female child, of around 10 years, with black hair, sitting with a lot of blank paper around her.]
