Design Education

It took me almost a decade and a string of life-altering incidences to realise - how horribly averse I am to giving up on people and ideas. Simply put, nothing makes me feel more alive than seeing unlucky individuals or outlandish ideas succeed. It has helped me become more self-aware and grateful. When I see that I've helped someone else succeed, it reminds me that I, too, can succeed. It inspires me to maintain my upward momentum and pursue more and greater goals for myself.

I had witnessed both the downfall and success of individuals during my professional career. I had witnessed both the giving up of hope and the steadfastness of others. In my experience, I have witnessed both the risk-takers and the cautious. Amidst these people, I think I somehow experienced being around a variety of learners. 

I've spent the last 19 years just building a solid reputation as a creative, business growth strategist, and an eccentric entrepreneur who has helped countless individuals, brands, and businesses innovate, grow, and thrive. However, despite of working hard and not being priviledged I was being labelled as a gravy-train rider for quite some time. It was because of this that, ten years later in my career, I decided to challenge myself more.

At this juncture in my life my mentors, co-workers and family advised me to devote more of my time and resources in supporting ambitious talents. Soon after that, the posh little studio became a stomping ground of many collaborators. When even that wasn't challenging me enough, I went on to become a mother and increase my involvement with students as a visiting faculty. Being closer to students, running a studio and raising a vivacious toddler simultaneously led me to a new understanding of myself – I crave finding ways to small joys

It was the last day of one of my teaching assignments when I received tons of thank you messages and feedbacks from the students. My heart skipped a beat when I came across this anonymous message

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"Hi Ma'am! If there is anything I remember being inspired by during my last three years of college, it was your feedback in my jury yesterday and your good-bye speech at the end of your last class today. For the first time in all my years of college, I wanted to sit in the front row and be the closest to a teacher I'd ever been in so many years. Not missing a single word of what you had to say to us. I'm now embarrassed about how ridiculous I must have appeared sitting alone in that row, directly in front of you with that constant grin on my face :/ I think I was the only one who could see your lip quiver as a small tear rolled down your cheek as to wish us all good luck. Trying not to cry, I desperately wanted to get up on that stage and hug you! In classes, you always made me feel like my work was making a difference in your mood (whether the mood was good or bad :D) You never failed to talk to every single student in batch of 40 in all your classes. So, in return for your kindness I thank you for all the days you made me feel that I existed and was a part of a "batch". Thank you even more for your patience when I was being impossible. Thank you for the random sarcastic remarks that I never quite understood but knew it meant I could do better. I wish this place had more teachers like you who could bring hooligans like me back to life. I hope you continue to inspire and improve people like me. I wish I had the courage to say it all again in person someday. Please don't be upset if I don't respond because I'm messaging you from someone else's account. Thank you so much, ma'am!"

Feelings of awe and wonderment overtake me each time I reread this message. It recalls everyone who has helped shape me into who I am today. It is a reminder of how my teachers, mentors, parents, brother, husband, daughter, friends, co-workers never gave up on me. Not just when I was at my lowest, but even when I was the most hopeless, most difficult, most arrogant and god knows what all. 

It's been 1141 days since that day that I began my voyage to becoming a deliberate academic.
Each of these days as a facilitator, mentor and sometimes a teacher has paved my way to a place where I could have an abundance of opportunity to grow as a learner myself.