The River of Curiosity: A Journey of Personal Discovery and Reflection

I compare writing my musings to the formation of a river. The inspiration begins in the serene environment of a mountain, and the trickle transforms into a steady flow, never waiting until it reaches the ocean. Once an idea emerges in my consciousness, I start writing and only stop when I’m finished. Regardless of whether I’m writing a haiku, poem, article, or book, I maintain a continuous flow of ideas from start to finish. I revisit the text after giving myself a good night’s sleep or sometimes over a few days or weeks. In the case of my latest book, “The Art of Being & Belonging,” I followed a similar pattern, writing at night and during the day, taking breaks for meals and sleep. Once I completed the 370-page manuscript, I invited my editor and designer to provide feedback. Their valuable input prompted me to re-read the book, reflecting on the source of my inspiration and how life’s twists and turns have influenced its flow. While doing so, I tried to resist the temptation of tailoring the content and tone to clients of my professional services or students of design.

Each time I read and revised the manuscript, I reminded myself to subdue my ego and redirect my thoughts. Here is a quick overview of the thoughts and decisions that emerged from the review of my manuscript:

1. This book is about my journey of curiosities and discoveries as a human, not as a subject matter expert in design or design research.
2. I added personal stories from my life in the book because they shed light on the context in which my curiosities and concerns have evolved.
3. While a significant span of my professional career was devoted to serving clients, my sense of purpose and fulfillment was drawn from engagements that involved influencing minds — individually, collectively, culturally and politically.
4. An interesting epiphany struck me when I remembered all the business cards I carried over the past forty plus years through different jobs and business ventures. I realised that none of them truly represent the role I see for myself in the world — an, open-minded, and open-hearted human being eager to cultivate curiosity compassion, and creativity in the world.
5. My recent forays into poetry, oral history documentation, and community dialogues have led me to believe that I do not have a specific mission that I want to accomplish in my lifetime, nor do I have any expert advice to give. Instead, I am more driven to meet new people, learn from their stories, and spend meaningful and playful moments together, with the hope that together we can learn to care and share more.
6. I remembered the reaction of my editor Molly after reading the first manuscript: this book is an independent biography of your curiosity. She elaborated, “independent biography delves into your personal journey, inner growth and reflections, without adhering to chronological or narrative conventions”.
7. My designer Peter said to me, preserve the integrity of your musings, add details of very personal events from life that create visualisations in reader’s mind and avoid being prescriptive.
8. This book, therefore, is emerging as a revelation of my inner journey in a spirit of sharing and sparking conversations.
9. Another friend of 40 years, Prof Kirti Trivedi suggested that I avoid use of the word design in my title and focus more on my journey of curiosity and exploration so the book does not just cater to the interest of designers. In support of his suggestion to avoid the word design in the title Kirti recalled Shoetsu Yanagi’s “Unknown Craftsmen” in which the author says “The deliberateness of wanting to design something negates the naturalness of just being”.

As I was reviewing and simplifying my manuscript, I began to focus on the origin of the river of my thoughts. I ruthlessly started cutting the text that reflected my tacit desire to speak from the place of an expert, and instead focused on just retracing the footprints I left behind along the pathway.

As I delved deeper into writing, I pondered what my years spent wandering the world as a researcher, talking to strangers about their lives and dreams, truly meant to me. It occurred to me that my nomadic forays were, after all, a voyage of exploring the unknown and understanding human nature and purpose.

The experience of writing my book has led me to compare my own journey to a voyage on a boat set to sail beyond the line where the sky meets the ocean. While it’s one thing to travel far in the real world, crossing oceans and meeting new people, the journey of revisiting the past is equally fascinating. One has the choice of making it a lonely journey or one filled with imaginary friends. In my journey, I invited three literary characters as companions: Siddhartha from Hermann Hesse’s novel of the same name, Jonathan Livingston Seagull from Richard Bach’s book, and Santiago from Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. These characters have been my companions for several decades, their stories inspiring me to keep being curious and relentlessly explore the unknown.

Santiago, Siddhartha, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull never left my side and kept talking to me, giving me hope and cheering me along my journey. Despite their differences in setting, characters, and plot, their stories revealed to me several common themes and ideas:

Spiritual Journey: All three stories involve transformative journeys of the spirit where the main characters seek deeper meaning, fulfillment, and enlightenment.

Perseverance: Each character demonstrates a strong determination to pursue their respective goals, showing resilience and unwavering will in the face of adversity.

Self-Discovery: Throughout their journeys, the characters discover more about themselves and their place in the world, finding wisdom and meaning in their experiences.

Mentors and Teachers: Each protagonist encounters individuals who provide guidance, wisdom, and companionship during their struggles, helping them grow and learn valuable lessons.

Concept of Unity: These stories touch upon the idea of interconnectedness and the unity of all things, be it through Siddhartha’s understanding of life’s unity, Santiago’s connection to the sea, or Jonathan’s realization of the limitless nature of existence.

Transcendence: The characters ultimately transcend their limitations and worldly attachments to achieve a higher state of being or spiritual enlightenment.

I hope that as the book moves towards its final embodiment, “The Art of Being & Belonging” will bring to the reader the voice and wisdom of my three companions on this voyage.