Two years ago, I was a dropout student who chose the wrong path and majored in law but decided to try my hand at design. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life.
Immersion in the new world of design and absorption of many processes of creation were such powerful experiences that not only shaped me but also gave me an almost new identity.
But that’s the essence of the story. The journey itself was not so clear and easy.
Some background
Growing up, I was a teenager fascinated by hip-hop and skate culture. I appreciated the sense of eternal youth and the expressive and creative aspects of both. And this feeling of freedom of expression and freely sharing personal experiences was always close to my heart. In hip-hop culture, anyone can grab a mic and share their thoughts just like someone else can take a skateboard and do an ollie. I appreciate that both cultures are inclusive and stand out by a low entry threshold.
Music has always been a significant part of my life, accompanied me throughout my juvenescence and beyond. I listened to many artists who shared their personal experiences and thoughts and inspired me to build a creative world. I was a huge fan of Tyler, the Creator, Mac Miller, Childish Gambino, and Frank Ocean. Their music has always focused on creativity, innovation, and mixing elements in unusual ways.
Unfortunately, for me, this message of creating your reality has always been in the sphere of the imagination, not something practical and building-oriented.
I’ve never considered myself an artistic spirit, although I had a fondness for the history of art and somehow the sense of aesthetics. But I didn’t have any drawing or painting skills, so I thought that design was a skill reserved for selected ones. And I didn’t feel that this could be me, sometimes it’s even funny to look back to high school because I had some art and technology knowledge, but I was still a misfit since I was too art for technical people and too technical for art people.
It’s worth noting that as a child, I was interested in many things that were often unrelated and completely different, from art to programming, law, technology, and startups. But as it turned out later, the design proved to me that most of the skills you are passionate about have more in common than you may think and it’s all about connecting the dots.
And it’s where all the magic begins, which is how I started to be more open-minded, absorbing more things and connecting them meaningfully due to the power of design.
