A Culmination of Learning. A Confluence of Dreams.

I was having a chat with someone recently who mentioned that he found it rather vague how I took up seemingly unrelated subjects to learn and explore.

It’s true, my interests through the different ages and stages of my life, have been varied and not always linear (in terms of utility to a career).

Being the founder of an Ad Agency, the time spent on picking up graphic design, animation, 3D modelling, UI/UX design, video editing, etc. could be thought of as related and, therefore, ‘justified’.

On the other hand, various passions which I have dedicated time to, like hardware and networking, coding, music, a range of sports, literature and literary activities, etc. could seem to be just pastimes, not skills which one would ever use at (or for) work.

I was always the nerd interested in everything… coins, stamps, gadgets, books, movies, trivia, history, art.

Regardless of my critics, I truly believe that no knowledge we garner, no skill we acquire is ever a waste of time or energy.

Every single thing we learn in life gives us an extra tool… an extra edge. Many a time, without really knowing it consciously, a recollection from a book read aeons ago, a particular game we played, a piece of trivia we acquired during a conversation, almost anything can give us a breakthrough concept or solution.

I am thankful, every moment of each day, of the career I have chosen. It allows me to leverage all my passions – creativity, art, technology, … and have fun with them! It allows me to think unfettered and unbound.

I feel like my work actually frees the child in me, sets my creative bull free in a china shop of incredible possibilities.

Thinking of not what is, but what is possible. Having to come up with something new, something imaginative, every day of life. Looking at bringing into existence that new product, experience, concept, that will make someone smile or touch a person’s life… to me, a creative director’s job is the apex of bliss.

Amazingly, it is also a field which has shown me over and over again how every learning in your life can be useful in your career. So many times, knowledge of an arcane field has brought out the most potent solution to a client’s brief.

I believe that we should never map our learning paths based on careers. We should just go ahead and explore interests, delve into every area which appeals to us (however obscure they might be, related to our professional calling). They will, directly or indirectly, always bring about positives in the culmination of life.

Abhimanyu Saraf