Nothing stops us from learning. Not even a pandemic!
Ever since the pandemic hit us in March, we haven’t stepped out of home.
But that hasn’t stopped me from stepping out of my comfort zone — to learn new things. Things that are related or unrelated to what I do to earn my bread & butter — Design.
Sketching & painting: My closets are filled with sketchbooks and paints, bought and received as gifts at various occasions. Used to bring them out and back they went in after a few random sketches. But I recently got hooked to two interesting digital apps — Procreate & Autodesk Sketchbook — One that works on my iPad and the latter on my Samsung Note 10 that my wife gifted me for the reason that it came with a pen/pencil. So yes, this time I have finally managed start learning digital art and to make it a habit to do at-least one sketch or painting on a regular basis & I’m actually enjoying it.
Writing: I may not be the best in this craft but there was a time I used to write one poetry or a short story a month. Somehow as they say - “Life happened”, and the zeal faded away. A week back I was invited to write an article for a college magazine. Read a few articles from people I follow on Social media platforms, tried to understand how they write. How they formulate their ideas into simple paragraphs and sentences. The use of words. And most importantly getting the point across in the simplest, yet interesting way possible. Mind you, I’m not a writer but I took this up as a challenge. And to my surprise I wasn’t too bad! Sent it to few who are close to me and they found it to be good too. There you go! Another habit that I now plan to nurture for my own good.
Promoting my business of design: A very important, yet mostly ignored aspect of any business is promoting it. I’m not a fan of reading books on business and other serious stuff. It’s just me! I learn from is people. People I’ve know or have never met. Love the way they indirectly promote themselves and their brands . And what I learnt is exciting — any day better than attending seminars on the subject. After all, these are tried & tested methods that need no validation. Each one unique in their own way!
Communication: Being away from our family, friends, clients, associates has taught us how important it is to communicate what you feel and choosing the right medium for it. It’s taught me not to take anything for granted — not even a simple greeting “Hello” or asking if everything is good with our loved ones and their families. It doesn't hurt to send a note saying we care. It’s always a great feeling when you receive a message of appreciation or gratitude or someone expressing how life’s been with them.
Lastly it’s taught me to be patient & resilient — a virtue I’m far away from :) It’s taught me that there’s something good in every situation — good or bad. And it’s given me a chance to keep learning and keep growing constantly.
I hope to keep writing about different subjects on a regular basis. Hope you enjoy reading them too!
Happy Reading!
Sid
