i have been reading several articles regarding renowned graphic design stefan sagmeister’s 12-month sabbatical at bali. this is his second in a seven-year cycle of sabbaticals. for him, the ideas that he developed during his first sabbatical subsequently inspired his most successful design projects. and he has plans to set aside more time for more sabbaticals if he finds his second round just as fruitful. read more here.
stefan sagmeister may not be my most favourite graphic designer in the world but what i really really like about him is his spirit of adventure and definitely his willingness to share with the world his discovery. initially i felt very envious of sagmeister because he is a famous graphic designer and he can definitely, financially and reputation wise, able to do something as seemingly random and frivolous as a 12-month sabbatical. but even the great sagmeister had his fears. from print magazine, he says, “i had all sorts of fears before the first year – that we will lose all our clients, that we will be forgotten, that we’ll have to start from scratch.” thankfully for him, none of them turned into reality, which spurred him on to do a second one.
when i did more introspection, i realise what i am doing right now – being a student in adm – is pretty much like a sabbatical as well. a long one, in fact. during my stint at the ad agency, i felt pretty much dry and uninspired when i was into my third month. i learnt a great deal technically wise but felt like i wasnt growing creatively and conceptually. i realise that much of what i had to produce was not within my control; i had not much of a creative voice. and i knew i had to get out to learn and to experience new things before i become jaded. i am really glad i chose to come back to school and i cannot express enough how much every single project i have encountered in school is an enriching opportunity to try something new and better myself. i have become evermore interested in design history and theory. the exposure to art history and culture have renewed my perceptions and world view. i have had more time to read, try out ad-hoc projects and even travel around the region. (oh ya, i will be going to burma this december! hurrah!) it continues to be one of the best experiences of my life. i know very well that once i leave the university, i may not be able to do these stuff for a very long time to come, especially with the many financial burdens i would need to bear due to my decision to study. but i dont regret that decision at all.
lately, i have been privileged to be part of the ureca programme, a university-wide research programme. this is a stepping stone a world of new opportunities and experiences which i am very very excited about. i have chose to work with nanci takeyama, one of viscomm profs, on her project regarding “the social role of a designer”. eager eager eager to begin on it! i also hope to head out to beijing in october for the icograda world design conference and immerse myself into this greater network of designers, and learning through their presentations. so, truly, what else should i ask for? i have been given more than i can chew. but i am going to make sure that i can make full use of this time in school, just like sagmeister’s sabbatical.
many of these could not have happened without the help of my professors in school who have been the most generous and most patient with me. so this teachers’ day, i was compelled to show a little appreciation by designing a card for them. hope they like it :D thanks for everything!
