What is communication design?

What is communication design when there’s no open, honest communication? What is communication design when there’s no safe and comfortable space for the most marginalized voices? What is communication design when there’s no respect for others? That kind of communication design is what you see everyday.

The collective is holding uncomfortable conversations about change while the design community has only opened up conversations about decolonizing design in the United States. The curriculum of art history classes has to change. The classroom setting has to change. Teachers have to go through training. We need to see diversity and inclusion in the faculty. We need to see a change.

As an individual, I hold the responsibility to involve myself in conversations and share what I believe in. I am tired of not voicing my thoughts. I am tired that communication design classes have always heard and accepted one certain voice. I AM TIRED. Being tired does not mean I will stop myself from researching. I dream of seeing change in the design community because designs holds responsibilities of creating perceptions.

I will end this post with these two quotes.

Is communication possible which, rather than making the world known, makes people understand how little they know of the world?
Kenya Hara

They aren’t communicating with themselves, and we aren’t communicating with ourselves, so is it any wonder we have difficulty communicating with each other?
Thich Nhat Hanh

I believe...

I believe that creating strengthens my inner voice. 

I have learned for the past five years that creative blocks generally feed into certain thoughts I lack control over. Year after year I fell into the traps of the creative blocks and whine that I can not create like other artists. I struggled with comparing myself to others. The only thing I created was a perception of myself. Why did I do this to myself? Why did I let myself suffer and wail in idleness? To be honest, I am not sure why.

What I know for sure (a reference to Oprah’s biography) is I need to show up for myself. From late March to June, I filled up two reams of looseleaf paper. On average, one hundred sheets per month. I have moved onto my kettle stitch bound journal and I am currently nearing the end of it. It always leaves me deeply saddened to have to move onto a new journey. I have an attachment of things and I guess the frequency of writing a lot reminds me to let go and let go!

Sweets & Happiness

We yearn for sweets like we yearn for happiness. But this quest backfires. Cavities. Pain. Sadness. We need to redefine happiness. No, we need to see happiness as any other feeling. It comes and goes. Happiness is not a thing. It is not money. It is not your social status. It is not your appearance. It does not reflect upon the corners of your mouth shaping into a smile, fake or real. Happiness is happiness. Does nature have emotions? Why do we feel so calm observing nature? You tell me.