Hello ! I'm excited to share with you one of my biggest passions and one of my biggest fears, and how they overlap-ish :
A : My greatest passion is architecture. Architecture and design are everywhere. I'm currently getting my masters in architecture in New York City, but I originally studied anthropology. When I first started studying architecture, the only things I could talk about were buildings and their effects on behavior until a friend told me he didn't care about architecture at all. Initially, I was shocked — everyone lives, works and interacts with architecture on a daily basis, how could someone not care? I then realized — not everyone will care about what I care about most.
Studying architecture, I've learned that someone has designed almost everything around us, and that has dramatically changed the way I see the world. From the spoon we use for our cereal to the buildings we work in, it has all been designed. Paying attention to design adds levels of appreciation to the most mundane activities. Noticing the way light enters a space, or even the weight of different objects can add a level of awareness and presence to any given moment. Careful design isn't just a visual aesthetic, it impacts our experience, perception, and mental and physical health. Increasing awareness of design can brighten our day, and better yet, understanding design begins to give credit and agency to designers themselves and their hard work.
B : My greatest fear is systemic violence. I am terrified when I see the growing Islamophobia, racial violence, and sexism in the media and on the street every day. When I think about how people are cruel to one another based on prejudices about each other's identities', to be honest, I'm scared out of my mind.
I, myself, know that I'm very privileged, but being a brown woman in the United States has made me very aware of how people with the same capabilities and ambition as me don't necessarily have the same incredible opportunities I have. If you are lucky enough to have some form of privilege, it means a lot to think about those who don't to prevent the cycles of systemic violence. Understanding systemic violence is difficult and complicated, especially if you do not feel personally affected by discrimination or prejudice.
A+B : My love of architecture and my fear of systemic violence meet in the middle as I'm trying to find ways to design solutions that will positively impact individuals and communities. Design has the potential solve many of the world's biggest problems in new and innovative ways, from housing shortages to disaster relief to clean water.
I strongly believe that with privilege comes a responsibility to empathize with and help those who are less fortunate. The world will be a better place if we each make an effort to pay more attention to discrimination and to fight it to help those around us live equally fulfilling lives. Do something about it.
Might as well try and see what happens, right?
xx
asg
[email protected]
nyc, ny
ps If you want to see slivers of moments I find special, follow my instagram : asgho