I was brought up to view and explore the world as a holistic entity—infinite and connected. My parents, my teachers, my family and my friends always encouraged me to explore, to learn, and to create. This holistic mindset was reinforced in my formal education—Waldorf (2010), Bennington (2014) and Columbia University (2019). Early on, I remember being introduced to the Renaissance ideal—the importance of an integrated world view, that things are interconnected. That philosophy of interconnectedness of what an individual’s knowledge set (literature, philosophy, art, history, science, and religion) should include is dynamic and encourages life-long learning. That ideal continues to resonate in me, and I try to implement this way of thinking in my own practice. It is this philosophy that gives me the most flexibility to explore knowledge in many areas.

This view creates an atmosphere where mistakes are happy accidents to be learned from rather than threatened by. It drives my passion, my open dialog with the environment, and affects all aspects of my work.

When I approach a project or an adventure presents itself, I am like a cook in a kitchen or an alchemist in a laboratory, I start experimenting with different combinations mixing traditional and new media, deconstructing or recombining (reverse engineering and engineering) elements. My imagination is liberated to explore new combination. In our age where creative technologies are more prevalent, my tool-set is further expanded broadening my horizons, giving me the luxury to push the limits of my designs. I consider this entire process a dialogue between me and my creations.

So far, my life’s journey has blessed me with many creative growth experiences. I am fortunate to have learned from inspiring individuals and at the same time sharing and deepening my passions along the way. I consider myself a very lucky person. I was given an opportunity to teach K-12 educators on how to incorporate creative technologies into the classroom efficiently, innovatively, and effectively. Subsequently I was given the opportunity to create a twelve-month Mix Reality curriculum program for Westchester Community College, which will start in the fall of 2021. In the summer of 2013, I was invited to join the Digital Stone Project with twelve other students. We created our own sculptures using 3-D technologies in a little Tuscan Apennine mountain village in Italy. The previous winter of 2012, I did my fieldwork term (an internship essentially) with the Global Masters Development Program, which took me to Bangladesh. There I experienced the true face and devastation of “Extreme Poverty.” These are but a few of the many opportunities I was fortunate to experience and that have affected my outlook on the world, reinforcing its interconnectedness.

I am a big believer in using every situation as a learning experience and I recognize that on one knows everything. I try to make myself available to every opportunity that presents itself, even if I don’t always take full advantage of the opportunity. I consider myself a student of my craft and I am happy to think of myself as a lifelong learner.