The Unbearable Lightness Of Creating
It is said that creativity is everywhere and for everyone! It only takes a certain way of looking at the world to tap into it. Prateek Dixit knows this way like the back of his hand.
An experience designer by profession, with a degree in toy and game design from the National Institute of Design, Prateek has embraced the creative life unreservedly. Prateek’s creative endeavors include sketching, cooking and fiddling with musical instruments.
In his final year of college, Prateek designed a systems model to interactively merge digital gaming with bicycling. This foray into the field of user experience design excited him and he has loved working in this field ever since. We ask this enthusiastic creator what creating means to him. He says:
“Creating is the ultimate source of happiness for me - whether it is a new recipe, or a new tune on the ukulele, or a new sketch about Juno, the puppy I’m single dad to. I like naming my creations too! One of my favorites is the paneer masoorie - paneer in masoor dal gravy. Every single time I create something, I feel like a kid again – the kid who looked at his thoughtless scribbles and saw masterpieces. I’m left grinning ear-to-ear.”
Clearly, Prateek is no late bloomer. His creative spirit seems to have been alive and kicking for a while now. We ask him what he remembers about his early creations. He says:
“Birthday cards! As far back as I can remember, I have made birthday cards for everyone in the family, and I continue to do so even today. I also remember creating houses for my GI Joes with old shoe boxes around the same time.”
Most creators have their trusted sources of inspiration. For some, it could be the great wide outdoors. For others, the cacophony of a market bazaar. As for Prateek, he seems to have his eyes and ears peeled open all the time for inspiration.
“I draw inspiration from my attempts to be a dad to Juno and from our adventures together. In relationships, the inability to put my feelings into plain words makes me create - I write poetry when I’m sad and I doodle when I’m happy! Traveling brings out the compulsive sketch-booker in me. The food I eat, the people I meet, the puppies I hang out with..everything is inspiring!”
We ask him what he’d like to say to people who aspire to creative lives, but hold back because of their inhibitions.
"Don't even dare to do anything! You will impact the earth's gravitational force. Just kidding! I’d say - just do it. Already. Whatever you create, do it for yourself. For just your own happiness. Let it become something so personal to you, that it helps you cope with everything happening around you.”
Hear, hear! Prateek, here’s wishing you the very best in all your creative adventures! May your zest for the creative life continue to inspire others!
