Welcome to the beginning of a new blog✌🏼 — You may have heard this parable before, “Life is like a seesaw”. It is often an affirmation in a self-help book, a moral to children’s stories, words painted on a psychologist’s wall, a reminder scribbled in a personal journal, or a flimsy promise etched on an Etsy mug. …

The heading is a mouthful, so let’s skip the subtitle. — If you’ve been following my writing, you probably notice a pattern by now. I have been captivated by the likes of joy, optimism, and courage. Or at least by the curvy quest for it. Earlier, I wrote about my partner’s penchant for creative experiments in the kitchen and how it…

From a young age, people called me creative. From a purely prevailing point of view, you could say that it described me well. I painted, loved to dance, and I even played the violin. …

Part II: The Art of giving feedback ( and funny memes from the American sitcom, Friends ). — Welcome to part II of the feedback series. We’ll talk about the subtle art of giving great feedback and why it’s important to reflect before you share. In my previous article, I talked about being on the receiving end of feedback and shared some strategies that have served me well…

Part I: The Art of receiving feedback. ( Explained through memes from the sitcom, Friends ). — Feedback is omnipresent. Our every interaction with the world receives a response. When you’re trying out a new recipe for dinner, your family gives you feedback through ‘mmmm’s and second serves or by claiming they’re not very hungry today.

Tips on building a strong partnership through meaningful questions. — Design is a team sport. But you’re not just playing with your design peers, you’re also engaging with product managers, software developers, researchers, customer advocates, business analysts, and more. But unlike a real game, you’re all on the same team, and there’s no rival. …

This new year, I hope you choose creativity and joy — The dawn of the new year feels like a time of renewal. One where we’re eager to welcome new beginnings and experiences in our lives, and so we set voracious goals and milestones to help us achieve them. I, for one, believe that time is ripe for new beginnings anytime…

With pit stops at psychology central and the wilderness. 🐵 — You know how having the house to yourself equates to wine, takeout, music, and dancing in your underwear? One spring sundown, I wandered about in an empty house sipping my peach-flavoured Soju, scrolling on Uber Eats to find arepas, and enjoying the nothingness that awaited me that eve. Excited that…

Yes, it can and we should talk more about it! — When was the last time you laughed out loud at work? I mean really laughed like you were overwhelmed with joy for a moment. A simple question, with immense meaning. This question is one of the gems from Ingrid Fetel Lee’s book, Joyful, that got me reflecting deeply about life…