When I left home for the university. I never imagined years later, I would be sitting like a lotus flower typing about my experience and desire to keep learning something new. I have always had a deep love for Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. It cultivated a quiet appreciation for exploration and discoveries. These discoveries were not just reading unaffordable used textbooks, but meeting people from diverse backgrounds, living frugality, working in retail while putting myself through school to pay for my food and housing; a girl always falling in and out of love, overcoming adversity, fostering friendships, enjoying the moment. It has opened doors to dimensions I could never imagine if I had not taken the leap of faith to just do.
I have been exploring UX Design on my own. As a side note, the fact that I moved to California without a job lined up was a crazy romanticized move. With this newfound experience of a kick in the pants status, rather than pining or lamenting for a formal UX/UI education, I took on a challenge of exploring alternative kinds of learning environments to study it instead of that high-priced tuition from an institution I couldn't financially justify. Right now, the silly thing to be grateful for is that I have the time and space, health, soul and openness to the experience of finding and crafting my own curriculum. My time is valuable, and I want to use it learning something new and getting myself in a new healthy headspace. I realize this is a considerable risk, but why make it safe, with not knowing or if Karl the Fog flirting with me, there is an excellent opportunity for building an emotional connection. After all, I want to find the true meaning of user experience. To build empathy, moments of struggle, frustration must be there. I could make myself miserable by being in pity mode "woe-is-me-mode," or I could have fun with comment bubbles of self-discovery. Adversity is embraced as I open my heart space. In the meantime, lean back, breath, and exhale and let the lyrics of moving this soul be allowed to flourish. Thank you for your space. Thank you for your love of learning. Thanks for embracing this moment. Here we go.
Here’s a start: