Reflection on Design Pathway

"Only that in which I recognize my being is mine, and I can only recognize it where it is engaged. In order for an object to belong to me, it must have been founded by me. It is totally mine only if I found it in its totality. "

"Only I can create the tie that unites me to the other. I create it from the fact that I am not a thing, but a project of self toward the other, a transcendence."

"If I am no longer anything but a body, barely a place in the sun and the instant that measures my breath, then I am released from all worries, fears, as well as regrets. Nothing moves me, nothing matters to me. I attach myself only to this minute that my life is filling up, that alone is a tangible prey, a presence. Only the impression of the moment exists. There are empty moments that are only a sort of connecting fabric between the full moments; we patiently let them roll by. And in the instants of fullness, we will find ourselves satisfied, fulfilled. Let us turn away from the world, from undertakings and conquests; let us devise no more projects' let us remain at home, at rest at the heart of our enjoyment."

"An unchanging enjoyment that stays the same for too long is no longer felt as a plentitude; in the end it merges with a perfect absence. For enjoyment is the presence of an object to which I feel present. It is presence of the object and of myself in the heart of their difference. But as soon as the object is handed over to me, the difference dissolves. There is no longer an object, but. once again a single, empty existence that is but vapidity. and ennui. As soon as I eliminate the distance that, in separating me from the object, allows me to. throw myself toward it, to be movement and transcendence, this fixed union of the object and me no longer exists except in the way a thing does."

" Gide tells us that each pleasure envelopes the entire world; the instant implies eternity."

-------------Simone de Beauvoir, ' What Is Existentialism?'

I am currently reading the book, 'What Is Existentialism?', by Simone de Beauvoir. She has mentioned the concept of The Instant, in which I see it as the understanding of Carpet Diem, the appreciation of surroundings and its connection to one's fulfilment. It sounds like my understanding of the concept of 'Xiaoquexing', the true happiness. I found myself feeling alive only when I fully emerged in with the surroundings, when I slowed down and listened very cautiously to the sounds. I felt surrounded, was breathing loudly with everything. That is the moment for me to feel truly fulfilled and satisfied. I see that sorts of moments as my 'Xiaoquexing'.

Textures, sounds, light and shadow, they are everywhere and they surround us. They are the substances which construct our world, our past and present. When I allow myself to emerge with the world, I feel like I am the world itself, we contain the true and only essence, which is the instant of present.

I really appreciate the theme of the design pathway comes from an oriental idea, it allows me to fully explore the deeper concept behind it as I'm more familiar with oriental culture. I have said numerous times that I hate doing design, yet in the end, I found myself quite enjoying the process of designing when I look back. I enjoy the observational drawing part especially. I also got the chance to try out the technique I have been wanting to experiment with, combining knitting and clay. I wouldn't say I had done a brilliant job of perfecting the sculpture, yet I do appreciate the experiment itself. It also encourages me to conduct more experiments with the medium. I have learnt that it's important to pay attention to the moisture of clay and the thickness of it.

I am still very confused about the concepts of different subjects and I can't tell is there really a clear line between them, as conducted various approaches to these pathways and subjects I realised they all have something in common and have their similarities. I think I still need to wait until I get into the next pathway and see which suits me the best and I feel most comfortable and confident in.

Design Pathway

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