Lead With Curiosity

When you lead your life with curiosity, you’re being open to a world of possibilities. One tiny spark of interest can lead you down a rabbit hole of knowledge and insights.

In my case, I’ve a passion for design. That led me down a path to gain knowledge of other topics besides design.

I’ve delved into business, marketing, copywriting, and even history. Design became a gateway for me to explore, to make new connections, which in the end would’ve an impact on what I create.
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When did we stop noticing?

Have you ever observed a child, and how in awe they are in the littlest things?

Watching my 1-year-old daughter on a daily basis amazes me. Thanks to her I’m reminded of the world’s wonder.

Because as we grow older, our database gets filled. Which means what you used to find amazing as a kid no longer excites you.

You don’t care about seeing a sign. You don’t care about seeing a weird manhole. You don’t care about intricate details on a wall.

You would rather stare at your phone instead of looking at what’s around you. But here’s the catch—the innate curiosity that we’re born with can be reignited.

All it takes for you to make a conscious decision is to observe, wonder, and let all of it sink in.

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I was reminded by a passage from a book called Think!: "Be a sponge. Be open to all the stimulus around—everything can help you. Look at everything. Wonder at its structure. Its material. Its purpose. Its place."

— Sharmarke Hujale 🌱 (@morehujale) July 22, 2021

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Create a Daily Habit

Being curious is like a muscle. You’ve to train it. I’ve this little habit where I'd snap pictures of random things that catch my eye.

My phone is filled with them. Most of them don’t see the light of the day while others become an active part of my creative process.

Remember it’s not about the outcome, it’s about the art of noticing.

That’s how you train your curiosity on a daily basis. There are two ways to go about it: ambient noticing and purposeful noticing.

Ambient noticing is the act of soaking everything without a specific goal in mind. When you do ambient noticing you’re letting things come to you.

Purposeful noticing is the act of seeking out things with a specific goal in mind. When you do purposeful noticing you’re looking out for specific shapes, colors, forms, signs, etc.

​Bill Keaggy in his Ted Talk talks about doing a 30-minute noticing workout to grow your attention. Because when you choose to exercise your attention, you appreciate what’s around you more.

And that sparks the endless loop of your curiosity.

What do you see?

A bunch of manhole images.

What do I see?

I see design, beauty, art—maybe even history.

You see them every day, but you'd walk pass them.

I choose to notice them.

When you choose to exercise your attention you will appreciate the everyday things more.

Tune… pic.twitter.com/rSE2r4oMCm

— Sharmarke Hujale 🌱 (@morehujale) October 5, 2023

Curiosity to Creativity

Creativity thrives upon the curious.

By building your curiosity muscles, you’re naturally building your creative muscles as well—they go hand in hand.

Creativity is an active process of creating. The same thing can be said about curiosity. When you’re curious about something, you’re not sitting down and waiting for something to happen.

You’re making it happen. You come up with new ideas by being in tune with your surroundings.

It’s a superpower.

Anything can be a source of inspiration.

Take advantage of the environment around you.

Nature
People
Architecture.
Landscape.

Stay open. Stay curious.

Let the world around you fuel your creativity.

— Sharmarke Hujale 🌱 (@morehujale) August 1, 2023

Deeper Connection

Not only is being curious essential to the creative process but also if you want to create long-term relationships in your life.

Do you remember the last time a person was genuinely curious about you in a conversation? You felt seen and heard, right?

That’s what makes you want to talk to a specific person again.

When you’re open-minded and truly listening to understand, you validate others.

You’re making yourself an interesting person when you’re interested in others.

When you’re genuinely interested in people you rarely talk about yourself.

You see, it all starts with curiosity.

There’s a powerful phrase you can use to seek out people’s thoughts, ideas, and perspectives by simply saying, “What do you think?”
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Great listening is about approaching conversations with an open mind and curiosity.

— Sharmarke Hujale 🌱 (@morehujale) May 2, 2023

A Gentle Reminder

Look around. Explore what piques your curiosity. Maybe it'll lead you to your next aha moment. It's worth the try.