Epiphany in Granada

I've always been struggling with myself about my career choice of becoming a designer. I love aesthetics... but I felt absolutely guilty of dedicating my life to it. I really want to contribute something to this world, and I fear that something would be shallow and only fuel the materialistic greed that humanity is addicted to. However, I love creating things and I love gadgets, cars, and architecture of all sorts. I've felt like I was satisfying a frivolous desire... and that I wasn't going to create any good in the world at the rate I was going. But when I came to Granada - I had an epiphany.

I feel in love with Granada the moment we got there. The city was a perfect blend between old and new. When we went to the Alhambra, I felt like we were walking into a garden of paradise. I have never had such a unique experience. The architecture there was astounding; not just because of its sheer beauty but because some of the spaces made me meditate on things I wouldn't otherwise have thought of. For example, when I walked through the garden of twenty fountains - the sound of the mass synchronized water splashing gently in a linear row made my senses and mind at ease. The space encouraged me to close my eyes and just listen. I feel into a trance of bliss. Other spaces made feel personal inquiry, some made me think about the existence of God and myself. Alhambra is a masterful assembly of different spaces offering their own individual experience.

In conclusion to our trip to the Alhambra, it hit me that each space was able to influence me in a different way. It never occurred to me that aesthetics can influence people in numerous ways. They can put people in awe, or they can evoke personal inquiry, or they can make one think about a concept or idea that they would've never thought of. Aesthetics can be shallow, but if the designer is focusing on evoking a certain idea it then gains the opportunity to become rich and meaningful. As designers, we have a great power. And with great power, comes great responsibility.

Tim