Perhaps existential crisis is an inevitable part of the human condition.

Anyone reflective enough to spare a minute or two to question their existence and their reason for being; will begin to crave a sense of longing for a meaningful life — and the inability to fulfill this longing then causes a downward spiral of rumination.

Does that description resonate with you? Have you ever asked yourself:

• Why do I exist?
• What am I living for?
• What do I want to do?
• How should I spend this finite time?

It’s perfectly fine to not know the answers to these questions…

A few days ago, I finished reading Leonardo da Vinci’s biography by Walter Isaacson. This book is easily the best 30 bucks I’ve spent in lockdown. Such an amazing read! My mind was absolutely blown.

I’m sure you know who Leonardo da Vinci is (or at least have heard his name before), but I’ll refresh your memory anyway: With expertise spanning virtually all fields known to man — arts, science, engineering, humanities — Leonardo has been dubbed the “Renaissance Man.”

He is, arguably, history’s most creative genius.

How is it possible to become an expert in so many fields? And…

“Social media is the devil to me.”

— David Goggins

With the advent of the internet, human communications are being redefined. Social media has emerged as the “new comms” or “web 2.0,” and are becoming more diverse and sophisticated with each update.

Social media companies, along with other digital businesses, are growing with insane velocity. At the time of this writing, Facebook is worth $1010.28 billion+ with only a few tangible assets. How crazy is that? Not too crazy if you consider the impact of digitalization — swiftly and surely, everything is being turned to 1’s and 0’s. …

What comes to mind when you hear the word “utopia”?

Usually, it conjures an image of a prosperous metropolis, with futuristic architecture and sophisticated transportation networks. But a utopia could be anything, as everyone has their own idea of a dream city.

For Ebenezer Howard, a utopia is a city where people can live harmoniously with nature. He called this vision the “garden city,” and unlike others who merely dream about their utopia, Howard actually built his.

Let’s hear his story, shall we?

Who Is Ebenezer Howard?

Internships are an excellent way to gain work experience as a student or recent graduate. It’s an entry-level position, so you’ll be put under the tutelage of a mentor and taught the ins and outs of the industry. That’s an incredibly valuable experience, but here’s the thing: While internships are a legit work experience, not all of them are paid.

Some people immediately put their guard up when told they’ll be working for free. But internships can still be valuable even if they’re unpaid, really!

Up until now, I’ve got five internships under my belt. Two of them are paid…

“Culture is not only beneficial to cities; in a deeper sense, it’s what cities are for. A city without poets, painters, and photographers is sterile.”

— Rebecca Solnit

You may or may not realize it, but we’re all users of cultural products.

The easiest examples would be music and movies — who doesn’t listen to music and watch movies? We all do. Cultural products are a visceral part of our lives. They influence our living environments from small to large, from houses to cities.

And like the word suggests, “product” is a result of “production.” Just as cars are produced…

“Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.” — Frank Herbert

What is reality? All we know is it’s unknowable. Great efforts have been made to comprehend it, through mythology, philosophy, and ultimately, science. But there are still limits to human existence we can’t yet overcome.

Reality is woefully complex and too absurd for our feeble minds. To make it bearable, we reduce it to a simpler form we can understand. …

I’m Indonesian by origin.

Simply saying I’m from Indonesia doesn’t explain a thing, though. The country is the biggest archipelago in the world, with over 17000 islands that house over 1300 ethnic groups, who speak over 700 languages (which also makes it the 2nd most linguistically diverse country in the world).

Can you imagine how culturally diverse it is? When someone says, “I’m Indonesian,” that’s an over-generalization. They could live in any of those 17000 islands, belong to any of those 1300 ethnic groups, and speak any of those 700 languages. You’d have to ask them, “Which part of Indonesia…