Introduction
Dear reader, I’m writing to you today to introduce myself and essays.
Today the sky is my favorite winter grey and there are a few orange and gold leaves drooping down preparing for their descent on the tree outside. I’m writing to you today to introduce myself and essays. My name is Bakari A.S., BAS for short. The primary theme of this repository of writing and interviews will be centered around human wellbeing and my personal experience. I’ve taken an interdisciplinary approach to my education, career strategy, and systems design process. From studying Political Science, Bioethics and Philosophy in undergrad to finding ways to integrate a study of artisanal craft, modern design, economics and fashion into a research thesis. I’ve worked in a variety of different sectors and lived in a variety of different countries. As I continue my personal research, projects, and entrepreneurial ventures. I intend to use my writing to be both an information repository and a personal goal post. I’ve structured the blog to correlate with what I intend to learn in the year 2025 and beyond. I’m excited for the chance to write about things I’m learning outside of the structure I’ve set for myself. Right now my core subjects of study and reflection will be health and wellness, technology in society, applied data science, and community practice. With some of my personal enjoyments interwoven like hiking, backpacking, fermentation, cultural exchange, movement arts, and anything related to working with my hands (building and automotive).
I love to explore how people develop tools and ways of thinking. So throughout my writing we will move from hard sciences to metaphysical concepts. Exploring how they relate. For example right now I’m learning about the topography concept of manifolds and how this could serve as a framework for decision making. Or how dog’s cognitive function is heavily rooted through their sense of smell; providing us an inspiration for how to tap into our other senses in order to judge character outside of words. Or how decisiveness is a skill that should be self-taught in order to reduce anxiety. Or how joy is a more powerful motivator and focal point than happiness.
Over the past couple years I’ve participated in artist talks and residencies, global investment forums, entrepreneurship panels, educational panels, and sat at round tables with master spiritualists; but never invited these different groups together. My goal is to cultivate a digital communities around the different aspects of my research and interests. My communication strategy will be to write essays on here Substack, share clips on Instagram and Fanbase, open discussions through the Discord and in person events that I host or promote. But the core of my output will be here.
In full transparency, there will be moments where I am selling something. In order to continue my life as a scholar I must also be an entrepreneur. But know this! The idea of scholarly entrepreneurship is exciting to me. I have no shame around selling because I won’t sell anything that I don’t believe in or at least know that it would genuinely solve the pain points of others. And not everything is for everybody so I won’t be offended if you say no, just share it with a friend. While you are doing so, remember my north star is human wellbeing. The next essay will be a republishing of my thesis on the expression of love as the most important design intention; that was originally published with Codesign Collaborative(formerly known as Design Museum Everywhere).
I believe it is easy to love and to be loved.
I want to share my love through writing, creation, invention and design with the loving intention of improving the wellbeing of others. I hope you find value in at least one thing I share and let me know you did. That’s all for now. You can subscribe to or follow one of the various media outlets I'll be using below. Please share and mention so I can appease the SEO(search engine optimization) overlords.
Best wishes and love,
Bakari A.S.