“For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human. Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.” – Paulo Freire, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed
I encountered the work of Paulo Freire some years ago as a Master’s student in New York City. While I cannot unpack the wisdom of Freire in an introduction, I must credit his framework for informing the title of this publication, Dialogue.
At its most rudimentary level, dialogue is the giving and receiving an account of self and other – in other words, a convergence between two individuals. Dialogue is not a conversation. It is a sustained exchange of knowledge, emotion, and stories suspended in time. Reaching dialogue is to reach a safe space between yourself and another, and, within that space, unpack the layers of what makes us human. You may feel that this sounds far too arbitrary, but I invite you to think about a conversation in the past that you termed as “deep.” What was the topic? Who was it with? What made it deep? Why does the memory sustain itself? Perhaps you felt an unparalleled intimacy or a mutual trust that otherwise would not have been built.
In Dialogue, I intend to surface the questions, thoughts, and feelings that we have all experienced and guide reflection upon them. I intend to write broadly about the human condition, ranging from Aesthetics + Beauty to the experience of life+death and success+failure. Along the way, I may leave some stones unturned. Such is the imperfection of human capabilities. Yet, my aspiration is that I may offer another avenue for reflection, insofar you find trinkets that carry into your day-to-day life. In practice, this means I may offer an opinion essay on “passion,” while other times may include poetry on human struggle and vice. Ultimately, I wish to initiate dialogue between you and me using the internet as our vessel. That is the core of knowledge-sharing and building a life suffused with meaning, texture, and understanding.
To close for now, I would like to offer a snapshot of my background in hopes that you trust me as a worthwhile shepherd. On paper, I am a Visual Artist and a Medical Student. Being intimately involved in both Art and Medicine continues to provide a striking body of observations and life direction. However, most importantly, I am simply an impassioned individual seeking clarity and intentionality in his life using reading and reflective writing as a tool in a vast toolbox. As I know many of you share this sentiment as well, I invite you to partake in this intellectual and affective journey.
Yours,
