I find black to be my default choice when it comes to clothing. Black-colored dresses are generally perceived as elegant, and it has an appeal for their timelessness. However, my reason for flooding my wardrobe with black colored dresses is entirely different. It frees me from the burden of selecting from zillions of colors out there, preserving the mental bandwidth for more pressing tasks at hand. However, there is a collective fascination with black attire, and it is perceived as a fashion statement.

But here is the catch. Black is not a color. I had some friends asking me why I prefer black-colored clothing; my readymade answer would always be. “Black is not a color; it’s the absence of color.” In the visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, spanning from 400 to 700nanometers (wavelength of light), where does the black color fit in? Nowhere, right? The visible spectrum begins with violet around 400nm and ends around 700nm with red, without sight of black “color.” Black was never a fashion statement for me. It is the mere absence of a statement.

On a similar note, I always had the notion that showcasing one’s crafts is just a mere publicity stunt and is something that is not socially acceptable. It was not just me. Our society, too, has some stigma against showcasing. I somewhat aligned my thoughts with the social norms. Not sharing my work enough was a statement for me. Even though, after enrolling in a PhD program, my career necessitated the requirement of showcasing my research works in various public forums -especially academic conferences, I remained skeptical about writing or talking too much about my work. For me, research felt like a delicate craftsmanship meant to be cherished privately.

After harboring resistance for a long time, I finally decided to start a platform where I could discuss my research, my journey, and various interests outside my career domain.

What is it that broke my stigma?

There are a couple of factors.

💡Richard P. Feynman and his love for teaching.

When I first listened to the lecture series of the late physicist Richard P Feynman for the first time, I was awestruck by his passion for teaching and clarity of thought. Those of you who have watched the videos of his lectures delivered at Cornell University.

He specifically emphasized science communications. He famously said,

“If you can’t explain something to a first year student, then you haven’t really understood.”

It is not just that science communications strengthen one’s understanding, enabling one to discover loopholes where there is still some scope for improvement; there is a certain sense of joy. There is something satisfying about discussing science and coming up with brilliant ideas over the conversations. The last time I had this experience was at a conference called SPIE Photonics West (a premier conference in the field of photonics). I am unsure if this feeling can be categorized as the state of “flow” that psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi talks about in his book “Flow,” but it was a mentally stimulating experience.

After coming back from the conference, I surely missed those conversations. There are still interesting discussions with my colleagues in my laboratory, but surely that intensity was gone. During one of those hunger for dopamine, I thought, why not create a platform for myself where I will be able to freely discuss whatever comes to my mind? That was the beginning of this newsletter.

One of the study techniques I regret not incorporating early in my career is Feynman’s technique ( I would love to write about my experience with this technique in my future newsletter).

Feynman’s words have finally caught up with me, compelling me to share from the modest repository of knowledge that I have acquired during my brief career. Though I aspire to bring some value to the readers with these newsletters, my primary drive to write has been to hone my ability to explain science-related news in a simpler manner and discover my expressive voice. The mere possibility that my social circle might discover this article sometime in the future encourages me to write responsibly. In the future, I hope to bring more science-related news, chronicles of my musical and artistic endeavors, and my insight into life with these newsletters.

💡” Show your work.”

It takes a lot of energy to overcome the internal constraints against showcasing one’s work. In my mind, the perceived drawbacks overshadowed the benefits. And here is a book that came to my rescue.

I recently came across a book by Austin Kleon, “Show Your Work! 10 Ways to show your creativity and get discovered.” The writer has aptly put the importance of sharing one’s work.

It is increasingly necessary to showcase your work not for self-publicity but for self-discovery and visibility (who knows! It might catch the attention of potential employers as well)

He draws inspiration from countless examples to establish how publishing one’s work can be a game changer. For example, we all might have seen Chris Hadfield’s videos from (ISS) International Space Station at some point in time. A simple gesture to support the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) turned out to be something huge.

The author’s words indeed helped me take a leap of faith. I was convinced after reading the book that the world is not just merely interested in the food but also craves the recipe. That is true as long as some content is being shared. Spamming by cute dog videos definitely beats the purpose. The author encourages to document one’s life in order to squeeze something meaningful out of it. Well, I thought coming from a research background and harboring multiple hobbies it would be the perfect opportunity.

Certain life advice really got stuck in my mind, like Richard P. Feynman, the author emphasis on teaching your craft to others and how this simple act adds value. Interestingly, in their book “Rework,” Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson encouraged businesses to share technologies with their competitors.

💡Why is it so difficult to write

Here is a confession I will have to make. Since I started writing this newsletter, I have been submerged by an ocean of resistance within me. Despite the initial motivation, I could not seem to figure out this sudden aversion to writing, as if there was an internal force working against my will.

Well, from all I have understood, this feeling is very commonplace. Interestingly, I stumbled upon the scientific explanation behind this feeling. I have been listening to podcasts by Andrew Huberman, which is one of the best science-based podcasts out there, and enjoy a strong fan following.

From my limited understanding of neuroscience, I understood that the brain has a natural aversion to uncomfortable situations. This feeling is attributed to the release of epinephrine, a chemical messenger. For a layman like me, this terminology does not mean anything other than the fact that epinephrine’s significance lies in its role as a precursor to several other processes that contribute to neuroplasticity, the fascinating rearrange of neural pathways!!

Now, here is the intriguing part: this aversion is actually beneficial. When we push ourselves outside our comfort zone, we are essentially reshaping certain neural pathways. It is good news for someone like me who has crossed the 25-year mark, after which there is minimal scope for neural regrowth and, hence, habit formation. Habit formation is not solely the domain of the young, after all.

💡Perfectionism that engulfs us

There is another factor that prevents us from showing our work. “Perfectionism”. I always somewhat knew it. But it was difficult to articulate it. But, I recently got some detailed insight on this matter as I was listening to an interview with a London School of Economics professor, Thomas Curran, by YouTuber Ali Abdaal. He wrote a thoughtful book on this subject, “The Perfection Trap.” He explained how perfectionism is a dangerous route to go. Perfectionism sounds like a trait we ought to aspire to acquire. But there is a real risk this mind-numbing obsession poses. In most cases, our constant desire to be perfect meets no end other than depression and anxiety at the sight of failure. As discussed in the podcast, perfectionists avoid something altogether if they encounter failure once. Perfectionism hinders further exploration.

I always viewed my urge to do everything perfectly as a positive thing. Little did I know that this very urge was gradually destroying my creativity. The fear of imperfection erected a formidable barrier to sharing my works. In some instances, it even prevented me from starting a job altogether. On multiple occasions, it has hindered me from embarking on new endeavors.

Well, somehow I got charged up with a feeling of determination this time up to overthrow this unseen obstacle to begin this new journey even as an amateur. Because as Charlie Chaplin said…

“That’s all any of us are-amateurs. We don’t live long enough to be anything else”

💡The risk of expressiveness that looms over

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is an impending danger waiting if the act of sharing your craft online is not thoughtfully strategized. Overindulgence in an online platform should not endanger the very essence of the craft itself. I have been reading an excellent book by Cal Newport, “Deep Work”. The author describes how, in this digital era, frequent disruptions in one’s attention undermine the quality of our craft. The author draws upon various life experiences of various people and cites numerous literature to establish the fact that without devoting one’s time to a craft with prolonged laser-focused attention, it is impossible to produce an impactful work. As a sincere student of Cal Newport’s insights, I have decided to implement what he calls bimodal “deep work” sessions. This is just a fancy way of saying that I am diligently scheduling my attention-hungry “deep works” (like reading research papers, conducting experiments, working on a recording session, writing, etc.) for an extended period of time in my calendar – without any distractions. I allocate other tasks (reading emails, posting blogs online, attending meetings and talks) that require less intense focus to different times.

Still, it is tricky to strike a balance between deep, immersive work and frequent journeys to the digital world. For now, I can just hope that the act of showing my work does not divert my attention from truly meaningful deep works.

💡But we must span the whole spectra.

But the show must go on. The primitive resistance and modern-day psychological issues should be the last things standing as barriers to the path to becoming the social animal that we are meant to become.

Returning to this newsletter’s intro, wandering in the void of reluctance to expressiveness does not make a statement. It is simply the absence of you as a brand in the eyes of the public. This void is not a color that signifies human emotion. Rather, I suggest we pick our color deliberately and paint across all visible spectra with the expertise of our craftsmanship 🌈.

Thank you for going through my email. I hope to catch up with you soon in my next email.