I am trying to understand the word ‘confidence’. It has such a blurred definition, and changes meaning with context, culture and time. How important a factor is it, in the happening of things? I think ‘being confident’ cannot possibly imply an infinite bracket of knowledge of content; it’s a state when you know how much you know, and have the sense to understand that you need to learn more. I think being confident is about being sure of your ability to learn- and then you can step in into any field, conversation or context with ‘confidence’. You know that you don’t know, so you find out. And once you know, you have an opinion. And then there are those whom I call ‘sweepers’ – those that question and understand information coming their way well enough to have an opinion on them. These kinds can never fall prey to ‘half knowledge’ – and I admire that. Some day.

Indian currency notes are post modern in design. It is time for change.

Indians have lived for five thousand years, and yet today, we have a design history of about twenty years. Did the british screw up our attitude this badly? How did 150 years of a rule wipe out all possible artistic inclinations of a nation? This is seriously depressing. Even with 60 years of freedom, we weren’t really free until 1991! Does that mean something lacks in our leadership priorities? Or does it simply mean design is not really a priority? Did illiteracy and poverty not exist in the thirteenth century? The fact that we study the ‘navratnas’ of Akbar’s court just goes on to say how much importance was attached then to art, culture and thus design. Is today a simple coming together of uncontrollable factors? Is India today what it was ‘destined’ to be? I need answers to these questions- and they are all hidden in decisions made in history! And to think that people think history is irrelevant.