Be More Curious

During the past weeks I’ve been reflecting on a few topics I want to share, so I decided to test a more traditional blog post in which I actually write about something. Feel free to let me know what you think :)

I’ve been living in Milan for more than 2 years now. And even if I seem to be on the forefront of what’s happening in terms of exhibition and events, I sometimes feel like I haven’t fully taken advantage of the city.

It’s easy to get lost in our routine and I am guilty of spending too much time always in the same area. So a new goal of mine is to explore more of Milan, really discovering what it can give me under different aspects, especially in terms of culture.

And that’s something I truly advise to everyone, regardless of the place you’re living in.

For Christmas my girlfriend gifted me a beautiful desk lamp from the 70s and it woke in me a sleeping desire to learn more about this reality. So during this month I took the time to visit different exhibitions, especially about product and interior design. They are new fields that I’m slowly discovering and starting to appreciate a lot.

This led me to reflect on a personal insecurity I sometimes face, which is that of “not knowing enough”. During my daily life I always meet people that under certain aspects are more cultured and informed than me, so it makes me feel like I should learn everything about everything.

However, by discovering these new design topics I understood that time will bring you new interests, and that we shouldn’t rush them, we should let this learning process be genuine, authentic, and long-term. I think this is the best way to increase our knowledge of life.

We’ve become so immersed in the digital world that we often forget there are still physical spaces and real stories to explore and get inspired by. I took a few friends to see Fondazione Achille Castiglioni and seeing them so excited to discover something new made me genuinely happy.

This is why I always put time into suggesting events and exhibitions to people who appreciate art, design and creativity.

Planning this visit and taking friends to cultural events is an evolution of my Open Day and of Leo’s Folders. So I’m considering to create a group where I would occasionally plan visits to museums, exhibitions, events and foundations for people to join and go all together. Let me know if you’re interested in joining!

Something else I’ve been thinking about, and I’m a victim of this too, is that when there’s an opportunity to see or do something, like participate in a workshop or visit a museum (especially with like-minded people), we tend to say “I’m too busy”, “I have to work/study”.

But I believe that at the end of the day those are actually the things that inspire you and teach you the most. You never know what you could discover or get out from that specific experience. Or even more, what other opportunities might arise from it.

I can’t tell you how many times I said “yes” to something I was doubting to do, and later told myself “Wow, imagine if I didn’t do it”. So try to say “yes” more often, you’ll see how many more things you will be able to learn or achieve.

Leo✌🏼