Women & Design // Episode 9
The aim of complete education should be to create a healthier and able generation, both physically and emotionally.
As I grew up, this was one of the most common phrases I had heard in school. And as I was slowly turning to an adult I realized that most of my unlearning also happened to happen in this space, the Out of Syllabus space. Mental health became a topic at every nook and corner of life and the causes and reasons for it were multifold, layered strongly into the fabric of our society. It was a loud screaming gap. The intention starts here. Communication, it was clear, was a strong key that one could use to spread widely spread awareness about all the topics that mattered and cared for. Heated discussion over chai, posts, movements; there was just soo much happening to break the taboo and address the stigma that pulled us back from having an emotionally healthier, inclusive society. But if only we knew and talked about these topics way earlier.
What if the next time an 8th standard boy wanted to wear heels and nail polish, no one laughed? What if the next time a 12th standard child doesn’t crack JEE, he doesn’t feel like his world stopped spinning? What if we could prevent a 10th standard girl from taking her life out of doubt, loneliness? What if the next set of generations walked out feeling better and having a better understanding of everything around them? Out of Syllabus was born with this idea.
Ready.
Out of Syllabus started as a graduation project with no name or title. It started with an intention to know the current ripples in the mind of the majority and the causes for the same. What was later framed as the preventive measures that could be taken to ensure an Emotionally healthier Society. The name originated as a simple intention to communicate the basic intention of our work in a slightly sarcastic way to the replies we are used to getting as a child too. Ideally, nothing is Out of Syllabus, there may be various degrees to which the information might be relevant or makes sense at different ages, but is lack of information a way out? We don’t believe so.
Set.
We all feel better when we talk about how we feel and what we are going through, if not with another person, then through self-talks with ourselves. However, as easy as it may sound, communication in itself is a pretty hard thing to do. To put oneself out there and share your fears, doubts, and failures with another take huge courage to reach. If you are someone who has reached that stage, kudos to you! But if you are someone struggling with the stage, do know that you aren’t alone. There may be constant fear of judgment and trust. But what helps is to know that one isn’t alone. Knowing and sharing each other’s journeys gives a better grip and strength of the situation by just simply changing the limelight and the protagonist in the story. Ever noticed how easy it is to give advice to someone when we couldn’t frame those sentences for ourselves? What if we could find our tribe, help ourselves by helping and extending a hand to the other?
Go.
We have been trained to not listen to our feeling and emotions. ‘I like something’ or ‘I do not like it’ never really seems like a complete reason in itself. With barely any importance to our emotions, we are made to wrongly believe that pushing aside our emotions or even boasting to not feel any emotions is a strength. Imperfections are hidden, mistakes buried to an almost inhuman robotic projection of one’s self. Well, we would like to talk, listen, share and be patient to understand each other. And we believe that most of our thoughts and actions are habits that need to start from our childhood. Curiosity and question are the most powerful tool that leads a child to the world of imagination, creativity, and a sense of discovery. Something found is always more cherished than something got, leading a child to feel a sense of achievement, ownership, and responsibility. Let's try to keep this curiosity from dying out too soon. Like a larva to a butterfly, let the children metamorphose and bloom with all the colors they choose.
Simply put, Wouldn’t it be better if we started to have a right respectful conversation as we grew up! So, the next time a child asks us a question, let’s not say, ‘it’s Out of your Syllabus’ anymore. It’s not too late, let’s start talking about the things that matter.
We're always open to other perspectives, opinions, and a good chat over some coffee or tea. We'd love to host a conversation with you, head on over to our Discord and get in touch!
With 🧡 Team WID.