Why I started the School of Curiosity

Curiosity is omnipresent in our lives.

It’s that aunt who keeps asking those annoying questions to know the ins and outs of your life.
It’s the baby biting on every toy it gets its hands on.
It’s your kids shaking their presents before opening them, trying to uncover what’s inside.
It’s you booking a trip to a country you haven’t visited yet to dive deep into a new culture.

Curiosity is an innate human trait that propels us to seek understanding, gain knowledge, and pursue novelty. Yet, we often see curiosity as something frivolous; a fleeting interest in quirky things, a leftover from childhood. We look at kids and admire their boundless curiosity, wistfully acknowledging that much of ours has faded with age.

And we miss it. We miss that spark because curiosity is almost always tied to joyous memories. Moments of discovery, excitement, and wonder. But too often, we treat curiosity as a plaything, as if it’s nothing more than a toy.

In truth, curiosity is so much more.

At its core, curiosity is a dynamic force. A relentless drive that pushes us to explore beyond what we already know and feel comfortable with. It’s like an inner compass, constantly nudging us toward new horizons. When we follow the path of curiosity, we uncover not just the unknown but also new parts of ourselves.

Imagine harnessing that relentless drive to its fullest potential.

Curiosity can break through the barriers of familiarity and lead us into uncharted territories. It can push us to challenge the status quo, rethink what’s possible, and pave the way for progress. It’s not just about satisfying our personal hunger for knowledge—it’s about using curiosity as a tool to shape the world around us.

Curiosity isn’t passive. It’s active. It’s powerful.

That’s why I started this substack - The School of Curiosity - not as a traditional “school” with answers, but as a space to celebrate questions. To explore the depths of curiosity and to understand how it drives us forward. It’s a journey to rediscover the power of wonder and to build a growing body of knowledge.

And there’s another reason. Writing forces me to think. It’s my way of digging deeper, of learning by doing. In the past, I founded Johnny Holland, a resource for interaction design, as a way to immerse myself in the field and build knowledge. The School of Curiosity is a continuation of that same approach; a place where I can challenge myself to think, learn, and grow. Not just individually, but hopefully as part of a community that shares ideas, questions, and discoveries together.

Let’s embrace curiosity as a force for growth, for change, and for shaping the future.

Let’s get curious together.

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