Capoeira. Design. Life.
In my sixteen years as a designer, I’ve maintained the belief that dedicating time to joy outside of work is crucial to being a “good” designer. It’s easy to convince ourselves that we must grind forever to be our best.
While I do not diminish the value of investing in professional growth, I believe that (1) accepting that we are enough as we are, and (2) committing to our presence in life, is what guides us on paths that we otherwise could not imagine… paths to creating that which does not yet exist.
So what is Capoeira?
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that blends with dance. I stumbled on Capoeira a year after I started my first design job, because I followed the sound of the music. I loved it because it was unapologetically energetic and free, and the people practicing it looked so healthy and vibrant.
I learned later that capoeira was invented by enslaved African people in Brazil who blended it with dance and song to mask their martial art in secrecy. They used Capoeira to escape slavery and create organized refugee cities in the wilderness of up to 50,000 people, some of which still exist.
Capoeira provides a treasure trove of benefits to North America, including community, exercise, mind-body connection, self-expression, musicality, paradigm shifts, and abundant sources of Black Leadership. Capoeira has also helped me build a unique, resilient philosophy.
What Capoeira has taught me about Design (and Life)
Yes AND
Sometimes we mess up, and that’s ok. If we freeze or waste time blaming or judging ourselves or others, we get kicked in the face. If we can keep moving and learn, we can get better. We can transform the situation for better future outcomes.
Make the response match the stimuli
When we overreact to protect ourselves, which often happens when a fast kick is coming, we take ourselves out of the game completely. Staying observant and moving only to the degree that is necessary increases our capacity to respond.
Don’t let fear make you close your eyes
Sometimes when we get overwhelmed or something is happening that we didn’t plan for, we don’t want to look. But closing our eyes when a surprise kick comes makes it impossible to dodge. If we stay observant, we can take small steps so that it’s less likely something will sneak up on us.
Learning how to fall is the best skill
Not knowing how to fall doesn’t mean that we won’t fall. Learning how to fall by intentionally falling (in a safer, controlled way) means that when the time comes, we’ll be better equipped to handle it.
Some great “droppers of this wisdom” are Mestre Papiba, Mestra Colibri, Profesor Lobo, Profesora Clari, Profesora Menina, Instrutor Arrepiado, and Aluno Gunga. Others not mentioned here have also helped me greatly.
I look forward to this list continuing to grow as I do. :)