Background
In 2016, I joined the American University of Yangon, where I taught for five years. What drew me to the university was its emphasis on general education through interdisciplinary learning—covering the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and arts. This was significant in the Myanmar context, as universities had been closed for decades (from the late 1980s until reforms in 2015), leaving a gap in exposure to broad-based learning.
Through my teaching and conversations with students, I realised that many were deeply interested in design. Yet the landscape for design education in Myanmar was limited: few schools, narrow disciplinary offerings, and outdated curricula. May young people told me they felt stifled by parental and societal expectations to pursue ‘traditional’ fields such as medicine, law, or engineering. Despite Myanmar’s reputation for art and craft, its design education was still underdeveloped. This gap became the catalyst for what I set out to do.
The Workshops
In response, I proposed creative workshops as part of the university’s leadership programme. Drawing inspiration from Japanese architect Takeo Muraji, who used collage-making with clients to uncover subconscious desires, I adapted this technique for education. My aim was not to produce designers, but to create a space for self-discovery and creative expression.
Students were given magazines, newspapers, and other materials to create collages that reflected their preferences, aspirations, and states of mind. They later presented their works to their peers. The results were revelatory: some expressed a love for order and structure, others for chaos and spontaneity. For many, the act of translating inner thoughts into a visual, tangible form was liberating. The presentations sparked reflection and dialogue, revealing aspects of themselves—and of each other—they had not previously articulated.
Reflections
The workshops were not about training designers, but about cultivating self-awareness. Collage became a tool to access layers of the unconscious, echoing Jung’s idea that symbols, dreams, and images reveal truths that words often cannot. What struck me most was the shift in mindset: students discovered that creativity is not a fixed trait, but a skill that can be nurtured and developed. For some, the workshops affirmed their interest in design; for others, it was simply an opportunity to explore another side of themselves.
For me, the workshops reinforced the power of interdisciplinary approaches—bringing psychology into design education to foster creativity and self-understanding. It reminded me that creativity is a universal human capacity, waiting to be unlocked with the right tools, methods, and experiences.
