Being interested in many disciplines can be an invaluable asset in life. Treasure your knowledge, and nurture it every day. Here are a few fields and strategies for tapping into your interests, and creating results that make the most of them:
1/ Postmodern philosophy: (re)consider the possibility of pursuing advanced studies in postmodern philosophy, because that is one of the fields where all your bits of knowledge can coagulate and be put at good use. There are academic institutions that can accommodate part-time schedules, or where most teachings are offered in time of the year that facilitate part-time learners;
2/ (Visual) Arts: An art practice can benefit greatly from a solid theoretical foundation of the subject-matter that it tries to address. I am not speaking of arts pursued for the sake of them. I am referring to contemporary art engaging with some of the most pressing socio-political challenges our societies face.
Set aside the fields above, all other fields can benefit from some non-zero degree of interdisciplinarity, but are hardly all encompassing and would leave part of interests less leveraged then others.
Oh hi alfonso! Clicked into your profile from your Ask HN re alternative career paths, then realized it was you!
Thanks for this reply! Really cool suggestions. I definitely should dig around arts and philosophy more, especially in ways you've suggested!
Question: Are you able to give example(s) of #2? Like you mean something by Aiweiei would count right? I came across a few books of his and thought was pretty cool.
Ai Weiwei would definitely count! In reality all western contemporary art, and to a more limited extent also contemporary art made artists in other regions of the globe, is political art. Political art here doesn't mean art related to the institutions of politics, as sometimes it is assumed in some circles. All art that raises questions about how we relate to each other in our societies is inherently political. (We are reminded that the etymology of politics is the Greek polis, the city-state in the Ancient Greece.)
So I could provide you with countless examples of political art/artists, from Claudia Andujar, to Trevor Paglen, to Forensic Architecture, to name just a few that influenced me the most – And I am sure you are familiar with true superstars such as Banksy, don't you? But this is just the tip of the iceberg; there is a galaxy of artists doing politically engaged art. Some of the most recurring themes nowadays are: gender politics, power, and sustainability.
Before leaving, as you mentioned the Ask HN re alternative career paths, I will take this opportunity to tell you that I am a (concerned) cybersecurity technologist by background with 20+ years of professional experience, who has approached, at mid-career, the arts as a way to distill my thoughts and raise questions about the world and time we live in. Some of the societal challenges related to my professional career form one the main thematic areas for my oeuvre. In my practice, I examine the aesthetics and politics of surveillance, traumatic memory, and sustainability. I will leave you below a few links:
Thank you so much for all your wisdom and knowledge Alfonso! So nice to learn about your work! I'll be treasuring deeply all that you've shared with me. Perhaps one day I'll have my essays published and I can show you if you're open :)
Sam, please do it! I am always eager to learn more; I will be happy to hear from you, and I thank you for the opportunity to exchange a few ideas here on HN. Wishing you all the best with your personal and intellectual life. – Alfonso
1/ Postmodern philosophy: (re)consider the possibility of pursuing advanced studies in postmodern philosophy, because that is one of the fields where all your bits of knowledge can coagulate and be put at good use. There are academic institutions that can accommodate part-time schedules, or where most teachings are offered in time of the year that facilitate part-time learners;
2/ (Visual) Arts: An art practice can benefit greatly from a solid theoretical foundation of the subject-matter that it tries to address. I am not speaking of arts pursued for the sake of them. I am referring to contemporary art engaging with some of the most pressing socio-political challenges our societies face.
Set aside the fields above, all other fields can benefit from some non-zero degree of interdisciplinarity, but are hardly all encompassing and would leave part of interests less leveraged then others.
I salute you and wish you well.