PolyPaths in Action #4

Balancing Curiosity, Creative Intersections and Focus

This PolyPaths in Action is a treat for everyone. We are thrilled to feature Shagun Singh, an artist, author, designer, researcher and a parent. We recently connected on Substack – I was very drawn to her multifaceted approach to art and life which she beautifully expresses in her notes. This conversation has many nuggets of wisdom grounded in her life experience. Let’s dive right into it 🙂

Apoorvaa: What paths are you walking today in life? Could you share a bit about your story and how you chose the paths that you did? Did you rebalance your paths on the way?

Shagun: Right now, I’m walking a few intertwined paths. I write Science of Art, a Substack newsletter exploring the intersection of art and sustainability. I’m also working on two public art projects and a user experience design project for a hyperlocal news startup — all while raising two small children.

As a child, I was endlessly curious — fascinated by how things worked. I’d wonder how electricity flowed or how voices could travel across devices. At the same time, I was immersed in great literature and cinema thanks to my parents. While watching The Bridge on the River Kwai or reading A Passage to India, I’d also find myself imagining life beyond Earth. I thought I’d pursue a career in science, but life nudged me toward interior architecture at CEPT, Ahmedabad. There, I was introduced to the history of art, architecture, and how to design meaningful spaces — opening a whole new dimension to my interests.

Keen to explore the intersection of art and technology, I came to the U.S. to study at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating, I worked at institutions like the American Museum of Natural History, SOM, and frog design. Alongside, I wrote Designwala, a blog on design thinking in India, and eventually founded my own studio, Urban Matter, where I created interactive installations for public and private spaces.

Over time, my path has shifted — from interior design to UX, and from product design to large-scale public art. Each transition required rebalancing, especially as my interests in systems, storytelling, and sustainability deepened. A pivotal moment came during a fellowship at a nonprofit, where I discovered a passion for user research. That experience gave me the confidence to return to writing, and to bring together my diverse interests in science, design, art, and environmental consciousness.

Apoorvaa: What are some challenges that polypaths like you and me face? You mentioned in one of your notes that prioritization can be hard. How do you solve it for yourself? Are there mindsets or systems you have built over the years that have helped you?

Shagun: One of the biggest challenges I face is my inability — or perhaps refusal — to stick to just one thing. I get bored easily, and there are very few constraints on what I can do. I’ve built giant installations, conducted research, designed digital products — and that versatility gives me confidence. I can see problems from multiple angles and connect dots that others might miss. But it also has a downside: I rarely feel like a true expert in any one thing. In professional settings, not being a specialist can work against you, which is one reason I’ve mostly worked for myself.

I’ve sometimes struggled to sustain this “smorgasbord” of a career — stretching horizontally across disciplines rather than climbing vertically up a single ladder. While I deeply value the freedom to choose my projects, write what I want, and shape my days, I also sometimes miss the structure, financial stability, and community that can come from being part of a more traditional work environment.

Over the years, I’ve developed systems to help me stay focused and productive. I’m quite structured with my time. My most productive window is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — when both my kids are out — and I typically do heads-down work like writing, sketching, or design during those hours. I use Toggl to track time and Notion to set weekly goals and organize to-dos. I also rely heavily on sketchbooks, my notes app, and whatever paper is nearby to capture ideas, questions, and things to explore, delegate, or execute. My brain rarely switches off, and I usually have at least two projects in motion — for example, drafting a newsletter article while building mobile wireframes for a client, or juggling public art proposals alongside sketches for new work.

I pick up my kids at 2:30, do a bit more work before dinner, and then usually work again from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. The biggest mindset shift for me has been to show up every day — not to chase the next exciting idea, but to stay with the ones I’ve chosen and give them the space and time to grow. My goal right now is to write and make art consistently for the next five years — and to give each project a real chance to thrive. I believe I’ll better understand what’s working when some of these efforts become financially sustainable. But for now, structure, discipline, and clarity of purpose are what help me keep going.

Apoorvaa: In the arts, is there a taboo around not doing art full-time? Perhaps it gives an impression that you are not committed enough? What are your thoughts on that? Are there counter examples that jump out?

Shagun: I used to think there was a taboo around not being a full-time artist — that it somehow signaled a lack of commitment. But as I’ve researched more for my newsletter, I haven’t found any data or definitive evidence to support that idea. It’s more of a cultural perception than a rule.

Yes, making a full-time living from art is often seen as a badge of honor because it’s so difficult. But what does “success” actually mean? Is it the pet portrait artist who earns six figures, or the artist showing at MoMA who still struggles financially? I’d argue both are accomplished in different ways.

The art world operates within a "superstar" economy — where a small number of artists, backed by major galleries and collectors, dominate museum shows and visibility. But outside of that, many talented artists sustain themselves by teaching, freelancing, or working in adjacent fields. Some even create new models: in one of my recent pieces, I wrote about an artist collective that ran a bed and breakfast to support their practice.

Whether or not you work full-time as an artist often depends on your goals. If you’re seeking recognition, shows, and sales, your path — and the pressures — will be different from someone making art for personal fulfillment or healing. The key variable is intention. And once that intention is clear, it's fair to compare your progress only to those walking a similar path.

So, is there a taboo? Not really — or at least not one that holds up under scrutiny. What matters more is being honest with yourself about your ambitions and building a life that supports them, whether that’s full-time, part-time, or something in between.

Apoorvaa: I love your notes about the generalist approach, on how the best innovations come from the intersections. Could you share more thoughts on that? Did you always believe in the power of multidimensionality? Even for you personally, how have your multiple interests helped each other?

Shagun: I’ve always believed that innovation often emerges at the intersection of disciplines. Being a generalist isn’t just about having many interests — it’s about developing the ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas in ways that specialists might overlook. That’s where new insights, and sometimes real breakthroughs, come from.

But I’ve also learned that it’s not enough to simply think across domains. Multidimensionality only becomes powerful when it’s paired with action — when you actually make something from those intersections. And often, what brings an idea to life isn’t just the idea itself, but the context: access to power, support, or resources.

One of the most well-known examples is Apple. The company’s success isn’t just due to strong engineering — it’s also about design, simplicity, storytelling, and user experience. That kind of coherence comes from people who can speak both the language of technology and the language of aesthetics.

For me personally, my interests in research, public art, writing, and design constantly feed each other. Research sharpens my ability to ask the right questions. Writing helps me clarify ideas. Art gives me a visceral, intuitive approach to problem-solving. Each practice strengthens the others — not in a scattered way, but through intentional overlap.

So no, being a generalist doesn’t automatically make you an innovator. But when your skills are complementary and you understand how to activate them in concert, that’s when new things become possible.

Apoorvaa: What would be your advice to those who want to nurture their multifaceted callings?

Shagun: For those of us with multifaceted callings, the biggest challenge is often focus — not inspiration. Being multidisciplinary means we’re constantly seeing new possibilities, and because we have the tools to act on them, we can easily get pulled in too many directions. My advice is to treat your multidimensionality as a lens, not a compass. Use it to enrich the work you’re already doing, rather than letting it dictate constant shifts in direction.

There’s a time for wide exploration and cross-pollination, and there’s a time to commit — to go deep, execute, and follow through. I’ve struggled with this myself. If something doesn’t yield results quickly, I tend to change strategies or even pivot entirely. But over time I’ve learned that not every spark needs to become a fire. Some ideas are meant to inform, not lead.

So nurture your multiple interests — but also build the discipline to recognize when to stop ideating and start finishing. There’s no perfect project, and no shortcut to success. The strength of being multifaceted lies in using it to solve problems from unique angles — not in chasing novelty, but in bringing layered thinking to meaningful, sustained work.

Apoorvaa: Thank you so much Shagun for sharing your story and your pearls of wisdom :)

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Actionable for all PolyPaths

• Leverage Intentional Overlap to Drive Innovation through Action: Instead of seeing your paths as separate or scattered, actively seek how they can strengthen one another. Shagun highlights that true innovation emerges at the intersection of disciplines when you not only connect seemingly unrelated ideas but also activate those connections by making something from them.
  

• Schedule Your Deep Work: Shagun emphasizes the importance of being structured with her time, dedicating her most productive hours (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) to "heads-down work" like writing, sketching, or design. Identify your own peak productivity windows and reserve them for your most demanding and creative tasks.
  

• Commit and Go Deep When Needed: While a multidisciplinary approach exposes you to many possibilities, Shagun advises treating it as a "lens, not a compass." Learn to recognize when to stop ideating and start finishing.
  

• Redefine Success Beyond Traditional Specialization: Don't let societal perceptions of "taboo" around not being a full-time specialist deter you. Focus on clarifying your own intention for each path—whether it's for recognition, personal fulfillment, or healing—and measure your progress against your own clear goals, not against external, narrow definitions.

PS: If you're also navigating the complexities of multiple paths, we would love to help and feature you in the next PolyPaths in Action. Your story can be an inspiration to many! Schedule a call with PolyPaths today.