I’m Jade Panugan. I’m the author of Craftdeology.

Like most people, I too once believed that there’s only one approach to life:

Go to school → follow the rules → get a “real” job → buy stuff → and impress others.

In 2014, everything changed for me. I had an existential crisis.

I started questioning everything I used to believe was true.

My questions were:

• Why do most people follow the same traditional life pattern for the rest of their lives?
• Why is everyone trying to get rich? Why do we keep buying unnecessary stuff? Why do we compete?
• Why can’t we just focus on developing ourselves, cultivating wisdom, helping each other, and living a meaningful life?
• And why do we need to conform? Why can’t we just be ourselves?

I wanted to understand.

So I sought answers through reading books and blogs about psychology, philosophy, zen, spirituality, minimalism, self-improvement, creativity, and productivity; and biographies of thinkers, artists, writers, philosophers, entrepreneurs, and change-makers.

I’ve also learned a lot from different people. By discussing how they approach life and how they understand it, I’ve discovered new perspectives and insights I could’ve never learned my own.

Little did I know I was slowly reinventing myself.

And over the years, I’ve reinvented myself over and over again — learning, unlearning, relearning. It’s a never-ending process.

On a side note: I couldn’t have started questioning had I not discovered the teachings and works of a few inspiring writers, philosophers, and entrepreneurs.

These people have helped spark my curiosity, helping me see the world through different lenses. I’ll always be thankful to them.

If there’s anything you want to discuss or share, connect with me. I would love to hear from you.

Let’s learn together. Here are some of my thoughts:

Or if you want to know more about me and what I do, visit my site at jadepanugan.com.

(UPDATED: October 2024)