University Without Walls -A Life Beyond Studios - (upgraded version)

 

UWW – A Life Beyond Studios

The Master’s degree program I now envision is a natural continuation of the self-designed Bachelor’s program I completed at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. The roots of my academic journey trace back to a pioneering initiative introduced in 1979 by the University of Wisconsin, Madison—an experimental education model known as “The University Without Walls.”

This program was created to empower qualified students to chart their own academic paths. Acceptance was granted to students who demonstrated strong academic performance—typically a 3.7 GPA after three semesters—and submitted a compelling proposal to a faculty panel composed of representatives from various departments. While most applicants were required to undergo an interview, I was fortunate to be accepted directly based on the strength of my written proposal.

The core of my proposal was simple yet radical: I requested the freedom to take my education out of the traditional classroom and into the world, to live and perform as an artist in public spaces across the globe. I argued that I had reached a plateau in studio-based education and that my personal growth as an artist demanded direct experience with the world. To my delight, my instructors embraced the idea. Some even donated art materials and pocket money to support my journey.

My first semester as an “Independent Student” took me to England. There, I immersed myself in sketching, photography, and writing, carrying a full 15-credit course load. Upon returning, I presented my work in the form of a slide lecture, a journal filled with sketches, and a reflective paper on my journey. The reception was overwhelmingly positive.

With that momentum, I embarked on a second journey to South America—specifically Colombia and Ecuador. This, too, resulted in a portfolio of creative work that earned me straight A’s upon my return. A key outcome of my early travels was the habit of keeping a travel journal—a living document that combined drawings, notes, photographs, and even bits of found material. It became both a personal archive and academic documentation.

My third trip took me across the American Southwest—Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona—where I lived out of my car, subsisting on canned food and sleeping in a tent. This journey offered deep, unforgettable experiences, rich in encounters with colorful personalities and spiritual insight.

My final trip under the program brought me back to Malaysia. I documented cultural events such as Thaipusam, a traditional Malay wedding in Penang, and the Gawai Hantu festival among the Iban people in Sarawak, where I was a guest in a longhouse. In Terengganu, I captured vivid images of Redang and Kapas islands—images that deeply impressed not only the students but the wider community in Green Bay. Invitations to present my experiences flowed in from schools, churches, and community centers.

Since then, I have never stopped chronicling my journey. My journal has evolved into this blog, "Ramblings of the Cheeseburger Buddha," which continues to document my life, art, and spiritual reflections. Later in life, I ventured to Alaska, where I worked in commercial fishing on the Bering Sea and lived for two years on Sand Point in the Aleutian Islands. To my knowledge, I am the first Malaysian to have done so. My path later led me to the San Francisco Bay Area, where I lived for a decade working as an organic farmhand, produce buyer, and supervisor at an environmental company—all the while keeping my journal alive with sketches, thoughts, and observations.

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