#### Intellectual biography “Let no man who is not a Mathematician read the elements of my work.” Da Vinci, L. (1888) Foundational mastery emphasizes the transformative power of integrating disciplines. I believe that interdisciplinarity is the most effective way to create the cultural value of the future. My 50-year journey through visual art (applied or conceptual), music (composition or theory), technology, communication, and human behaviour has continuously exposed me to how these domains intersect and enrich one another. After decades of practical engagement and reflection, I have realized that an Interdisciplinary Studies program will allow me to synthesize my career-long professional experiences and creative pursuits under a rigorous academic framework. Specifically, I believe a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program (MA-IS) will offer the mentorship, structured framework, and research opportunities necessary for me to develop an influential professional identity that unifies my interests in visual art, design thinking, music composition, and human behaviour.  In this statement of interest, I will elaborate on my personal and academic background, my career multidisciplinary expertise, and my motivations for pursuing graduate-level interdisciplinary inquiry now. #### Personal and Academic Foundations I am a skeptical truth seeker inspired by Bach, technology, and consciousness. I was born in Romania, 50 years ago, in a totalitarian regime. Despite the constraints and austerity imposed by the administration, my family taught me how to find the hidden layers of beauty in the depths of studying music and visual arts, being guided by my fine artist grandmother and my French and Spanish language professor mother. These values have guided me throughout my life.  At three, I began studying violin and piano at the School of Art and Music in Bucharest, completing a decade of disciplined training that shaped my artistic foundation. Later, I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Art of Bucharest in 2000, where my thesis, Regression through the Portrait: From Cliché to Archetype, explored the psychological and societal dimensions of portraiture. This work marked my early interest in the interplay between art and human behaviour. In 2007, I earned a master degree in mass media and communication, examining the cultural implications of branding in a rapidly changing new, post-communist, Romanian society. I was later admitted to a PhD program at the University of Bucharest’s Faculty of History, with a research proposal exploring Art and Society in 19th Century Romania. However, life took a transformative turn when I emigrated to Canada, setting aside the PhD to embark on a new chapter at age 35. #### Professional Trajectory and Artistic Contributions ​During my life in Romania and almost two decades of being a proud Canadian, my career and continued education took me across many industries and domains connected by art expression at different levels. These transitions across industries - creative strategies, film, video games, broadcast, editorial content, and others - have enabled me to integrate technical, creative, and strategic communication expertise into a cohesive professional identity. Today, I am a creative director at TD Bank, head of a multidisciplinary creative agency I built from the ground up. I oversee award-winning teams focused on art, design, video post-production, live streaming technologies, web, and analytics. This leadership role has challenged and developed my ability to bridge creative innovation with strategic objectives empirically. Only recently, I obtained a certificate in Power and Influence for Positive Change from Harvard Business School. This strengthened my belief in fostering empathy-driven collaboration, curiosity, and excellence within my organization. ​Parallel to my professional achievements, I have maintained an active presence in the music and art world. My works have been exhibited at Nuit Blanche, ArtWalk Festival, Red Hat Gallery and 1313 Gallery in Toronto in group or solo events. Most of my works are now in private collections in Europe and Romanian museums. Also, the formal music training from my early years of mastering violin and piano in Romania remains a cornerstone of my creative life. In 2022 I obtained my professional certificate in Music Theory and Composition from Berklee College of Music, USA. Since then, I have been publishing avant-garde compositions that became available on all major streaming services, connecting with a global music community. Music, art, and organizational creative leadership have similar creative processes, being governed by larger cultural and social contexts.  #### Motivations ​Creativity is a universal force that transcends personal narratives to connect, inspire, and transform. I see myself as a conduit for creativity, focused on how my work impacts others rather than on self-expression. My interest lies at the crossroads of creative leadership, education reform, and innovative organizational strategies.  ​I am hoping that this MA-IS program will prepare me to operate more effectively in my creative leadership role anchored in holistic thinking and mentor high-performing teams using innovative, interdisciplinary curricula that foster creativity and collaboration. ​On a personal level, pursuing an MA-IS program helps me refine my sense of purpose by integrating my highlighted interests into a coherent, more formal trajectory. My aspiration is to continue to grow as a leader and become a more thoughtful educator, and sophisticated creative influencer. I am passionately considering avenues like creative consulting, art-based education reforms, and publishing scholarly work. ​The MA-IS program represents a peak of my lifelong commitment to interdisciplinary exploration. It will provide the tools and intellectual rigour to unify my passions for art, music, leadership and human behaviour into a meaningful framework for professional impact and scholarly contribution. Connect. Inspire. Transform. #### Reference Da Vinci, L. (1888). *The notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (J. P. Richter, Trans.)*. Project Gutenberg. [https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5000/pg5000-images.html](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5000/pg5000-images.html) --- #### Related Topics [[A Brief History]] [[Artistic Life & Work Activity]] [[Career & Professional Biography]] [[Art]] [[Music]] [[Creativity]] [[Leadership]] [[Society]] [[Storytelling]] [[Interdisciplinary Thinking]]