ANAGI GUNASEKERA
Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar | Educator | Learning Designer | Musician | Founder of Goodville
My Creative-Educational Foundations
Before I began describing myself as an emerging Creative Learning Experience Designer, I was already living inside the worlds that now shape my work: learning, music, creativity, storytelling, leadership, teaching and community.
This page is a reflection on the experiences that formed my foundation from academic curiosity and music leadership to handmade creative projects, peer teaching, performances and dancing. Looking back, I can now see that these were not separate parts of my life. They were all early expressions of the same question I continue to explore today:
How can learning become more meaningful, creative, inclusive and human?
Academic Curiosity:
Learning Beyond the Exam
My academic journey was shaped by a lot of growth. I was not always the most careful or organised student; in fact, I still remember being an 8-year-old who could make mistakes with simple multiplication. But over time, I became deeply curious about learning itself such as how ideas connect, how subjects overlap, and how knowledge becomes exciting when we approach it with wonder.
I learned to enjoy studying by connecting ideas across subjects. Science, history, mathematics, business, economics and accounting were not separate worlds to me; they became pieces of a larger puzzle. I loved finding links between topics, applying theory to real life, and using curiosity as a way to understand things more deeply.
Teaching my classmates also became an important part of this journey. Before exams, I often helped my peers understand difficult concepts through quick explanations and crash courses. Those moments taught me something I still carry with me: teaching is not only about knowing something well; it is about translating ideas in a way that helps someone feel confident, curious and ready to take initiative in their own learning.
By the end of my school career, I graduated as the top academic achiever of my batch and a World Prize winner. Yet what stayed with me most was not just the achievement itself, but the discovery that learning did not have to feel like a cage. It could feel like a door opening... a way to explore, connect ideas and see the world more widely.
This academic foundation shaped my belief that learning should be active, connected and freeing.
"She possesses an exceptional combination of academic prowess, dedication, and a genuine passion for learning that sets her apart from the rest. Anagi’s intellectual curiosity benefits everyone in class, including myself. She consistently demonstrates a level of critical thinking that is rare among students her age. She actively engages in discussions, asks probing questions, and eagerly seeks to understand complex concepts. Her ability to grasp and apply difficult material has impressed me often." - Business Teacher
ACADEMIC TESTIMONIAL
Music:
Discipline, Expression and Human Connection
Music has been one of the strongest foundations of my life. Through piano, violin, singing, ensemble work and performance, I learned about discipline, patience, creativity, emotion and the courage it takes to express oneself.
My formal music journey included advanced performance diplomas in piano and violin, including LLCM Piano Performance, ATCL Piano Recital, and ARSM Violin Performance. I also had opportunities to perform, compete and represent Sri Lanka in international and community-based musical events.
But beyond the certificates and performances, music taught me how growth really happens. It showed me that progress is gradual, built through intrinsic motivation, passionate excitement, discipline, focus, feedback, repetition and the willingness to embrace mistakes.
Music also helped me connect more deeply with emotion and storytelling. Through performance, composition and ensemble work, I learned how to express ideas creatively, shape a musical narrative, and connect with an audience.
Music also showed me the power of connection. Whether I was performing, accompanying, composing, singing, leading a choir or playing in an orchestra, I saw how music could bring people together across languages, cultures and experiences.
As I moved into music teaching, these lessons became even more meaningful. I began to understand that a teacher’s role is not simply to correct mistakes, but to encourage courage and help learners build confidence, take creative risks and trust their own growth.
These experiences continue to shape how I think about learning today: as something emotional, expressive, disciplined, creative and deeply human.
Learning Through Community
At school, music became one of the first spaces where I experienced leadership as something creative and communal.
As President of the Music Circle, Leader of the Senior English Choir, Leader of the Western Orchestra, and Leader of the Sinhala Orchestra, I had the chance to work with students across different musical backgrounds. I helped organise performances, support younger students, assist with rehearsals, build team spirit and create musical experiences that brought people together.
One of the most meaningful parts of this journey was using music as a way to celebrate unity. Through concerts, ensemble work and collaborative performances across English, Sinhala and Tamil music groups, I began to understand how creative experiences can create belonging.
These leadership roles taught me how to guide a group, listen carefully, support different strengths, and create an environment where people feel part of something bigger than themselves.
Today, these lessons continue to influence how I think about facilitation, learner confidence, group dynamics and creative pedagogy.
Organizing my school’s first fusion music flash mob uniting Western, Eastern and Oriental musical traditions through student-led performance.
A performance that brought together my high-school’s English, Sinhala and Tamil music groups in one shared celebration of Sri Lanka’s diverse musical traditions. This project was one of my earliest experiences of designing a creative event around connection, culture and community.
“Anagi Gunasekera is one of the finest emerging classical pianists in Sri Lanka. On 3 consecutive occasions, the Board of Trustees of Lionel Wendt (Sri Lanka's premier concert hall for Classical music concerts) selected her to perform at "The Young Musicians at the Wendt" concert series. Anagi's performances have been a highlight at each concert due to her high musicianship, technical brilliance, and warm stage presence, which helps her to connect with her audiences instantly. In addition, Anagi has collaborated beautifully with other young musicians at these concerts, and has a reputation for being a caring artist who supports the musical development of other young musicians, on and off stage.”
- Admin Secretary, Lionel Wendt Art Centre
MUSIC TESTIMONIALS
Creative Making:
Anagi Creations and Visual Storytelling
Alongside academics and music, I was always making things. As a child and teenager, I loved creating handmade cards, digital posters, presentations, videos, models, cartoons, websites and small visual projects. What began as Anagi Creations was really my early way of exploring design, storytelling and communication.
I loved making things feel special - a birthday card, a presentation, a poster, a video, a small visual detail that could make someone smile or understand something better. At the time, I did not think of this as design practice. I simply knew that I enjoyed creating meaningful things for people.
Looking back now, I can see how this shaped my interest in visual communication design. It taught me that design is not just about making something look nice. It is about intention, feeling, clarity and experience.
That creative instinct still sits at the heart of my work today.
DIY CARDS
VIDEOS
Father's Day video 2024 - Words and video editing by Anagi
Goodville Camp 3 teaser video 2024 - Video editing by Anagi
CUSTOM GRAPHIC PRESENTATION DESIGN
WEBSITE EDITING
MODELS
HAND-DRAWN CARTOONS
DIGITAL
CARTOONS
DIGITAL
POSTERS
Dance:
Movement and Embodied Learning
From the time I was little, I have always loved dancing from ballet classes to school concerts, musicals and, more recently, contemporary hip hop classes for fun. Dance has been a joyful space for energy, expression and experimentation.
Looking back, I see it as another part of my creative-educational foundation. It helped me understand how learning is not only intellectual, but also embodied. Movement can build confidence, rhythm, presence, emotional expression and connection. These experiences continue to shape my interest in learning experiences that are active, playful, expressive and human.
What These Foundations Taught Me
Looking back, my academic, musical, creative and teaching experiences all point toward the same direction.
They taught me that:
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Learning should feel connected, not isolated.
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Creativity can make ideas more accessible and memorable.
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Music and the arts can build confidence, expression and belonging.
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Design can shape how people feel, think and participate.
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Movement can help us learn through the body, not just the mind.
These foundations now shape my current path as an emerging Creative Learning Experience Designer.
I am still learning, experimenting and growing but the thread has always been there: a love for learning, a love for creating, and a deep belief that education can be more human, inclusive and alive.