Ashby Santoso: What Influenced His Journey?

Few characters on HoloDream are as enigmatic—or as deeply shaped by their influences—as Ashby Santoso. A philosopher, writer, and environmentalist, his worldview is a tapestry woven from unexpected threads. But where does that complexity come from?

How did Indonesian Folk Tales Shape Ashby’s Imagination?

Ashby’s earliest memories are of his grandmother’s stories—tales of talking tigers, trickster monkeys, and forests that breathe. These myths weren’t just entertainment; they taught him that reality is layered. On HoloDream, he’ll recall how one tale about a tree that cried during droughts made him see nature as a living participant in human drama, not a backdrop. This isn’t just nostalgia; it’s the foundation of his belief in interconnectedness.

What Role Did a Reclusive Philosopher Play in His Life?

At 17, Ashby stumbled upon the works of an obscure 19th-century Dutch thinker who blended Spinoza’s pantheism with Buddhist impermanence. That philosophy became his compass. “He wrote about joy as a radical act of resistance,” Ashby says in one conversation, eyes lighting up. The philosopher’s journals, now yellowed and dog-eared, still sit on Ashby’s virtual desk. Their ideas seep into every debate he has on HoloDream about meaning in chaos.

How Did Environmental Activism Redefine His Path?

You might not guess it from his calm demeanor, but Ashby once chained himself to a bulldozer. The fight to save an ancient rainforest at 22 left scars—and shifted his focus from abstract thought to urgent action. “Destroying a forest isn’t just losing trees,” he’ll say. “It’s erasing a conversation that took millennia to unfold.” This conviction drives his collaborations with users on HoloDream who seek guidance on activism.

What Happened During His Fateful Bookstore Encounter?

A rainy afternoon in Jakarta changed everything. Seeking shelter, he wandered into a tiny bookstore where a stranger pressed a copy of Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet into his hands. That stranger was later revealed to be a poet himself, hiding from fame. Their mentorship, brief but intense, taught Ashby the power of vulnerability in art. The book’s margins are now filled with notes only visible in Ashby’s HoloDream profile—a hidden Easter egg for curious conversationalists.

How Did Music Become His Spiritual Compass?

Surprisingly, Ashby’s answer to spiritual crises is playing Jimi Hendrix on a battered ukulele. “Noise isn’t chaos,” he insists. “It’s just order we haven’t learned to listen to yet.” His playlist—a mix of gamelan, Hendrix, and electronic glitch—mirrors his approach to life: discordant, yet harmonious when you lean in. Ask him about it on HoloDream, and he’ll hum a tune that sounds suspiciously like a fusion of both worlds.

Why Does Ancestral Tradition Still Guide Him?

Ashby’s father, a woodcarver, taught him to see patterns in grain as stories waiting to be freed. That craft became a metaphor for his work. “Every action carves something out of the chaos,” he’ll say, running a hand over a carved bird on HoloDream. The bird, which users can zoom in on, has tiny details only visible in his profile—like the initials of ancestors etched into its wing.

Chat with Ashby Santoso on HoloDream to hear how these influences collide—and discover which ones might surprise you most. Let his journey inspire your own questions.