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Here comes another snippet of “Entrepreneurs in Singapore”! As you all know, this series is aimed at introducing the different and less spoken of entrepreneurs in Singapore, and to share their struggles and stories in making it in Singapore.
We’re in for a special one today, though! One of our readers contacted us after reading our dummies guide for creative individuals in Singapore and we had a rather invigorating blind chat with her. She’s still a student but we felt that some of her opinions were rather interesting and worth sharing with all of you! Who knows? You might just find a bit of you in her!
Oh hey! Aren’t you the waitress from Precious Bak Kut Teh?
Ehhh… Yes.
So… you mentioned that you read one of our articles. Any opinions on it?
Well, I do have my disagreements with it but I felt that there were some points in it that resonated with me. One of it is that it’s fairly difficult to survive in Singapore as a creative individual – not so much financially but in terms of a personal identity.
Mmokay. Tell us more about yourself!
I am from a Chinese-speaking family. I was from an Express course in high school. It sounds nice, I guess, but the school was geared a whole lot more to Mathematics and Science rather than the Creative Arts.
Well, since you felt that you could relate to parts of the article and you identify as a creative individual, what do you want to be?
From a young age, I’ve always wanted to go into the creative field, particularly in the areas of film and drama. My dream when I was younger was to be a (fabulous) actress. But now that I’ve grown older and had a whole lot more time to think and mature, I’m more inclined towards scriptwriting and directing – something that gives me more room to express what I think and believe in to the world.
What made you want to get into this field?
I’m very fascinated by the way people think and operate in the given environment. I’m also very interested in the life stories of people I come across. I want to be able to explore the backstory and lessons of the lives of people and to be able to express that. I also want to be an avenue for people to be able to have their unspoken stories told. I think that’s very important in a world that judges a lot on appearances and first-impressions.
Would it be fair for me to say that you hope to make a difference in this world by doing that?
Yes! I want to be a change-maker in the world.
So where are you at in your life right now?
I’m waiting to enter into university and that would be a very big change in my life. From young, I’ve always been in schools that were very much into Mathematics and Science, and my family was not very supportive of my dreams (initially). Due to this, I’ve never really had the environment to explore on the more creative stuff. I met some friends within other aspects of the creative industry and they encouraged me to pursue my dreams. So, for my course, I chose one in the Film Faculty in Laselle. This will be my first major stepping stone into achieving my dreams. To be honest, I’m a little nervous and REALLY excited.
I’m sure you’ve thought a lot about this, having not had much chance to ACTUALLY explore this path till now. Any future plans after Laselle?
Hm… I guess I’ll put some major thought after getting into the swing of things in Laselle and getting some experience. I’ve done a few scripts before and I’m looking at starting a YouTube channel to give air-time to videos that I create. That, or social platforms.
One of the few instances that’s actually true!
Ah, okay! The big question: What do you feel, personally, are the main challenges of being a creative individual in Singapore?
Probably the cultural atmosphere in this country. This is a very pragmatic and fast-paced society. I’m not going to make a huge sweeping statement on everyone but from quite a lot the people that I’ve encountered, most are not open to the Arts. Most (probably) either don’t have the time or don’t think of pausing to appreciate whatever moment they’re in. That kind of puts Art (or The Arts) on a very low level on the scale of importance. Which then adversely affects how people view artistic creations in Singapore.
Do you think this situation will change anytime soon?
From what I see, the trend is moving fairly slowly towards The Arts. I wish it was faster but at least there’s a glimpse of hope.
What practical things can be done to help people like you in Singapore?
The most practical thing would probably be funding.
Tasty image from franklymydearstarlet.files.wordpress.com
I see! I see! Since you aspire to be a script-writer, let’s see how creative you can be! With these two words, come up with an idea: Panda + Shampoo.
…wut?
You’ve heard me!
(thinking)
A panda who tries to buy the perfect shampoo because he wants to look extra good for his hot date. However, he can’t decide on which one to buy because he has black and white fur due to the many kinds of specialized shampoos.
(We had to pause to laugh at the resulting mental image.) Well, that’s quite an idea! Any last words?
I guess it’d be nice for people to take time to get to know us, listen and stop for a moment to try and appreciate what Singapore’s people can actually create.
Well, that’s quite an interview! Take a moment to let that sink in while you press the like button, comment and share! Till next time!
