14/09/2023
I love this.
A lot of Asians think that art is worthless. That choosing art as a career path is akin to throwing your entire life away. To me, being able to create art, or to create anything at all is a gift. Not many people are born with a gift. To me, creating is the way one's soul is trying to speak. Many will try their best to hide their souls, to not let it speak, to not stand out from the herd, to blend in. Some are successful to the point where others wonder if they even have a soul to begin with. Asians are always taught to seek the path in life with the least amount of struggle. "Starving" is not an option, but to be avoided at all cost. A desk job, a 9 to 5 steady monthly income is the surest bet. But i would like to pose this question: What if struggling is what was meant to be for your life? That it is the journey you're meant to take. That your soul is meant to speak because you've been gifted with something many don't have, something that can't and shouldn't be boxed in. I've seen how my dad and aunt intentionally killed their natural artistic gift to seek a career in the corporate world. My aunt was a truly amazing batik painting artist. Her work was quite literally my introduction to the world of art. I was mesmerised by her work and would often just stare at her work in my grandma's house for long periods. And when people asked my dad and aunt about how their corporate job is going, they would often take a very deep breath and let out a defeated sigh.
Technically, I'm struggling with keeping my museum afloat. And it's a lot of work with no promise of any consistent returns. It's a passion project. An itch that needed scratching. A voice that needed a microphone. i abandoned a high paying corporate job to do this. And yes, "starving" does pop up as a big worry in my head often especially towards the end of the month when the monthly bills start piling up. But there is joy in what I do and there is true happiness in being able to share what I've created. Especially when i get a truly receptive and appreciative audience. This audience doesn't come every day, in fact, it doesn't come regularly. But when it comes, it's a joy to savour. And in all honesty, I've never been more alive than this period of my life right now.
