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Journal Archives - Page 2 of 4 - The Jar of Salt

Dec 17 2016
3

Thrive Amidst Your Chaos

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Letting go of the need for perfection takes a lot of practice. All the what-should-be’s, ought-to-be’s and all about the self not being enough.  It’s a habit learning to thrive in your own chaos.

It’s this gnawing dissatisfaction, nagging sense of not being able to tick of everything in my to-do and to-be list. But the year that was is coming to an end in less than two weeks, and I feel like I’m still running a race against myself.  Did I mention that I am my own worst opponent? A competitive heckler with a loud, loud voice.

Sometimes, in my obsession of chasing after a never-ending list of goals, I forget and overlook everything that I have achieved. It’s so easy to be ungrateful in the constant need of wanting more.  It was my husband who stopped me one day, and exclaimed “What the hell are you talking about?? Don’t you see how much you’ve accomplished in just one year?”.

And then it hit me.

In my constant need of wanting more for myself,  I realised I have been bestowed so many opportunities that allowed me to grow and flourish — as a working artist and most especially as a human being.

I’ve always thought I had none of that artist’s angst they speak of. But perhaps the creative process has led me to face my thoughts and emotions a bit more sincerely.

The discomfort.

The little aches.

The uncertainties.

The ability to forgive faults, mine and the rest of the world.

In all the mess of my daily endeavours and the awkwardness that comes with growing pains, I found my self.  Slightly rough around the edges but fully functional and equipped to make something of myself one day at a time.

Nov 22 2016
0

The Art Of Gratefulness

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If there’s one thing I learned over the years, gratitude is more than just being thankful in your heart or blurting out a perfunctory nicety. How does gratefulness hold all the pieces of my life and career together?

To be honest, I believe it’s something I tend to take for granted on many days and overlook in my so-called busyness.  Building an art career (or any career, for that matter) is not a one-woman job.  Whatever success I’ve achieved in my life is a result of an amalgamation of creativity, work and faith — mine and yours.

Being thankful, is not just a word or a fuzzy feeling. It’s really a lot of work and conscious effort.

How have I made gratitude real and tangible, really?  Hmm. Good question. Let me count the ways (5 of them, so far).

  • When I first started my art career early 2000s, there was no such thing as self-promotion because social media did not exist back then. Simply put, our careers back then relied mostly on traditional print and TV media editors.  I got lucky and writers sought me out on their own. All it took was one significant write-up in a major broadsheet to get the wheels turning.  Each time a local editor published something about my work, I always delivered a sincere hand-written thank-you note along with a small print or illustration.
  • Over time, whenever I would hit a  major milestone in my work, I would reach out to past establishments, writers and editors, to give them an update to thank them for helping me get a leg up and for giving me a chance to get my work out there.They didn’t have to do anything for me, but they did so because they must have found some value in what I do. And that is what I’m grateful for. I still touch base with many of them more than a decade later.
  • When I come across a book that has a profound impact in my life, I reach out to the bestselling author a letter via their Facebook page or email. I express how their words and insights have moved me in an unforeseen but magical direction.  Them writing me back is of no consequence to me.  But guess what? THEY DO.  Sometimes two weeks late if they’re very busy, but they write back a sincere note with an apology for their delayed response.  And they are equally thankful to hear from you and me.
  • When I used to work in the 9-to-5, I did the rounds of job interviews. And I went to a LOT! Like seriously, even the ones that may seem slightly off-tangent. But I believed in forming links through even the vaguest of job applications. Sometimes the interviewer would deem me unqualified/overqualified for the position BUT knew someone who needed someone like me.  He or she then passed my credentials to others which led me to eventually landing me a job. Every time I’d come out of an interview, I remember sending out a brief e-mail upon returning home (because back in the day you could only email from the home computer!), thanking them for their time and energy. It might not mean a lot, but it’s my way of acknowledging the other that I appreciate them for considering me worthy of their time at the very least.  Gratitude is also a skill to be practiced.  When I used to work in a PR firm, I was taught that all thank-you notes and responses after a correspondence, event or receiving something nice needs to be sent out IMMEDIATELY (no excuses nowadays with social media and smart phones!).  Now that I’m self-employed, I still continue this practice whenever I come home from any sort of  meeting, face-to-face or online,  results favourable or not. I say “thank you” not because I need to get something out of it, but I do it because I think the other deserves to hear it.
  • Finally, I count my blessings whenever I catch myself griping about something that is not up to par with my expectations.  When I catch myself in a spiritual snag, I blurt something out under my breath, sometimes struggling especially on days when things are going nowhere where I want it to. “Thank you for ____ ” or “I am grateful that ____”.  Yes, I whisper it out loud because I need to hear myself say it.  And it can be for anything, big and small, and the most trivial of things: from lying down on a comfortable bed, to having art supplies, to having all my faculties about and being  a fully abled and functioning human being, to having my husband and Jones on the couch with me, or the kind words someone shared with me that day. It’s easy to feel thankful when you get exactly what you want. The days that feel a bit more parched and wanting, however, are what I feel is the real challenge of my own sense of gratitude.

I think it’s also quite easy to dwell on what is not that it really takes will and conscious energy to embrace the is and the now.  The temptation to need and want abounds in many aspects of my life that gratitude acts as my anchor and beacon all at once, to shine the light on who and where I am supposed to be, which  is right here and now.

And that at this very moment, as an artist and everyday human being, I am gratefully enough.

Sep 29 2016
0

That One Person Who Told Me To Start

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A timely post written in an old blog waaaay back in 2010.

When my entire life was on part-time everything, juggling at least three jobs to pay my overhead,  and stalling with a very indecisive art career.  This post is about that one individual who opened my eyes to a world of exponential possibilities.  I don’t think we even have a photo together.

But this story is about her. This is Myra.

***

“So, wait. You’re not employed? How do you work, then?”

She beamed, “I’m freelance and set things up on my own.”  (This was the year 2000, and I had no idea what ‘freelance’ even meant!)

“That’s hard. I don’t think I can afford an office!”

“Darling, all you need to survive is a computer, internet and a telefax”, Myra said lightly and gestured as if she were touching the items around her.

“I don’t know. I don’t think I can ever do what you do.”

Myra’s eyes widened at my pessimism then burst out in laughter, that shrill sound like a crescendo of chugging machinery and sweet song as she emphatically said, “Go for it, girl!”

Back in 2000, I was only 23 when I met this embodiment of cheer known as Myra Lopez at a modeling agency we worked for. When I left, that was when she asked me out to coffee. She was the first freelance professional I’ve encountered at a time when it wasn’t even an option for many, and I  had no clue that such a thing existed. She was a writer (and back then I didn’t believe writing was a “real” job) and worked on various media projects. She was several years my senior and I respected her accordingly and was in awe of the energy she brought with her wherever she went.

My concept of freelance back then was tied to the idea of starving artists like Vincent Van Gogh who went mad.
 
I didn’t want to go crazy.
 

I also didn’t want to starve.

Myra eventually left for San Francisco but we kept in touch through email as I sailed through one institution to the next, with her writing me to visit should I happen to be in the neighborhood.  Over the years, I stuck it out at being employed but eventually found my niche in teaching ESL and public speaking.  Still, through time, I kept tabs as I hit each milestone of my life as I responded to her brief one-liner emails “Do you already have a boyfriend?” signaling that she was busy.

Last year, I realized that I subconsciously heeded her advice all along as I carved a name in the industry one stroke at a time. When I officially left cubesville to follow a more creative life, I sent her photos of my artwork sometime in 2005 to which she responded with lots of exclamation points, “I’m so happy you’re finally following your dreams!!!”

After not hearing from her since the time I received a Christmas post card from her at around 2006, I decided to dig up her last email and write her again early last year, to thank her for being that one mover in my life. Also, I thought that in the era of Facebook, she should be somewhere there.  But she was nowhere to be found online.

What turned up in my search, however, was the worst thing you’d want to read about  someone dear to you: an obituary.

 

I now find myself juggling teaching schedules with media-related writing and editing PR content, as well as conceiving creative concepts for design and scripts. Looking back, all this began when I met a friend long ago whose media career unknowingly inspired mine.

May the winds carry this borderless message of deep-felt gratitude to the heavens above, to thank Myra for telling me to use my wings and fly.  You are horribly missed.

 
***
Sep 19 2016
0

31 Things To Draw for INKtober

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I’m joining artists around the world in  a 31-day creative adventure all throughout October. It’s called INKtober, an inky illustration challenge started by Jake Parker in 2009.  It originally started as a month-long exercise just for his own practice. Last year, I chose to draw something I hated because it’s something I find hard.  So for INKtober 2015, I completed 31 faces.  I still have not decided what to draw for this year’s 31-day challenge, though.

 

My personal goal for INKtober is to repeat for 31 times one thing I typically won’t draw as a form of practice.  Here are 31 days of:

  1. trees
  2. flowers
  3. things around your house
  4. things in your office
  5. things in your kitchen
  6. dogs
  7. animals
  8. buildings
  9. faces
  10. book covers
  11. food
  12. stripes
  13. triangles
  14. circles
  15. illuminated numbers
  16. chairs
  17. shoes
  18. shapes
  19. kids
  20. toys
  21. costumes
  22. bottles
  23. glasses
  24. patterns
  25. windows
  26. dance
  27. sports
  28. robots
  29. aliens
  30. fish
  31. birds

*****

Sep 01 2016
0

How Does One Become A Professional Artist?

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People have asked me this: “How does one become a professional artist?”

Now that I look back, I realise that being a professional and working artist, with emphasis on “professional”,  goes beyond talent, imagination and skill.

sketchbook class

“My word is my bond.”

I picked up this principle when I worked in a bank. It is a phrase used by stock brokers on the trading floor, wherein agreements and financial transactions are made and delivered without signing any documents.  This is a value that was deeply ingrained in me ever since, and one that, I believe, makes me a valuable artist to work with.  As a working artist, it is important to be regarded as someone reliable and trustworthy, whether it comes to being punctual at meetings, responding to email messages quickly, following through on a commitment, and completing a project on or before the agreed date.

Language is of the essence.

When writing professional correspondence with clients, be mindful of your tone, choice of words and grammar. Emojis, smiley faces and LOLs are reserved for chat messages with friends.  I would also recommend to keep cute language and emojis at a minimum when responding on social media because nowadays, our chosen platform serves as a window to our work. This applies especially to the name or handle we assign to our social media accounts. So please think carefully and choose a name that can easily be spelled and remembered, and one that you feel reflects your brand best.  Finally, for as long as the purpose of the written transaction is about work, keep the language polished.  It will remind clients that they are working with someone who takes their work seriously.

Let your “office” reflect who you are.

Let’s face it. Not many of us will have workspace that clients will be able to visit.  With the internet, however, we are able to set up a virtual office, a room of our own, where people all over the world can visit at any time of the day.  Whatever platform we choose,  whether it’s Tumblr, Instagram or Facebook pages, it would be best to be mindful of the quality of our photos and the visual content that we post.  Keep the selfies, duckface and OOTDs to a bare minimum if it’s not relevant to what you do. Save the passive-aggressive quotes for your personal FB account.

Putting our best foot forward works to anyone’s advantage, which means going the extra mile with good composition, cleaning, adjusting the tilt or brightening of our pictures.

Uphold industry standards when stating your fees.

As a working artist, you get paid. And frankly, discussing money is perhaps my least favorite part about transacting art.  Good news though: it gets easier over time, I promise.  You eventually gain confidence in the discussing money as you learn to pick up financial language that is neither demanding or imposing.

But the most important thing for artists is to never undervalue yourself.  Please. To begin with, stop working for free.  Unless it’s a charity, an NGO or a cause that is close to your heart, you must get paid that is commensurate to your efforts.  Back in the day, we were at the mercy of industry movers for exposure in getting our name out there — simply because there wasn’t any social media available for us to do the work ourselves.

The promise of exposure as payment  does not work anymore in this era. Unless it’s some really high-profile client of massive proportions, or one that you think will be a fruitful springboard for your goals, exposure simply does not pay.

Be humble and grateful.

This is one practice I’ve done for as long as I can remember.  After meeting a potential client in person or over the phone, or when a project has been concluded, always send a message of thanks. This goes such a long way.

Thank them for their time and their effort to come meet with you.  Thank them for their ideas. Thank them for the experience.  To this day, I still thank the key people who gave me a break when I was just starting in 2004.  It makes such a huge difference simply saying ‘thank you’ for the opportunity to work together and for their support, big and small.

The world is small and things have a way of finding its way back to you. When you plant the seeds of kindness and exercise sincerity and goodwill, people will sense it and will be more than happy to pass your name to someone else.

Of course people will remember you for your talent, but being remembered for your character is simply priceless.

Aug 16 2016
0

The Art Of Swimming To Shore

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Some days are succulent, others a bit parched.

Today I feel the full pang of uncertainty.  And I absolutely hate it.

I am not a fan of being wishy-washy: in others and especially with myself.  It just hit me out of the blue.  The one thing about the creative journey I detest is its unpredictable nature.

I like plans. I like making lists. And I like crossing things out one by one. But sometimes, things don’t go according to plan. My plan.

Sometimes I think of so many things that I need to do that it actually tires me out. People think I’m especially hard on myself. And it’s true. I wish I could change that as well.

I’m the type of person who thinks in black and white. Grey areas I find rather annoying. But I guess life really is one massive grey patch in this entire universe.  I always thought I had a PhD in dealing with uncertainty but that doesn’t mean it gets easier each time.  It just reminds me this isn’t the first time I’ve had to deal with it.

Part of me feels like I’m running on empty, part of me feels like swimming against a riptide.  They say to swim against it will only prove fatal.

To survive is to stop moving.

Experienced divers told me  the only way out of an undertow is to stop flailing,  allow your body to relax and float, and then swim parallel to shore instead of fighting to rush towards it.

And the most important thing: don’t panic.

artist's workspace

So this is what I’m doing now:

  • I’ve finished my 3rd novel, including the last installation of Harry Potter (which is captivating by the way!).
  • I’m now on my third art book today.
  • I stare out the window and into the sea a bit longer than usual.  If it’s not so humid, I might even decide to walk there for a change.
  • I am going through other pilates exercises I haven’t done in a long time.
  • I just had lots of ice cream with a friend who came over today.
  • I’ve started answering letters from blog and Instagram friends.
  • I’ll write out some letters.
  • I’m gonna take a nap. I don’t take naps.
  • I will clean up my workspace.
  • I will spiral out and won’t make art this entire week.

I am doing nothing.

A lot of nothing.

And I will swim back to shore.

***

Aug 15 2016
0

5 Thoughts On “Art Inc.” And Why You Should Read It

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It took me a while to finish reading “Art, Inc.” by Lisa Congdon.  I bought this when it was released but put it down as I got distracted with other things.  Last week, I finally picked it up again and devoured its last pages by this morning.

art inc by lisa congdon

It’s for the working artist.

Simply put, all the ideas, options and possibilities for all forms of art are spelled out for any artist who wants to make a living off their work.  From licensing, illustrating children’s books to fine art selling, it’s all up to the artist to test them out and see what works best with your art.

It’s concise and comprehensive.

The flow of content is very easy to follow. The tone is friendly and language of writing is pretty straightforward. It makes it easy to digest all the information one page after the other. The book is rich with the author’s personal experiences and thoughts as a flourishing artist, so it makes the written ideas very, very real for the reader.

The testimonials are a source of encouragement.

The book features 20 interviews with artists of different fields.  I absolutely love hearing and reading about other people’s lives and how they carved their creative path, what worked and what didn’t.

The layout.

The aesthetics of the book affect my way of reading.  The main reason I put the book down was my vision had a hard time adjusting through the lengthy content on portions of red-orange pages and orange-on-white pages. I managed avoiding the strain by reading only in natural daylight, and not under a lamp. It changed everything and I sped through the book effortlessly thereafter.

The list of resources.

Lisa Congdon makes building a career out of art a concrete experience ,  as she  thoroughly  lists down specific resources: from conferences, galleries, printers, residencies, etc.  I think this is the part about the book I love best because it gets the ball rolling and gives you a specific starting point and orientation.  

I am so glad I got a copy for myself because it filled in a lot of gaps and opened my mind to the vast ways of doing things across the multitude of  art fields and personalities there are in the world. I honestly believe both the established and neophyte artists have so much to gain from reading this book!   “Art Inc.” is a great source of inspiration, a bubbling well of ideas and a fantastic instrument to get the wheels of your mind turning and makes you want to get off your seat and do something right now.

***

 

Jul 27 2016
1

So You Didn’t Go To Art School

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Well, neither did I.

And that’s okay.

Because it never stopped me from doing professional work as an artist.

Gosh, my head is bursting  with thoughts and ideas that it’s actually paralyzing so I’m gonna clear some cobwebs and all the clutter in my head by writing this out.

Or maybe… I’ll just bake bread?

Okay, fine!  I’ll write.

I’ll write.

So I finished with a degree in BA Psychology and if I had to live my life all over again, I would still choose to spend my four years researching, experimenting and reading all things Psychology. The one thing I would change, however, is that I would take non-academic art classes outside of university and start the actual doing of art immediately, and not procrastinate for 7 years (12 years, if you include the creative block).

Throughout my life, inside and outside of school, I’ve always been regarded as an artist, probably even before I could write.

But to be a working artist?

That was never an option back in the day. In fact, it wasn’t even considered a profession professional enough.   I was told that I would finish my degree and I was, in a way, pretty much expected to work in a “good” company where I would also retire.

Thinking about it, the idea just leaves a funny taste in my mouth.

However, I happily finished my Psychology degree, one which I enjoyed thoroughly and continue to be passionate about. But I’ve worn many hats since I finished school. Eight hats, if I’m not mistaken.  I have worked full time in a high school, a modeling agency, an international bank, a boarding school, a PR agency and  eventually juggled freelance art  with part-time hours in a modeling school and even a culinary school.  I also did food writing for some time which led me to start a food blog (hence, jarofsalt.com), and even had a radio stint for month as a news announcer. Heck, I even got certified to teach Stott pilates  two years ago.

Yet in all those years, I never really stopped making art. Whether it was made for myself or commissioned by a client, art was always my natural groove.

To eventually do what I really wanted to do (a late start at 27) and do art professionally was met with labels, resistance, that I was rebelling and that I was lost.

On the contrary, committing to make art as a profession was when I truly found myself.

colorful jars of paint

So, now what? You want to do art but there are probably a million and one reasons to not make art. But should the lack of art degree hold you back?

I think not.

In the era of the internet, there are so many ways to invent and reinvent yourself.

How does one become an artist in this day and age, then?

1. Be and Make.

It’s hard to be an artist if you’re not making anything at all. This makes sense, doesn’t it? Don’t pressure yourself, though.  No one expects you to make the next Sotheby-worthy masterpiece tomorrow (but feel free to do so if you can!). Start with doodling on the margins of your books. Make circles on your notebook. Draw a flower. ANY flower. So really, the first step to calling yourself an artist is to be one.

And that starts with making.

2. Commune.

I’ve spoken of my creative block many times over but what was the first step to break the ice?

I joined WordPress in 2011 and started blogging.  When I first joined WP five years ago, I lamented about the lack of art in my life.  Then one post led to the next, one comment after another.  And it got the ball rolling.  I managed to produce my first sketch after five years.  And things started rolling ever since.

There are also so many creativity, sketching, drawing and art groups on Facebook. I suggest you type in those words and see what shows up and resonates with you and your preferred medium. Discussions can be amazing, so much to learn, and sometimes all you need is a regular art challenge to get the juices flowing.

With social media, you can also follow artists who inspire you.  Many of them are active in real time.  Comment or write them an email.  Many of them will happily respond, you’ll be surprised 🙂

3. Learn.

The very first art class I took was for pottery, in 2006. And one of the things I did to break the ice after my creative block later on was to take another live class as well. This time it was for  printmaking. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel motivated or challenged enough in class 🙁 So I hope to revisit this someday as I still have a lot of printing ink in my work room 😮

I also tried my hand (literally) in calligraphy .  It’s a skill I thought I can never learn (or even enjoy!) because of my messy penmanship. But with proper instruction and like-minded people, it can be done.  My calligraphy obsession was short-lived but it lead me to Instagram to share my work.

And my social media life has never been the same ever since 🙂

Also, thanks to the internet you can learn all sorts of creative things from the comforts of your own home.  Check out online art classes from Creative Bug, Skillshare and even Lynda if you’re doing digital.  Also, find other artists to follow because many of them give online instruction.

There are a lot of free classes out there so maximize them, especially on YouTube.  However, I highly recommend saving and spending on some of the paid classes because quality education is truly worth having, no matter how small.

4. Read. A lot.

I haven’t read fiction and novels in years but I constantly buy art and design books. And magazines! Even though some of them are more expensive than a book.  And that’s because fine quality art and design magazines are produced with the content direction of a book.  Frankly, I don’t like reading highly visual material through a screen because  I’m a tactile reader and I like making notes and marks as I use them for reference as I work. Look for inspiring publications like Flow, Uppercase, Frankie and Anorak.

I remember a successful artist who told me to invest in art books. The more, the better. I whined, “It’s so expensive!”.

His reply was simple, “Why, how much do you think  would you have spent if you went to art school?”

That moment changed my perspective forever.

5. Promote yourself.

Before  online everything and social media, I found  art circles to be very cliquish. I still do, to be honest.  When I started in 2002, everyone was at the mercy of print editors to get your name and work out there. It was so hard to reach out to editors and it usually helped to have someone refer you first.  Yes, I’ve done cold calls to media heads back in the day and they proved to be very fruitful.  It was only when my art started to circulate among publications that my career kicked off.  Eventually, editors and producers were the ones requesting  to work together.

Nowadays, it’s so different. If you post your work on Facebook or Pinterest, friends can easily share your work. Before you know it, one thing leads to another and then you blink: your art is already out there.  Know this however: promoting myself makes me feel icky. But it has to be done and you will find a voice that you will eventually be comfortable with without being in-your-face salespitchy. 🙂

Not all platforms work for everyone, though. Some find their voice in Twitter, others on Pinterest. Many on Facebook.   In my case, Instagram is the one that catapulted my work and helped instil a structure in the way I do things creatively.    If you’re trying to build a system to strengthen your social media presence, check out this course by Melissa Camillieri.    I highly recommend it, seriously.

Sit on this and think about what you want to do with your art, whether you want to be paid for your services or simply want to do it for your own pleasure. Heck, you don’t even have to share it if you don’t want to.

But whatever you do, start small.  Be it a nicely-written grocery list, drawing random stick people on the corner of the newspaper, adding color to a homemade cookie, a hand-written postcard for a friend, a practice stitch on a sample cloth, or even just splattering paint on a piece of  paper for no reason at all.

What matters most, I believe, is to just make.

Jul 06 2016
1

What Happens When You Commit To Your Creative Process

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In one of her talks, Lisa Congdon mentioned a “painting curve” which looks like the letter “U”.  My process EVERY SINGLE TIME: start with giddy excitement as I begin with the first strokes and slather the first layers of color then midway I just want to hurl it against a wall or rip it to shreds because it starts to look nothing like what I see in my head.

 

But only recently I learned to soldier on through that uncomfy, awkward and antsy phase instead of chucking it in the bin. In the end, there is that sense of accomplishment in concluding a piece, even if I’m not always 100% happy with it ?

 

And this is what a sketchbook looks like when you commit to that process: every single page covered with complete illustrations, no ripped pages whatsoever.

An entire sketchbook that I finished intact end to end.

I learned the full meaning of one word when I used to go wall-climbing: commit.

Whenever I would hit a snag and hesitate and shout “I can’t! Bring me down!” to the one belaying from below, he would shout back “You kidding? Just commit!”.  Even other climbers nearby would chorus the same thing and shout “Commit! Just commit!”.  I quickly learned  that what they were telling me was simply this: Do not hesitate. Let go and release the grip of one hand so you can reach up with the other and move along, flailing and all.

So today, I apply the same principles in soldiering through my creative process.

Simply commit and allow yourself to be pushed in the direction your work is taking you.  Yes, there will be a lot of discomfort  but it’s an artist’s form of growing pains.

 

 

Jun 22 2016
0

How Do Schools Kill Creativity?

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“Do schools kill creativity?”

When I first heard the profoundly entertaining words and witty perspective of Sir Ken Robinson, I almost cried. I post my creative process for people seeking their place in the sun, imperfections and all. Here is a man who said it all for me.

People’s unhappiness and confusion can be attributed to a general educational system that kills creativity, according to Sir Ken Robinson.

I remember how I used to get very mediocre grades in 4th grade, simply because I couldn’t remember the myriad of names in the muscular and skeletal system. I also recall how I was sent to the guidance counselor during my senior year because my teachers were concerned that I was not paying attention, that I was always, as they would say, “spaced out”.  I also needed to draw in my notebooks so I could understand what’s going on, and survived school by getting bonus points with my drawings in reports (Kids, back then we had no ClipArt gallery and no Google images!). The only reason I liked Math was when I got to draw shapes, angles and graphs using colored pens but I still almost failed anyway.

My math skills only improved when I started earning my own money after university, and my intelligence in science kicked off as soon as I started mixing artist’s solvents and when I started baking bread. I was also a late bloomer as a reader because I only liked Tintin comics, and colorful books with lots of pictures. I cheated through my book reports by spinning off stories from the summaries at the back (which my teachers saw through!).

Sir Ken Robinson raises an interesting point: that professors shouldn’t be the hallmark of success or intelligence because most of the time, they live in their heads. We have an educational system that works on everything waist up. Everything academic, everything cerebral is given much weight. He also mentioned that in 30 years, degrees will probably be useless and obsolete.

I actually believe him.

He mentions back in the day a diploma guaranteed him a job. Now, you need an MA because the BA isn’t good enough. The jobs that require the MA now need a PhD. He observes that you now have a bunch of people with sparkling degrees who stay at home andplay video games all day.

So now what?

As expected, I was never encouraged to be an artist or a writer because they said I will starve for the rest of my life. As a former educator in a mainstream school, I felt bad when students with mediocre grades in major subjects are regarded as a big joke by no less than the teachers themselves. I joined the educational system in hopes of finding students who are just like me and do better in their lives sooner than I did.                                                    

Although I became a working part-time artist at 27, I stopped a few years later when I hit a creative slump, riddled myself with debilitating self-doubt and one colossal creative block that spanned almost 5 years.   It was only in 2012 that I gratefully picked myself up, and rebooted my art career.  At almost 40, I have just begun working once again as a professional painter and artist.

And a full-time artist. Finally.

He also shares the extraordinary story of Gillian Lynne, the famous choreographer of “Cats” who was considered a below-par student who kept fidgeting and lacked focus. She was brought to a doctor by her mother to be examined for behavior. Her mother narrated Gillian’s “problems” to the doctor. Later on, the good doctor asked the mother to step outside with him so they could discuss privately. He turned the radio on and left the room. Then, he told Gillian’s mom to look inside the room to see Gillian dancing to the music playing all around the room. He advised her to send Gillian to a dancing school: “Your daughter is a dancer. Send her to a dance school.” And when she went to dance school, she saw everyone was just like her — kids who had to keep moving in order to learn.

Let the children dance, sing, cook, paint, sculpt, write and whatever it is that makes their hearts sing. People are not machines where data can simply be encoded, programmed, controlled and re-calibrated. We have feelings, we can taste, smell, hear, feel and see things.

If only we let the child’s imagination, senses and creativity flourish, change everywhere will be massive.

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