My colleague, Yvette Hyater-Adams and I have been in Singapore for the last few days having come to present a workshop on Creative Leadership at the NTL Festival of Learning. On our first morning here, Yvette woke a few hours earlier than me and I found her sitting on the terrace searching the web to find the places and organizations in which she could find Singapore’s artist communities. She found to her surprise and dismay that Singapore is a country that does not have many easily accessible informal or formal spaces for artists. In fact, when doing some research on culture in Singapore, we came across what the Singaporeans call the “five C’s” which they jokingly use to define success: Cash/credit card, Condo, Club membership, Car and Career.
We were taken aback and saddened by this. In talking with a number of people here, they stressed Singaporean’s strong pragmatism; young people are encouraged to study the hard sciences so they can get a good job and make money. We were concerned, therefore, about how participants in our workshop (individuals who either work in major corporations or run their own businesses) might react to our use of poetry and creative activities. What we experienced yesterday, during the first day of our three-day workshop, was profoundly moving. In our first activity, we used the poem, Where I’m From, by George Ella Lyons, as a template for participants to follow as they wrote about where they are from. When we do this activity in the United States, there is usually one person who prefaces the reading of what they wrote with a disclaimer about their inability to write poetry. Here in Singapore, every participant did so. They then proceeded to read powerfully moving pieces of poetry that were lyrical, beautifully written and, in many cases, filled with sadness. A number of individuals shared stories of the weight of family responsibility and lost childhood.
We found the artists. They are tucked away and hidden by the strong societal pressure to be pragmatic and succeed financially. Our participants exhibited an entirely different set of Five C’s: Creativity, Calling, Caring, Connections and Community.
What are your Five C’s? Where is the artist in you?
Wow!! Wonderfully presented. Having been there… and…. experienced the process – the first time for many of us perhaps, it was a great journey of discovery. Thank you both – Deb and Yve
Venkat,
So wonderful to hear from you! Hoping to see you at the NTL Festival of Learning next year in Goa, India. :-)
That’s a terrific story and well presented. What a great opportunity for artists – to work in a culture where people may be only beginning to experience of the power of art – as a tool for personal liberation. Kudos to you both!
We have to applaud this generation of Singaporeans, who grew up with their parents guiding them on the virtues of hard work. We could have been a failed country with much poverty if not for this focus on our priorities.
For what our generation have given up, we are giving it to our children, to bring out the artists in them and to help them realise their dreams. Two of my children are in artistic pursuits, one to make a living from it. The third is grounded in ensuring firm financial grounding and she is certainly not forgetting the beauty and pleasures of art, ocacasionally making her contribution to support artists.
Yes, the artist is in all of us. Just need the right time and the right people to support its appearance. Thanks to you, Debs and Yvette, for facilitating this process!
Keng Choo
Singapore
Keng Choo,
Thanks for making it all possible by hosting the NTL Festival of Learning!
Hugs,
Deb
Great to hear from you Summer.
Hello Deb
In the 80s when I first started work .. : ) .. the priorities were indeed kind of the 5Cs .. Cash, Car, Condo, Country club (to be exact as the prices of membership just went up and up ) and Career…
But now .. as Singapore progresses over the years.. I would say the 5Cs has evolved … to Compassion, Courage, Care & Concern plus Creativity ..
Perhaps it is one’s phase in life .. as we grow older .. like wine . we get better !
It was great to have had the chance to cross paths with yourself and Yvette .. I am now in Shanghai ..having just checked in …
And indeed ..ha ha ..there are artists in each and everyone of us ..
Have a great week ahead ..
cheers!
Peck Hoon
Peck Hoon,
It was fabulous crossing paths with you too. Have a great trip in Shanghai.
All the best,
Deb
As always full of great revelations.
Renaye
Thanks Renaye.
Greetings Deb,
Thanks very much for this beautiful, uplifting piece! I absolutely believe that whether it’s manifested in this life or not, everyone is an artist. It sounds like your work had a wonderful impact on people; congratulations!
Warm Regards,
Michael
Greetings to you, Michael. I agree. Everyone is an artist and it is always a blessing for me to be able to witness the artist in someone manifesting and blooming.
It was indeed a revelation to me..that I was not only able to appreciate but also write a poem. Had never even imagined it!
I also cherish the moment when i read my poem to my 9 and 11 year old kids…and see the quiet wonder in their eyes.
It also struck me about the role reversal..all i wanted from them was” just 2 minutes of real listening”. I guess they want exactly that from us “busy parents” when they share their art and learnings
Thanks Deb and Yvette!
Shefali,
So glad your children enjoyed your poem. Another wonderful thing about writing poetry is that it gives us a chance to listen to ourselves and hear the voice inside us that is often drowned out.
Deb, Yvette,
I believe all of us our gifted in one way or other to be an artist in our own way it just requires realization and support to vent out and shape up our creative pursuits
On the C’s, I choose a combination of both the pragmatic and the human connect cs.
That should be a deadly combination, though will need hugh doses of creativity to create the recipe:-)
Uma,
I have no doubt you have all the creativity you need to create a successful recipe!
Deb,
Thanks for sending me the link to your blogpost. Time and time again, I see the opening of people as they delve into their artistic selves. I am personally experiencing my own renaissance back to my artistic self through a program called The Innovation Institute (part of the McColl Center for Art). My participation is in preparation to facilitate the program next year. The flow that has come to me by consistently practicing self expression in various forms has been earth shattering. I’m so glad you and Yvette are doing this work. Sounds like Singapore needs more of it, I need more of it, the world needs more of it! I’m grateful for you both! My five C’s: Creativity, Consistency, Character, Connection, and Compassion.
Anna,
Love your five C’s. It is wonderful how engaging in creative and artistic activities can be so sou enhancing, isn’tit?
Hi Deb,
Thanks for writing such an insightful piece. I would have liked to have been able to attend. I would also have been one of the participants who opened with a disclaimer.
Tony,
And you would have been one of the participants who wrote a beautiful moving poem. : )