©2016 archemistinthemaking
Just a thought
Whenever I participate in networking events, I’m often asked how to get a job (in an architecture office).
Having spent almost two years finding work while trying to bury the envy I have of my peers – I know as well as anyone else, it came down to a combination of hard work, effort, the willingness to grow and a bit of luck.
But if you were to ask for a sincere answer, I would say, it was a matter of desperation.
Desperation.
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Recently, I found myself laughing sarcastically at a community member on the architecture forum puzzling on the lack of drawings in our media publication. As a frequent writer of architecture and design reviews, this has been something I’ve often asked architects whenever I’ve been delivered a press release package. Often, I’ll be given a couple of good sentences (at worst, a two-sentence project that had me go hunting at other publications to pull out details), and some lovely images of hero interior (and the occasional tired photo of a furniture piece that we know will later be questioned by the public on its practicality). While I absolutely adore the photographs being provided, I find that my writing does not excel as much as I’d like – especially when I’m looking at a set of press photos that only showcases one room when the promotional package explores several spaces.
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En route to Teshima (October, 2023)
The first half of the year felt almost non-existent, if anything it feels like I’ve found myself coming into life during the last four months of this year. A combination of burnout, stress from new responsibilities and unknowing life pressures came to fruition. That is not to say I have forgotten certain moments that occurred during the start of the year – I allowed romance into my life that led to disappointment, allowed new friendships to come into my life and accepted with peace that it is okay to let go some of the responsibilities that you’ve held onto for a long time.
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A few months ago, by coincidence, I was finally introduced to the world of ChatGPT – or in layman’s terms artificial intelligence. It was in a writing workshop, where our tutor who was running lessons on copywriting demonstrated how he uses the infamous function to assist with their writing. While many of us left the class with laughs, the humour quickly simmered down to a sombre tone when many of us pondered about our future in writing.
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Do You Believe In Astrology? (2016)
It took me nearly four years to finally grasp that feeling of wanting to design something for myself – where the direction, while guided and navigated by my peers, but towards the end came into fruition of something that I believe in.
Looking back at my architectural education – it felt like majority of my work was predominantly shaped by a combination of envy and the desire to feel validated for my design. A deep level of insecurity was sparked from jumping into another world without being aware of the lingo nor the terminologies others have been equipped with already. For me, coming from a school that prioritised final grades for reputation – it seemed like the only solution for me to understand or adjust to each semester was designing through the lens of my tutor.
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That Time Where I went to Tasmania to Sit with Sadness - 14 July, 2022
Captured on Minolta Riva Zoom 75w, Film - Fuji Superia Premium
I won’t deny that this year has had its various ups and downs. What felt like a year that was filled with starts and stops also felt like a year of wandering through a blanket of haze. There would be days when I wish time would slow down for me, and there would be days where I resented the slowness of time. I watched people whom I admire opening themselves to another avenue, while I am asking myself whether I am demanding enough to meet the expectations of myself at work. The dynamic of spectating others and their growth while struggling to witness my own was distinguishable – added the internal reviews asking me whether I am getting what I want in a relatively mentally fatiqued state made me wonder if I felt satisfied from those discussions after all.
Read MoreThe space was filled with a complete minute of silence when my colleague posed this question to me. Having giddily shared my freelance writing during idle moments at work, my colleague humoured me with a challenging prompt. To choose between writing or architecture initially felt like a demand to choose my favourite child…
Read MoreIt's an exhausting and ongoing cry for journalism when it comes to the treatment and portrayal of women in the eyes of men. So I would like to share with you a rant that I’ve had with my friends three years ago – one I was terrified of sharing publicly but now feel confident in sharing now.
Read MoreFor a K-Pop enthusiast who was first introduced to Girls’ Generation (SNSD), I thought it’d be fitting to write about SNSD’s comeback video. After all – who wouldn’t like to celebrate and reminisce on some of their highlights while sneaking in a tiny review of my thoughts on this glittery video?
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New self-portrait - Pro Create (2021)
It’s been a while since I’ve written here.
It’s also been a while since I’ve written another reflection piece for the public to read as well. (Currently I’m trying to rest my shaky hands because I was so close in winning in Hades - but unfortunately, I lost at the very last minute!)
Evidently, this year hasn’t been the smoothest for many of us - especially for those who’ve been jostled by the ins and outs of lockdown restrictions and being confronted with uncertainty that has been magnified more and more by the curveballs that we’re faced with everyday.
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