1. I didn’t say that. What I really meant was that artists tend to be part-timers. We of course have successful full-time artists, like the ones you have cited. I didn’t mention them because, unfortunately, they slipped my mind as I typed the essay. But, I did mention that we do have full-time artists; one need only look at the following line and deduce from there.

2. I didn’t say that part-timers were inferior. I myself don’t care about whether or not artist X is a full-timer or a part-timer; I only care about the quality of his work. If he’s a genius, I’d say so; if he were bad, I’d also say that, without pulling any punches. I advocate having more artists in this essay; I don’t care if they’re full-timers or part-timers, so long as they are great.

3. I agree. In my essay, too. I didn’t say that artists should be confined to Singapore; I’m just outlining the problems they face here. I myself advocate that artists in Singapore should go regional/global if they want to, and have the opportunity to.

4. Yes it is. Also, I made no references to the Government here, where artists are concerned. So what are you disagreeing with?

5. This point didn’t come across as clearly as it should have been. I wasn’t referring to Singapore, or I would have used ‘Singapore’, not ‘country’. In fact, I would have cut out that sentence altogether, had I not missed it during personal proofreading. It would have clarified things. It was supposed to be something along the lines of: we won’t have a nation, and the people of a country wouldn’t have the mindset to create this culture as well. Looking back, that sentence seems kind of awkward, and I would have cut that point had I the opportunity to. Myself, I believe that people of all kinds aren’t naturally predisposed to critical thought: among other things, this requires an excellent education system, opportunities to exercise intelligence, and motivation, before people of any kind would start thinking critically. As for your elaboration, I can, in fact, say that your statement is itself ’sweeping and inaccurate’, unless you can provide some kind of proof.

Have fun, and enjoy yourself there. But then, I always believe that the experience of one person is so unique that all we can draw is inspiration; we cannot take their lives and replicate them step-by-step to become successful full-time artists ourselves.

You’re welcome. I’ve always felt a giant disconnect between the education system and the real world, made worse by the fact that my teachers don’t tend to reference the real world some times. So, I find myself going beyond them, and into the world in itself.

I started my post with the line “Entrepreneurship is a state of mind. – Guy Kawasaki.” Thought that was similar to what you’re saying.

I appreciate your post, but because it is a thought provoking post I disagree:
1. Not all artists are part-timers; we already have successful full-time artists
For example, we have full-time filmmakers, we have full-time visual artists. Colin Goh+Woo Yen Yen and Tan Pin Pin in filmmaking, John Clang in photography, Phunk Studio in graphic design, they are all successful and full-time.

2. Part-timers are not necessarily inferior. We need more part-timers
Ken Lyen, a “part-time” player in our Singapore musical industry, hopes to bring our musicals one day to Broadway. Why can’t people be a doctor AND an artist? Do artists have to be full-time to be any good? If we want a culture that really appreciates the arts and a vibrant scene, we need more part-timers.

3. The arts scene is globalized, and increasingly so
Singaporean artists don’t have to be confined to Singapore, and shouldn’t be.

4. Singapore government is increasingly seeing the monetary value of the arts, and supporting the arts
Mainly because the government realizes that creativity is an important aspect of our economy in the future. I’m not passing a judgment if they have the right approach, I’m saying they DO realize and are supporting with money the arts. “Singapore – “The Creative Economy”

5. Singaporeans are “not naturally predisposed towards critical thinking.” What???
Woah, such a sweeping and inaccurate statement.

On March 24th, I will be attending “DiaS’pura” held at the Univ of Penn. Full-time artists (I hope we’re broadly defining them the same way) like filmmakers Colin Goh, Djinn, Li-Anne Huang and photographers Jing and Yian Huang will be there. Perhaps they, having been through the process, would be able to tell us how they became full-timers.

Thanks for your post – good to know you’re educating yourself outside JC stuff.