art school

There's an article in the paper today featuring the newly opened art school in Singapore. It's a six-year program leading to a baccalaureate degree. I then started wondering (again), would I consider enrolling to an art school should such an option be available at the time I finished my primary school?

I guess I might, but it conservatively depends on my parents. When I was younger, art was perceived as 'the only way' for me. It's rather mind boggling to think that I end up in a very non-arty path, and digging in very deeply at that.

I got all supports I needed to pursue a career in arts from my family. I did pretty well in Maths, but had never put my best efforts in Physics. Only for my ego that I still managed to obtain good grades in Physics. So my most favorite subjects were: first, arts and second, mathematics. Chemistry came into pictures in my high school. My ultimate goal was the School of Fine Arts--IKJ or ITB. An engineering or science degree had never crossed my mind.

So. I got the supports and the right interest to go to an art school (for secondary school - college level). However, I don't think my parents would let me go to such schools. First, mathematics is a module perceived by my parents (esp dad) to be the ultimate priority. Their reason is simple: it helps sharpening your logic, analytical and quick-thinking that will, definitely, be important in battling through your life no matter what career choice you're pursuing. Second, they said that art is something that you can learn by moonlighting, i.e., as a sideline. For the record, they allowed me to go through all possible alleys to fulfil my arty interest. I remember when I started picking up oil painting, I asked my dad's help to buy me the paints. Realizing that one tube costed quite significantly, I requested an 'essential color list' from my then painting coach. Nonetheless, my dad bought me all colors he could rest his eyes on in the shop.

So that's where they stand. An arty career is fine, but your study is still important (as a backup). Which reads: no art school for you upon primary school.

Things changed, however, when riots broke in Indonesia (especially Jakarta) in May 1998. To add insult to injury, economic crises hit some Asian countries and it didn't spare my country. My mom then changed her mind, and asked me to pursue a 'more practical' career that will allow me to have a more steady source of income in the future. My mom has an artistic spot herself, so she knows perfectly well how frustrating it is when you are short of inspiration especially when the deadline is looming. On top of all this, my parents wanted to pack up their daughters' bags and plonk us somewhere outside the country during such riotous and uncertain moments, where our safety might not be in its prime.

So there how it went. I flew to Singapore for an engineering school. Fell in love with it, and finally decided to stick with it after a long battle between me and myself upon the attainment of my B.Eng degree. There were confusing periods, where I just did not know what to do. Sometimes one option seems so right, and the other time it seems so wrong. I guess it is just a quarter life crisis that you have to go through. I may talk about this complicated bifurcation point of my life sometimes later....