More and more, I find that money, fame, and power reveal people for who they are, not necessarily when they are in abundance.
It's more revealing when these things are scarce.
Not all wealthy people are heartless.
Not all poor people are saints.
Money Can Buy Happiness
Money can buy happiness.
I'm not sure what the debate is.
Have you seen and heard the delighted chuckle of a child when you buy him/her an ice-cream?
Have you witnessed the grateful smile of a service worker when you give them an extra tip (which, thankfully, isn't a custom in Singapore)?
Have you experienced the wide grin of a person in need when they are offered a sum of money to cover their daily necessities?
Is money the only way, the best way, the infallible way to happiness?
No.
But it is a way.
Let people find what they want, the way they want it.
Creative Businesses Are Still Businesses. Some Things Will Never Be Ideal.
I've learned a couple of things about creative businesses:
1) Never fall too much in love with what you create.
Though your clients may like what you do, they don't see, hear, feel like you.
At the end of the day, if they're paying, they'll want certain things their way.
2) Your work is worth what you think it's worth.
But if potential clients cannot or will not pay that, you have a problem. And you may be tempted to lower your prices.
This depends on you. If you're okay with it, and won't begrudge the lowered amount, then don't let anyone tell you that it's wrong to do so.
3) It will take time for you to be "discovered".
And it will help tremendously if you put yourself out there.
Some creatives may think that they will be sellouts if they go into the "debased" world of marketing, wheeling and dealing instead of coming up with new ideas and art.
But the only person who can truly represent what you do is you. And nobody will know what you're doing, no matter how good it is, if nobody ever sees or hears about it.
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If you're not willing to do the non-creative work or change the way you deal with potential clients, it will be better to keep your creative activities a personal interest or hobby.
That way, you continue to enjoy it for what it is, and never have to worry about "making money" out of it.
And that's fine, too.
Science and Research Have Trends Too. I Think It's Problematic. This is Why.
In view of the current pandemic, I imagined that there would be a surge of interest in the fields of microbiology and immunology.
And there was. To a certain extent.
Unfortunately, unlike about 15 years ago, biology and biotechnology are no longer ‘trendy’.
It’s most visible in the way the term STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is used by schools (in Singapore) today.
Today, it is almost always used to refer to AI, programming, and robotics.
And if this is what the students grow up with, they will continue to automatically associate STEM with these areas.
There is no doubt that these are important fields to advance in and educate the next generation in.
At the same time, I wonder why there is so much focus on them and so few resources dedicated to other areas of STEM - chemical sciences, biological sciences, etc.
And then, I heard a comment on a program on TV that mentioned that science, like all other fields, goes through trends. And this happens because the scientific landscape is heavily influenced by the mighty dollar.
Whatever makes money becomes what the scientific community is pushed towards.
This is why I have great respect for scientists who work in fields that are “non-money-making”.
Think scientists deep in the rainforests collecting and cataloguing beetles, or out for weeks at a time on research vessels peering at fuzzy screens for signs of elusive denizens of the deep, or maintaining and attempting to grow endangered plants.
They may be poking into the quantum mysteries of the universe, tinkering with substances to come up with better insulating material for jackets, even testing new ways of preparing bouncy, sustainable fishballs.
Some research seems mundane, others feel incomprehensible.
Whatever the case, I feel that science should really be less about money and more about exploration and testing.
Yes, by all means bolster efforts to advance in the "current" things, but give some coverage and attention to the other areas of science as well.
There are so many, you'll never run out of things to be awed by and fascinated with.