Sometimes, when you come across writing that describes what you've wanted to say for a long time, you just want to keep these words in a little treasure box, so that you can take them out again when you want to remember what your heart is telling you. Here is a piece I stumbled upon which sums up practically everything that I have learnt this year: She is defined by her past and by her own past alone, not by anybody else’s. She is defined by what she said and what she did, by what she … [Read more...]
Sunday
The Words That Move Out of Me
October 30th, 2011
I decided that when I went into full-time freelance writing/editing earlier this year, I had to overcome the fear of revealing my own voice. As such, I begun to write more of my "own things" and just forced on some shameless skin about showing these words to other people. I did this because I didn't want to forget why I love words so much, and I wanted to be bolder about self-expression and receiving criticism and/or rejection in order to grow. And I'm grateful for this little perk of … [Read more...]
Friday
Meeting D.
April 29th, 2011
I met D. at a writing workshop more than a year ago - she'd travelled all the way from Kuala Lumpur to attend this course. Whenever she read out her work, I'd suck my breath in, awed by the way she was able to put herself in the life of any person she chose to write about. It was soulful, it was brutal, it was poetic and so absolutely refreshing. It's not surprising then that D's been getting her short stories published in several anthologies with such a lovely writing voice. And when I ask … [Read more...]
Sunday
The Importance of Work
April 17th, 2011
Hello, I'm back from my long trip, and feeling all nice and recharged! While in Vancouver, I met two people who had been out of work for the past few months due to the economic recession - two extremely capable people both great in their respective industries but there was just not enough work going around. The situation really sapped their morale, and there was this sense of helplessness which I've never really seen here in Singapore. It is a structural problem at a societal level, and yet … [Read more...]
Saturday
The Things That Could Be
March 19th, 2011
Important Work Things are happening in the next two weeks and I'm so excited about the possibilities and the encounters. Of course, this happening period has to take place just before I leave for a pretty long trip, and there are also Deadlines to be met so I'm hoping I juggle things well. What's different these days is that I put the "lepak" (chill) things on my "To Do" list along with the work stuff. So long walks, meditation, tea with good friends etc. all have equal priority as the work … [Read more...]
Sunday
Mdm Goh
May 23rd, 2010
For most of the time, I like doing interviews. It's the only thing besides alcohol or sufficient sleep that can make me snap out of my shyness, and listening to other people's stories is always fascinating. Of course, there will always be interview subjects that one prefers more than others. And lately, I had one of those delightful interviews where I went back home with a goofy smile on my face. This article was for Schoolbag - MOE's education blog for parents, and it was about Mdm Goh, a … [Read more...]
Tuesday
Merry Perry & Other Blessings
April 27th, 2010
I have been in a pretty edgy mood this past fortnight because of an assorted range of decisions and conflicts which still remain unresolved. As a result, I feel very caught off balance and directionless, and haven't been the merriest of troopers. However, I think this period has made certain things clearer, namely: a) Who my good friends are - those who are genuinely concerned about my welfare (even as they go through a lot of busy or difficult things themselves) vs those who expect my life to … [Read more...]
Thursday
Review Bits
March 25th, 2010
The other day, a client described a fellow freelance writer and I as "passionate", which was a surprising term to hear since I generally don't possess a perky!energizer!bunny! demeanour that people typically identify with passion. Instead, this client had made observations about the little things we had said and done and gave us some encouragement. This incident has made me realise that practically all the clients and editors I've had to work with these past few months have been pretty … [Read more...]
Saturday
Quiet Corner
January 2nd, 2010
I generally dislike most pictures of myself, but I like this particular one because it manages to capture my penchant for quietness. We were going home after a particularly boisterous night of festive revelry and I'd had loads of fun, but I was also looking forward to rest and the silence of our home. It's a bit like the whole freelance writing thing. I love the work, but sometimes, I get overwhelmed with the logistics and anxieties. I realise that when this happens, there is a need to just zip … [Read more...]
Sunday
A Good Kind Of Busy
November 8th, 2009
I was talking to a friend who also went freelance around the same time as me (but in a different industry), and we both agree on how we seem to be so much more occupied than expected. My freelance fantasy involved daily contemplative walks in the park and breezy cycling during the weekends - sadly, I haven't been able to manage my time well enough to fit such routines into the picture yet! One thing's for certain though, this kind of busy is definitely a more lucid, productive kind of busy … [Read more...]
Friday
Another person to be grateful for
October 30th, 2009
This is Theresa - gutsy social entrepreneur, editor extraordinaire. I've learnt quite a bit from her these past three years in terms of telling compelling stories, coming up with snappy story angles, choosing the right interview subjects and managing clients. Working under her is always a blessing - have never met someone in a boss-type role so positive! affirming! enthusiastic! willing to listen! despite juggling a million and one things all at once. I think God blesses some people not just … [Read more...]
Tuesday
Encouragement
October 27th, 2009
Wena: "Next time we pose, it will be with Mel's book in our hands!" … [Read more...]
Friday
Fourteen Days
September 25th, 2009
I think it's been a semi-productive fortnight. Besides churning out web articles, I've also had some correspondence with a magazine editor that has got me a few short-ish writing assignments which I'll probably work on next month. The assignments are not rocket science, but it's a good international publication and I'm grateful to just get a tiny little pinky finger into it. There have also been some discussions on holding a few creative writing workshops for kids (should be interesting!) and a … [Read more...]
Sunday
The future is [insert blank]
August 2nd, 2009
I've been feeling a little edgy as my freedom day looms a little closer, this is especially so after I renewed a facial package yesterday and realised I may not have that kind of money for frivolities such as collagen eye treatments and Soyo facial masks in the near future. And the fact that I will need to part with even more dough this month for new software needed for the home office . There are also the classic symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome where I suddenly feel perversely sentimentally … [Read more...]