I guess since we're still on the subject of Zainudin Andika, I could share some thoughts on the so-called 'Doing things we love' ('Loving the things we do' deserves another post ;-P). And since this is still one of my earlier posts, I think this subject should be out sooner, before I write on other technical stuffs.
Two days ago, when I was driving our eldest daughter back from her tennis state selection, I popped her a question:
"So, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
She's 12, so obviously she had the answers all figured out. Well, we all did (I wanted to be a fireman, by the way). This is the year of the UPSR (primary school's first Real exams). It is the year where nervous young parents talk about which tuition centre is better than the other. A first 'real' test of your kids' intelligence. Or how how smart they are compared to their cousins. Or how smart they are compared to YOU when you were their age. Every parents want their kids to get straight As. Nowadays everyone everywhere got 5As it's already becoming a norm up to a level that if you don't get straight As then there's something wrong with you. I'm kidding.
But on another note, parents want their kids to get good grades so that they could get offered to better secondary schools. Why? They have better educational programmes there. So you can learn faster, get better grades than anyone else, and it's easier to channel you into universities. Of course you'd want to go to the university, it can help you become what you want to be, right?
So we came back to the question:
"I want to be a dentist, or a professional tennis player."
We have an amazing family dentist our kids look forward going to. Makes you realise that you don't have to become a teacher or preacher to inspire children.
Fair enough. That was easy.
I thought for a while, then turned to her and asked another question (for dramatic effects you can imagine that by now we are approaching a junction, red traffic light, I stopped the car and turned to her in 'Horatio' style - deliberate taking off sunglasses, medium shot, side profile view - you get the point):
"What do you want to DO when you grow up?"
She took a long pause, looking at the dashboard as if trying to find some answers scribbled somewhere. After a moment, she exhaled, looked to me and said: "Dad, that's a tough one".
Yup. Maybe I asked the question too soon. No worries love, have fun growing up!
------
We all had some sort of dreams of what we wanted to Be. Or Do. Or be doing (or in extreme cases - to be seen doing).
When I was 15 my dream was to become an architect. Why? Well, at that time I knew I love to draw. 'Everybody' knew I could draw. But to become a cartoonist, well, let's just say that that would be a tough choice to make back in 1988. People thought I'm smarter than that (by now we should all agree that intelligence actually comes in many forms. Painters or circus performers are no less intelligent than doctors or scientists. Try googling the 'Theory of Multiple Intelligences').
I went to a science college, and you're expected to become a professional. Becoming an architect was an obvious choice (at one point I told my career counsellor that I wanted to become a psychologist. She told me I came to the wrong school). It sounds cool too. At 24 I found myself working as a junior architect in one of the best architectural firms in Malaysia. I lasted 2 years in architecture.
So to speak - the dream came true. I wanted to be and architect, and became one. But I realised that there's something else that I wanted to DO. So I moved on.
I started designing websites for clients, making short presentation videos, designing logos and brochures - creative stuffs. Ten years later I'm still doing the same thing! And more! (video documentaries, photography, writing, to have the power to nap whenever I like...)
If there's one thing that architecture and doing documentary videos share, I think, is the creative process. And to begin with - both are studio-based. You don't work 9 to 5, or sit it alone in a cubicle. No. (They say that 'artists are not paid for his labour, but for his vision'). Both are creative-based, require a lot of out-of-the-box thinking, working in teams, and produce works (or works of arts).
Maybe the act of producing works ticks me.
In Malay I think it's called: Berkarya.
So it's not a matter of who I became, it's what I am now doing.
I wanted to produce works, good creative works.
I wanted to produce great-looking websites, thought-provoking posters, compelling brochures, emotionally-engaging documentaries, intellectually-satisfying reads, change the world.
I want to create. Berkarya. To produce works. And to keep doing them.
I think that's what Zainudin do. At 84 he's still making things. Throughout his life he was a watch-maker, political activist, dress-maker/fashion designer, carpenter, kompang-maker, artist, trainer and model citizen. Hasnol Jamal Saidon, once told me that cross-disciplines can create wonderful things.
I wonder if it really matters what I am (be), compared to what I do.
We are defined by what we do.
So when my father (who pretty much was unsure what I am for a good part of my adult life) asked me the question: "What are you/What have you become?", I had a tough time explaining to him.
I can't just say to him I'm a video editor, because I'm not just that. I can't say I'm doing advertising, because I'm not even close to that. Graphic designer? Can't - I do more than designing logos and brochures.
So I showed him one of my videos.
Then his face lighten up, "Oh, this is what you do!"
And surprisingly followed with "What can I do to help?"
Suddenly the video is a definition. Images that moves 25 frames per second, lasts 5 minutes, – defined what I do.
Maybe to him right now, I produce videos to help people and promote good values.
I'm happy with that. Tough for him though, he can't simply say "My son is an architect" whenever a friend asks.
Maybe, just maybe, our daughter too could take as long 35 years to show me what she wanted to do.
Well, I guess I'm okay with that too.
 |
| Zainudin Andika in his workshop, waiting to be interviewed. |
Two days ago, when I was driving our eldest daughter back from her tennis state selection, I popped her a question:
"So, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
She's 12, so obviously she had the answers all figured out. Well, we all did (I wanted to be a fireman, by the way). This is the year of the UPSR (primary school's first Real exams). It is the year where nervous young parents talk about which tuition centre is better than the other. A first 'real' test of your kids' intelligence. Or how how smart they are compared to their cousins. Or how smart they are compared to YOU when you were their age. Every parents want their kids to get straight As. Nowadays everyone everywhere got 5As it's already becoming a norm up to a level that if you don't get straight As then there's something wrong with you. I'm kidding.
But on another note, parents want their kids to get good grades so that they could get offered to better secondary schools. Why? They have better educational programmes there. So you can learn faster, get better grades than anyone else, and it's easier to channel you into universities. Of course you'd want to go to the university, it can help you become what you want to be, right?
So we came back to the question:
"So, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I want to be a dentist, or a professional tennis player."
We have an amazing family dentist our kids look forward going to. Makes you realise that you don't have to become a teacher or preacher to inspire children.
Fair enough. That was easy.
I thought for a while, then turned to her and asked another question (for dramatic effects you can imagine that by now we are approaching a junction, red traffic light, I stopped the car and turned to her in 'Horatio' style - deliberate taking off sunglasses, medium shot, side profile view - you get the point):
"What do you want to DO when you grow up?"
She took a long pause, looking at the dashboard as if trying to find some answers scribbled somewhere. After a moment, she exhaled, looked to me and said: "Dad, that's a tough one".
Yup. Maybe I asked the question too soon. No worries love, have fun growing up!
------
We all had some sort of dreams of what we wanted to Be. Or Do. Or be doing (or in extreme cases - to be seen doing).
When I was 15 my dream was to become an architect. Why? Well, at that time I knew I love to draw. 'Everybody' knew I could draw. But to become a cartoonist, well, let's just say that that would be a tough choice to make back in 1988. People thought I'm smarter than that (by now we should all agree that intelligence actually comes in many forms. Painters or circus performers are no less intelligent than doctors or scientists. Try googling the 'Theory of Multiple Intelligences').
I went to a science college, and you're expected to become a professional. Becoming an architect was an obvious choice (at one point I told my career counsellor that I wanted to become a psychologist. She told me I came to the wrong school). It sounds cool too. At 24 I found myself working as a junior architect in one of the best architectural firms in Malaysia. I lasted 2 years in architecture.
So to speak - the dream came true. I wanted to be and architect, and became one. But I realised that there's something else that I wanted to DO. So I moved on.
I started designing websites for clients, making short presentation videos, designing logos and brochures - creative stuffs. Ten years later I'm still doing the same thing! And more! (video documentaries, photography, writing, to have the power to nap whenever I like...)
If there's one thing that architecture and doing documentary videos share, I think, is the creative process. And to begin with - both are studio-based. You don't work 9 to 5, or sit it alone in a cubicle. No. (They say that 'artists are not paid for his labour, but for his vision'). Both are creative-based, require a lot of out-of-the-box thinking, working in teams, and produce works (or works of arts).
Maybe the act of producing works ticks me.
In Malay I think it's called: Berkarya.
So it's not a matter of who I became, it's what I am now doing.
I wanted to produce works, good creative works.
I wanted to produce great-looking websites, thought-provoking posters, compelling brochures, emotionally-engaging documentaries, intellectually-satisfying reads, change the world.
I want to create. Berkarya. To produce works. And to keep doing them.
I think that's what Zainudin do. At 84 he's still making things. Throughout his life he was a watch-maker, political activist, dress-maker/fashion designer, carpenter, kompang-maker, artist, trainer and model citizen. Hasnol Jamal Saidon, once told me that cross-disciplines can create wonderful things.
I wonder if it really matters what I am (be), compared to what I do.
We are defined by what we do.
So when my father (who pretty much was unsure what I am for a good part of my adult life) asked me the question: "What are you/What have you become?", I had a tough time explaining to him.
I can't just say to him I'm a video editor, because I'm not just that. I can't say I'm doing advertising, because I'm not even close to that. Graphic designer? Can't - I do more than designing logos and brochures.
So I showed him one of my videos.
Then his face lighten up, "Oh, this is what you do!"
And surprisingly followed with "What can I do to help?"
Suddenly the video is a definition. Images that moves 25 frames per second, lasts 5 minutes, – defined what I do.
Maybe to him right now, I produce videos to help people and promote good values.
I'm happy with that. Tough for him though, he can't simply say "My son is an architect" whenever a friend asks.
Maybe, just maybe, our daughter too could take as long 35 years to show me what she wanted to do.
Well, I guess I'm okay with that too.