Have you explored any forms of creative expression on your own? How was the experience?
Recently, I picked up Latin dance as a co-curricular activity in university. Through dance and music, I am slowly finding ways to express myself. I would say joining the Latin dance club in my school has really made me step out of my comfort zone because I have never ever danced before prior to joining the Latin dance club. I am usually quite a reserved person but I realised that dance brings out another side of me that is more confident and in touch with my own body and movements.
What is one new skill you have unlocked because of your internship experience?
One of the new skills that I have picked up during my internship is creating an IG filter! When I was first given this project, I had to learn how to use the Spark AR software from scratch. As a tech noob, this seemed so daunting to me. Although I struggled a little with it at first, I managed to learn how to navigate the software through the YouTube videos that Joyce, my supervisor, has shared with me. When I finally managed to create an IG filter, I gained a huge sense of satisfaction because I thought I would never be able to do it.
As they say, the first step is always the hardest! I’m glad that this task pushed me out of my comfort zone.
What is one takeaway from your internship at TRP that would benefit you in your future career?
I think one beneficial skill I learned is discipline. Due to the work-from-home arrangement, I was mostly working alone and I was lucky enough to be given ample independence and autonomy to do my work. However, with this privilege comes the discipline needed to focus on work and allocate time properly such that I can remain productive even without supervision. I’m glad that I got to hone my discipline through this internship and I believe that this will be a valuable skill that will benefit me in my future career.
How was your work from home experience?
My work from home experience was really good. I enjoyed the autonomy I was given to work independently, at my own pace and at the comfort of my own home! Help was also always accessible whenever I faced any troubles. I’m glad that I was still able to visit the office on several occasions for events, so there were still opportunities for me to meet and interact with everyone else.
Why did you want to intern at The Red Pencil?
I was looking for an internship that would complement what I was studying in school and I chanced upon The Red Pencil’s intern recruitment notice. After researching more about The Red Pencil, I was fascinated by what The Red Pencil does because creative arts therapy seems to be a novel concept in Singapore. I was interested in learning more about creative arts therapy through the internship, so I applied and that’s how I started interning for The Red Pencil!
What is your favourite art-related quote?
My favourite art-related quote is “I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for.” by Georgia O’Keeffe. As someone who is bad with words, I find this quote very relatable.
Which creative aspect of your responsibilities did you enjoy the most at TRP?
I think I enjoyed photo-taking the most. I had the chance to help out at an event as a photographer and I liked how I could observe the participants and their art-making process from the sidelines while helping to capture candid moments on the camera. It was especially heartening to see and capture little moments of interactions among the participants regardless of their relationship to one another.
What do you hope for The Red Pencil to achieve in the next 10 years as a humanitarian organization?
I hope that The Red Pencil will be able to spearhead the cause of spreading awareness for creative arts therapy as a recognised practice in helping people with mental health issues, and hopefully expand its operations and set up more entities all over the world so that more people can reap the benefits of creative arts therapy!