21.
Time flies.
21 years of hard work, torture, sweat yet emerging with joy, happiness and a sense of achievement. All those done with God's grace and strength. Without Him, I'm just nothing.
Most of all, I'm really very grateful to be alive on this beautifully imperfect earth. Reaching 21 is really my parents' biggest achievement for their hard work, love and care have paid off. They taught me so many life values such as humility.
So far, many things happened this year.
Yeah, I guess these are what have happened this year and I'm thankful I enjoyed every moment of it.
This year, I learnt to be humble even with my expanding career. I learnt many things and tips about photography. I continued to take photos. I continued to laugh in the midst of storms. I tried my best to be more open to ideas. I managed to see all my assignments to completion without giving up, even with tighter deadlines. There actually was a time that I finally broke down due to intense stress with my graphic novel. But I had fun crafting a story out of just 4 pages of "Me and My Beautiful Toes" which I have a personal connection with. I learnt there are mutual people who actually appreciate my paintings. There are thousands of times I doubted they were well-painted. I have no connection with my brushes, let alone correctly mix colours. So I was very surprised when my friend said she would like to buy one. Yes, I admit it was a good one. GOOD only! But selling to her, it was like "Wow, my painting is really good that she loves it so much uh?!" As a result, lecturers and friends/family think and voice astonishingly different. I'm slowly overcoming my fear in presenting my works during critique sessions. Now that I'm more familiar with such sessions, I hope to better my presentation skills.
So far, many things happened this year.
- Attended LASALLE Open House but as a student
- My 1st job as an events photographer at Adrenalin
- Went for my 1st Orphanage visit at Kovan with my bestie
- My 1st client for her parents' anniversary party
- My 1st few artworks sold to new clients
- LASALLE assessment is over!!!
- My photography work got selected for exhibition!!!
- Attended my 1st POP event
- Attended The Purple Parade event for the 2nd time
- BFF outings
- Uncle Phillip and my family outings
- Witnessed as a photographer at my mummy's amazing 50th birthday party
- Turned 21 (!!!)
- Got my first polaroid camera (actually two so I'm extremely blessed and touched)
- Shared my family testimony at other churches
- Song-signed "Signing Hands" with mummy again
- Best of all, I spend time with my new prime lens (They are amazing ones, I tell you!!!)
- Experimenting with my upgraded additional bounce flash. My camera bag is getting heavier now. But am very thankful for lighter lens
- Launched a Facebook page "The Captured Moments" this mid-month
Yeah, I guess these are what have happened this year and I'm thankful I enjoyed every moment of it.
This year, I learnt to be humble even with my expanding career. I learnt many things and tips about photography. I continued to take photos. I continued to laugh in the midst of storms. I tried my best to be more open to ideas. I managed to see all my assignments to completion without giving up, even with tighter deadlines. There actually was a time that I finally broke down due to intense stress with my graphic novel. But I had fun crafting a story out of just 4 pages of "Me and My Beautiful Toes" which I have a personal connection with. I learnt there are mutual people who actually appreciate my paintings. There are thousands of times I doubted they were well-painted. I have no connection with my brushes, let alone correctly mix colours. So I was very surprised when my friend said she would like to buy one. Yes, I admit it was a good one. GOOD only! But selling to her, it was like "Wow, my painting is really good that she loves it so much uh?!" As a result, lecturers and friends/family think and voice astonishingly different. I'm slowly overcoming my fear in presenting my works during critique sessions. Now that I'm more familiar with such sessions, I hope to better my presentation skills.
Now that I have turned 21, it's time to have a 2015 checklist which I think it'll be good to do it yearly. To see what I have achieved and have not at the end of every year.
Most of all, I really, really hope to get to fly above the clouds and experience various cultures and try various foods around the world. I hope to abandon my fussy tongue except for spicy foods. It has been my life-long dream since young. Travelling to Batam and Shanghai had been two amazing, an eye-opening experiences, me being exposed to their cultures and the way they lived. As I travel, I hope to continue hand-writing about my travelling experiences as I did in Batam and Shanghai.
- Expand my career (FB, IG, word of mouth, etc)
- Try to be more known to increase the number of clients
- Finish up my photography website (super long delay)
- Improve my photo editing skills
- Share my photos wherever possible
- Hope to find a mentor / photography company / studio where I can work and try my eyes on
- Do 2015 well in everything, be it my studies, family or friends
- Travel pretty please!!!! I'm getting older and my life is shorter and shorter
- Hope to get an approval from my parents to allow me to travel to Vietnam for COR'15 (Camp Outreach organised by NTU) in June
- Hope to travel to ALL my destined countries before I turn 30
- Fall in love with someone... and be so in love...
- Be more cheerful, appreciative and thankful to my beloved ones
Most of all, I really, really hope to get to fly above the clouds and experience various cultures and try various foods around the world. I hope to abandon my fussy tongue except for spicy foods. It has been my life-long dream since young. Travelling to Batam and Shanghai had been two amazing, an eye-opening experiences, me being exposed to their cultures and the way they lived. As I travel, I hope to continue hand-writing about my travelling experiences as I did in Batam and Shanghai.
I was asked by my bestie to go to Vietnam for community outreach. It sounds interesting.
I hope to see you, Vietnam! I heard from papa that food is quite good! Hmmm...
Now it's 12 AM. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!!!!
And BRING IT ON, 2015!
And BRING IT ON, 2015!
