Mar920099:21 am

The inescapable draw

Joanne Tay wonders if the fact that President Obama is a “diplomat at heart” is having a “trickle down effect” on Americans, spurring us to “realize the importance of reaching out through dialogue.” I hope she’s right.

Also, having recently graduated from the University of Melbourne, Joanne posted eloquently on the depression, uncertainty, and fear that comes with post-college life and the shitty feeling that she’s now expected to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Joanne’s passion is in theater, and she faces a dilemma that many who want to pursue an international career often encounter: following what we know we love versus following what is deemed for us (often by our families) as a more “practical” career:

At my age (no longer that young, that is), I wonder if I should pursue what I want to do, or start from scratch here – through volunteer work. The problem of money gnaws me everyday, but I don’t want to be bound by the same fear that has fettered me the last three years. That typical ultra-pragmatic Singaporean mindset still keeps me imprisoned in fear – I dared not study theatre for want of something more secure (by doing an arts degree, yeah, how smart and practical huh) – and i still have that massive debt on my shoulders. But no matter how far i run from theatre, I come back to it, my first love. The stage is an inescapable draw. What should I do?

I say, if you can’t escape the draw, then why try? Just let it draw you.

Categories: Career Resources | Follow responses via RSS | Pinging not allowed.

Leave a Reply