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Question 2

The above picture is my second version of my artistic vision during the lesson in week 10. The sentences below are my revised answers.

My strength lies in photography.

I aspire to be a freelance illustrator.

Between now and then, I want to further polish up my skills of illustrating animals. This is because a well-drawn illustration with knowledge of skills such as lighting and proportions looks professional in the art industry, which can draw more attention compared to the work of others.

I aim to achieve this by practicing everyday for 15 minutes. Over time, I will get better at it.

The above work of design is under the theme of social engagement, illustrated by Steve Cutts. It demonstrates the social issue of mask pollution in oceans and how that affects not only marine life, but humans too. This art piece promotes this awareness to the public in hopes that appropriate action can be taken to reduce it. For example, creating cloth masks with special filtration properties that will filter out harmful particles in every inhale. This prevents one-time use and disposal of surgical masks. Another way is to set up anti-littering campaigns to encourage the public dispose surgical masks responsibly. I appreciate the artist’s efforts in bringing awareness to this social issue.

I chose this design as it is created by an illustrator whose art piece becomes something I can refer to and take inspiration from. From the image above and seeing the rest of his works, I discovered his art style range from comical to semi-realism. By studying his art style, I can learn how to illustrate in a comic art style which will help in animating characters for my elective in the next semester.

Moreover, I like how all his artworks resolves around a particular social issue consisting of dark humour. His choice of colour, which is dull, plain, and matte, shows how modern society have become “dull”, where everyday life is the same old repetitive cycle of waking up, eating breakfast, going to work and coming home late.

From the lecture in week 3, I learnt that knowing my own sense of personal attributes is beneficial for future job prospects. For example, one of my personal attributes is curiosity. Among friends and family, I like to talk about my hobbies, which includes producing craft work such as needle-felting and miniature furniture. These craft skills will benefit me at workplace as it hones my psychomotor skills and enhances my patience. Since having patience as an attribute reduces my stress levels, my mental clarity is improved, and I can better focus on my future work projects.

(440 words)

Notable references:

Parker, Laura. “How to stop discarded face masks from polluting the planet.”, National Geographic, 15 Apr. 2021,

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/how-to-stop-discarded-face-masks-from-polluting-the-planet. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.

Indeed Editorial Team. “What Are Personal Attributes? Definition and 20 Examples.”, Indeed, 2 Jun. 2023,

https://sg.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-are-personal-attributes. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.

Steve Cutts [@steve_cutts_official]. “Gone Fishing” Instagram, 2 Jul. 2021,

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Question 1

My group’s manifesto is about declaring personal goals to become an authentic and optimistic person.

The first rule is facing fear. By choosing to face it instead of running away from problems, the person is no longer a coward and can overcome anything.

The second rule is being ready to accept criticism. Instead of feeling hurt, the person understands the point of view from the speaker and thank them for their words.

The third rule is staying optimistic. Instead of being pessimistic, the person accepts the situation he or she is in and focuses on the positive side of it.

The fourth rule is facing failure. Instead of refusing to admit failure, he or she accepts it and focuses on improving further.

The fifth rule is having a growth mindset. Instead of giving up, he or she stays resilient.

The sixth rule is learning that being vulnerable is not shameful. Instead, it allows me to become authentic.

The seventh and eighth rules are similar. Staying present without spiralling into negative thoughts allows me to have mental clarity.

The ninth rule is learning not to care about the opinions of others. Being confident in my own skin means I have accepted all parts of myself by letting go of self-hatred.

The last rule is learning to say no according to the situation. This helps me to set boundaries and allows me to value myself more.

I personally have an alternative manifesto. Instead of declaring personal goals, I would change it to declaring 8 principles for a well-lived life. These principles consist of 8 core values of life, because I wanted to show that knowing your life values allows for greater gratitude in life. For example, one of my core values is freedom. Knowing this allows me to better appreciate the fact that in Lasalle, I am allowed to choose whatever clothing I want to wear.

I find week 6’s critical self-reflectivity particularly significant for me. This is because having self-awareness allows me to work more efficiently in my studio and craft modules. For example, one issue I faced in studio is thinking that my work (illustrated buildings) is better than what my lecturer suggested (posterized buildings). However, I realised that this arrogant thinking hinders the progress of my project.  What I should have done is resist the urge to correct him and recognise my own area of improvement for my project. If I do not learn to accept criticism now, it will affect my future studies and work life. An example might be getting into an argument with my client because I think that since I am a designer, I have the right to design whatever I want. Hence, self-awareness plays an important role in shaping who I am.

(458 words)

Notable references:

Indeed Editorial Team. “How To Deal With Critics and Accept Criticism.”, Indeed, 2 Sep. 2023,

www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-deal-with-critics. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.

Melkonian, Lois. “Why vulnerability will change your life: The power of being yourself.”, BetterUp, 7 Dec. 2021,

www.betterup.com/blog/vulnerability. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.

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Week 6_Critical Self-Reflectivity

I discovered that the best way to improve emotional intelligence skills is through personal life experiences. This include receiving constructive feedback from loved ones or the ability to accept failure in work situations. Another discovery is having emotional intelligence allows me to have more resilience to face difficult situations.

My main criteria for making decisions is picking the one which benefits me the most. For example, when choosing my electives, I decided on animation because it broadens my scope into the multimedia field.

I am a person with high neuroticism. I define this as someone with negative thought patterns and poor emotional management.

When thinking about myself, I practise analysis and curiosity. For example, when I receive a scam message, I would ask myself: “Is this choice worth it?" Sometimes I will have self-doubt which may alter my decision-making process. With this, I appreciate the government’s efforts in promoting public awareness to combat scams.

One recent work is designing the work of recycling posters for my father’s workplace. As a designer, I had to go through multiple versions of design to meet his criteria which at times is time-consuming. However, I managed to complete designing the three posters, which I perceived as a victory.

The best way to give feedback to myself is by asking reflective questions. What can done better? What have I learned?

I wish to be a humble artist. I thank those who compliment my artwork.

Emotional intelligence will be useful when I communicate my concepts and ideas to the client. By having the ability to manage my emotions, I can react appropriately according to the situation.

(270 words)

Notable references:

Scam Alert. “Phishing Scams”, NCPC (National Crime Prevention Council), 2023,

www.scamalert.sg/scam-details/phishing-scam. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.

Cuncic, Arlin. “What Is a Neurotic Personality?”, Verywell Mind, 13 Mar. 2023,

www.verywellmind.com/how-neuroticism-affects-your-behavior-4782188

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Week 5: Artistic Traditions & Lineages

I discovered that paintings serve as a visual insight into Singapore’s history, and all artists follow a style from a renowned artist as reference, making no art original.

While going through the Singapore Graphic Archives website, the image above caught my attention. As a designer, I like how the use of Adobe Illustrator and Indesign help to create the medium of this poster, which is commercial art. This form of medium is used by Camera Club of the Philippines.

In this poster, repetition, rhythm, and positive-negative space is used to create the Bonsai trees with bombs. Produced in the early 2000s, the creator’s intent is to convey the protest against the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. This advertisement helps to spread awareness of the war, especially if the war is happening in their home country. I appreciate GraphicTaskForce’s efforts in promoting public awareness to garner public support and boost morale.

If I had more time, one thing I would do differently is research further for sources with ample information of its content. This can make my writing more valid with supported evidence of the history. Moreover, I would want to write more about the colour in this poster. For example, the use of 2 colours make the overall visual modern and minimalistic.

In my opinion, knowing artistic traditions helps to create new ideas. Having the knowledge of Singapore’s history serves as an inspiration for the concept of future projects.

(240 words)

Notable references:

Collections”, National Gallery Singapore, 2023, 

https://collections.nationalgallery.sg/#/. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.

Collections”, Roots, 2023,

https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-Landing. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.

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Week 1: Creative Practice

I discovered that critical thinking is found in non-fictional books and essays, whereas creativity is found in fictional books.

What both have in common is how the writing is based on personal interest. Often, the author writes based on his/her interest in a particular subject (for example, animal welfare, fictional wars etc) under the influence of true events.

If I were to rewrite my short story, I would provide facts from reliable sources about cat abuse in Singapore. For example, the number of recorded cases of cat abuse from AVS (The Animal & Veterinary Service). Another way is to provide actions taken by the government to prevent further abuse. For example, educating students in schools on caring for community animals and responsible pet ownership. Through talks, roving exhibition panels and school plays, the younger generation will become more knowledgeable and learn to show appreciation for cats. This information taught to students can be backed up by creating a pie chart. For example, this chart shows the percentage of students knowing how to be responsible for a pet. I appreciate the government’s efforts in promoting awareness of ways to have responsible pet ownership to combat animal-related crimes.

In my opinion, critical thinking and creative practice is key to successfully explain concepts and edit in the field of graphic design. Having the ability to analyse sources and give constructive opinions allows me to clearly convey the message and prevent future miscommunications.

(239 words)

Notable References: Lee, Loriane. “The Big Read: 'Part of the family' - the rising status of pets among households and what it means for society.”, Channel NewsAsia, 19 Jun. 2023, 

www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/pets-part-family-rising-status-big-read-3569031

AVS (The Animal & Veterinary Service). “Pets Day Out”, NParks, 2023, 

www.nparks.gov.sg/avs/outreach/pets'-day-out/pdo. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.