Journey Beyond My Wildest Dreams

Yes! I finally decided that I should start blogging again 5 years after my last blog post in 2013. Well, the reason that I have not blogged for so long is that I had been so busy with life since starting university. In these 5 years so much has happened and changed that I just don't know where to start or how to adequately describe. But, I really feel that there have been so many amazing things that have happened to me over the past few years that I need to share and since I have some free time now, I shall blog about.

I guess I will start by recapping on the path that brought me to making it to university. I was blogging much more regularly up till 2011 and that there was a bit of a blackout of information in 2012 before I wrote my last blog post in 2013 about making it to university. Therefore I shall start from 2012. Of course, in 2012 I was about slightly more than midway through my studies at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in the Product Design and Innovation course. At that point I was still unsure if I could graduate with a diploma with grades good enough to make it to product design at a local university coz my GPA was just barely making the cut off. For most part 2012 was not that eventful but it was a year of working towards a focus on the goals for my life and pursuing my passions. I took a break from playing chess and signed up for an introductory song writing and production course by The School of Music and the Arts (SOMA). This gave me the opportunity to record a song in a professional recording studio with others of course.

The rest of the year from the latter part of 2012 to early 2013 was spent doing my polytechnic final year project. In the midst of all this I went for a holiday to Melbourne Australia with my family to celebrate my sister's graduation.

The year 2013 started with me finishing up working on my final year project which eventually led me to graduation with a diploma in Product Design and Innovation from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

Then, I received the good news that I was accepted into Nanyang Technological University's School of Art, Design and Media. That is where I decided to share in church about how God had blessed me with a university place despite the setback of being rejected before and having to go through polytechnic.

This is a transcript of my sharing in church:

Good morning brothers and sisters in Christ.

For those who do not know me, I’m Timothy. Today, I like to share with you about God’s grace and blessings in my life. It is not that life has always been smooth sailing for me, but that God has seen me through the many obstacles that I have faced in life and at the same time, blessed me richly in many ways.

I was diagnosed with Duchene muscular dystrophy in 1995 at the age of 5. At that time, I did not understand what was wrong but I had a biopsy done so I knew something was not right. However, my parents were determined to raise me as any normal child and entrust my life to God. As far as I can remember, my parents never treated me like I was different from my siblings and I attended mainstream schools all the way. However, it was not easy. I had my share of hard times and ridicule from people who do not know or understand my condition. When I was young, I could not walk for long and my parents would push me in a stroller. Passers-by would often stare and call me out to get up to walk myself. My parents always had to do the explaining. By age 11, I was no longer able to climb stairs and I had to bear with people who stared at me as my mum and helper would take turns to carry me up flights of stairs to the 5^th floor every day for school. In secondary school, I was bullied at times by my classmates who played pranks like removing my wheelchair battery and leaving me stranded. Growing up as a teen was difficult as I could not do things that most teenagers like. To make things worse, at age 14, I broke my leg in an accident; two years later, I had to have spinal surgery, just months before my O level exams. By God’s grace, I survived teenage years despite the struggles. God gave me teachers and classmates who were kind and went out of their way to help me through school. To these special people in my life, I am truly thankful. Though I grew up in a Christian home, it was in Junior College that I really grew spiritually. God was real to me and I committed my life to God. In April 2009, I was baptized in this church. 

After completing JC, I logically felt that I should go on to university. But as it turned out, I was not successful in all my applications. I was devastated and I started questioning God’s plan for my life. But God is faithful and He has a plan for me. After a year, I felt the Lord leading me to enroll in Polytechnic to pursue my interest in Product Design. Due to my condition the school was concerned about the physical demands of the course and in fact tried to discourage me from taking up the course.  Along the way, when times were tough, I again asked myself if it was indeed what God wanted me to do. Nevertheless, I trusted in the Lord and persevered.   

Early this year, I graduated from Poly. After 2 years of JC, a gap year and 3 years of polytechnic, I was wondering where the Lord will lead me next. The reality is that competition is keen for the limited university places, I was not confident of my chances. Although I know in my heart that God has a plan, I am not sure where He is going to take me.  As the days passed, I almost gave up hope. Finally, I just said “God I surrender everything to you; never mind if I get an offer or not, just let your will be done”. Amazingly, the next day, I received a letter in the mailbox. It was an offer from NTU to study art, design and media. I cannot begin to explain to you in words the joy that I felt. I screamed and cried in joy, the whole neighbourhood probably heard me. To me, it was a miracle and God’s blessing on me.

Looking back, it has been an amazing journey. The Lord has never abandoned me but had a plan that was better and beyond what I could imagine possible. I realize that everything that happened to me, which I felt like setbacks in my life, was actually a well worked out plan by God.  Things happen for a reason. The path that we take may be tough and takes longer to get to where we want to be. While we may not always understand the challenges we are facing, God is sovereign and knows what is best for us. God's ways are higher than our ways and our thoughts. We can fully trust in Him and He will direct our paths. Only in surrendering ourselves to God can we fully experience the amazing plan of God for our lives. As I look ahead to university, I trust that the Lord will see me through university and beyond to live an extraordinary life. So I thank God and praise Him for what He has done and what He will continue to do in my life.

Now that brings me to where I left of in my last blog post, where I shared about my story of getting to university. So here is how my journey continued after getting into university till today...a journey that took me to a place beyond my wildest dreams, as if the blessing of being able to have a university education wasn't enough.

On August 2013, I began my journey at NTU Art, Design and Media.

It was really great and exciting start to uni coz the first year was a foundation year before we choose our major which of course I was intending to do product design. We had classes in sketching, graphic arts, 3D art, photography and art history. As it was a foundation year we had the chance to experiment in the different artistic arenas. It really opened up my mind and eyes to a whole new world. In the first semester, my notable work was in the graphic design area where we did abstract art. I created two works of art one using my wheelchair tires to paint onto paper and the other using x-ray images of my spine and chest. Little did I know it would lead to an amazingly good work in the next semester. On the fun side, I saw my favourite band Boys Like Girls perform at a free concert at Ion Orchard. And to end the year I had a family holiday to Clubmed Cherating in Kuantan Malaysia.

  

Soon enough, 2013 came to an end and I had finished the first semester. 2014 came and the second semester began. It was pretty much more of the same just exploring the different artistic forms but of course there was the choice of major which was dependent on results if too many students opted for the same major. For me though I knew I'd be fine coz there wasn't so much competition for product design. The graphic area's main project which was to use all our work from the semesters to create a visual art book turned out to be my best work. I manipulated the x-ray images; duplicated, flipped, rotated and combined them. The result was a spectacularly stunning artistic creation. Below are two of the many images in a series I created.

This is where it led to a whirlwind few years of an incredible series of fortunate events in my life. I would say it was the hand of God for the serendipitous way that things transpired. It began close to the end of 2014 when I was in the midst of the first semester of year 2 and by now already starting my major in product design. One day, while I was waiting for my dad to pick me up from class to go to a prototype model makers workshop to discuss building a computer mouse prototype for me as part of one of my modules. A short bespectacled man who was walking past me on his way to the carpark stopped looked at me and paced back and forth before approaching me. He asked me if I was a student at the school which I replied that I was and told him my major was product design. He told me that he was Philip Tan the creative director for the ASEAN Para Games Ceremonies which were to be held in Singapore in 2015. He gave me his name card and asked me to send him my portfolio, which I agreed to. But the truth was that I did not have a portfolio at that time. I was thinking of setting up an online portfolio for awhile before this but procrastinated. Shockingly, I didn't seize the opportunity right away and create one to send to him. I decided to focus first on completing my first semester of year 2 of uni. Maybe about 2 to 3 months later after the semester ended during the semester break I decided to put my work up on Behance a online portfolio site. I put in work from my poly days and all the work I had done so far in uni up to that point. When I had finished setting up my online portfolio, I emailed him with the link to my portfolio. Since it had been months ago, I thought he would have forgotten all about me, so I wasn't confident it would lead to anything but I thought no harm trying. Lo and behold, I received a reply on the same day that I sent the email. He really liked my x-ray art and tire marks art. After a few more back and forth email correspondence, by January 2015, I was on board with the creative team. Wow! I was just so amazed how things worked out, truly it was like a really lucky break for me but I knew it was the hand of God.

So 2015 began with the wonderful news that I was to be on the creative team for the ASEAN Para Games ceremonies. The first half of the year was just pretty much back to uni work. But from the middle of the year on wards things exciting and busy. I completed year two of uni and was fulfiling my role in the APG creative team providing images. After that was done I attended my first ever live soccer match at the Sports Hub which played host to Barclays Asia Trophy matches involving Arsenal, Everton, Stoke and Singapore Selection XI. Then, the whole family took a trip to Melbourne Australia for my brother's wedding. I also watched Kooza by Cirque du Soleil. And, of course to top off the wonderful year I got to witness the opening and closing ceremonies with my work on display. I also got to catch much of the action at the ASEAN Para Games.

Below is the behind the scenes and actual ASEAN Para Games opening ceremony videos:

Behind the scenes: APG 2015 Opening Ceremony

ASEAN Para Games 2015 Opening Ceremony: film

After the amazing high of 2015, the momentum continued into 2016. I was doing fairly well in school and everything was going well. In the middle of the year I even went on holiday to Australia, visiting Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. I even managed to catch up with old friends Ephraim and Boon Keng. Then, for one of my modules which was to create moving art work for a digital wall in school, I again tapped into my x-ray art, to create more spectacular work.

My Work on NTU's Digital Wall

At the same time, I began work on my final year project which was to design a wheelchair since I am of course a user myself. As part of my research, I reached out to The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDAS).

Very swiftly time flew, 2017 came and I had completed my Final Year Project. My work was exhibited as part of the ADM Gradshow 2017.

My work impressed so much that I had the chance to showcase my work at the National Design Centre as part of an ADM Select from the graduating batch.

After that, I was also selected as one of the several students to be featured in NTU's HEY! magazine. And, for that I had an interview and had a photo shoot of my work on the digital wall.

At this point while waiting for my official graduation ceremony I decided to join MDAS as a member, hoping to keep myself occupied with activities and perhaps get help with work opportunities since I knew some of their members were involved some graphic design and digital marketing. It was actually something I should have done a long time ago coz they could provide me support in many ways and also a way to help promote the muscular dystrophy cause but I had always shied away due to the stigma I guess. But anyway, when I first joined I was worried and not confident I would ever get a real job considering my condition where I can't sit for long and need a helper by my side. However, God works in mysterious ways...the general manager of MDAS encouraged me and informed me that a robotics company called Relsig had been working on a project involving a robotic arm that attaches to a wheelchair to help the severely disabled and the MDAS members were beneficiaries so were working with MDAS. She got in touch with them and told them about me a disabled product design graduand. They requested my portfolio and called me down for an interview. They liked my work and were confident that could use my unique situation as both designer and potential user, so they decided to give me a job. They were willing to look beyond my limitations and see me for my abilities. They allowed me to work half a day everyday and have my helper with me. As for the office it was accessible because being an industrial building it has to have lifts and ramps for delivery, it had a big enough washroom and the table happened to be able to be adjusted to a suitable height. The location was also nearby to my home so my dad could be my transport. So amazingly God provided me with a perfect job even when I was in doubt and I achieve what was beyond my wildest dreams to be able to work as a product designer.

I also started taking part in MDAS's power soccer activities which was so fun and empowering since it allows a severely disabled person like me to enjoy my favourite sport of soccer, normally reserved for the able bodied.

Then finally I had my graduation ceremony.

Below is a sharing of my story to get to graduation and a job:

Finally, 8 years after my A level results left me rejected by all the universities I applied for which was the lowest point in my life, I have graduated! Not just graduated but graduated with a Second Upper and in the course that I love. If you had told me all those years ago that I, the one who couldn’t even draw for nuts would graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Product Design, I would not have believed you. The journey to get to this point has not been easy with many struggles and mistakes made. I probably chose the wrong subjects to take at A Levels, I was told that it was too difficult for a disabled person to a do product design course and I was stressed out till the point of wanting to give up. But, I don’t regret anything because everything that happened to me has made me who I am today. I have achieved more than I could have ever thought representing Singapore in chess, getting into the dean’s list in poly, being an associate visual director for the ASEAN para games, being featured in the NTU magazine and my FYP exhibited at the National Design Centre. I have to thank God who has been guiding me along the path of his perfect plan for my life even when at times I couldn’t see. When I didn’t make it to university and had to start again in polytechnic it felt like I was in the wilderness but it was preparation for things to come, then making it to university was like getting to the promise land, and finally getting through university and graduating is like conquering the promise land. I also want to thank my family for supporting my dream of becoming a product designer, my helpers for accompanying me to class for 8 years, the Ngee Ann polytechnic product design faculty who paved the way for my journey in product design, the NTU ADM staff and professors who facilitated my studies and friends that helped me along the way. To top things all of I have been blessed with the perfect job, so I can finally say I have achieved my dream of becoming a product designer. Truly words cannot even begin to express how great it feels to finally achieve my dreams when I thought it was impossible. I have learnt from all this that there is no obstacle too great to overcome in achieving our dreams, not even disability.

To top the year off, I was given a feature in the chinese night newspaper for my achievements, graduating with a good final year project and getting a job.

Lianhe Wanbao Newspaper Feature

As if it wasn't enough, I was cast in a Channel News Asia documentary called Just Like You which aimed to show that the disabled as just like everyone else and are valuable members of society who can make meaningful contribution to society if they are given the opportunity to pursue their dreams. As part of the show, I got to achieve my long held but almost given up dream of recording my own song. I recording my own song with the help of local artist Jack and Rai.

Channel News Asia Documentary series
Just Like You

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/video-on-demand/just-like-you

All I can say is the journey from getting into uni to working has been beyond my wildest dreams and I thank God for His blessings on me. Again I say dreams really do come true.

To end, this is the song and lyrics from Just Like You written by me in collaboration with Jack and Rai.

Just Like You

Just Like You


Verse 1
I can see the looks you give
I can hear the words you say
You might think I’m different
But I’m special in my own way

Verse 2
I can’t do the things you do
But I have a part to play
There is more that I can give
Coz I’m special in my own way
Special in my own way

Chorus
I’m not a hero or an inspiration
Ah, ah, ah...
Just look beyond my imperfections
Ah, ah, ah...
When you see what I can do
I’m just like you

Verse 3
We are not the way you are
But that won’t stop us every day
There is more that we can do
Coz we’re special in our own way
Special in our own way