Use in Useless

Illustration | Resie Caith Vinluan

by RESIE CAITH VINLUAN | Feature Correspondent

They swim in their minds and sit with the moon to create plans and strategies to meet a crystal goal, but they are not CEOs. They want every line to be connected as it will build a constellation to reach satisfaction, but they are not architects. It is important for them to use efficient materials like constructing a building, but they are not engineers. One of the red-underlined items in their checklist is to heal people by works but they are far from being a doctor. They aim to spread good messages for inspiration, and they are not psychologists. They will take you to mesmerizing scenes, cotton-like clouds, or calming blue sea, in the end, they are not pilots, drivers, or captains.

Unbelievably gifted hands and a fantastic planet of imagination is their own kingdom. In a single flick of the hand, the empty and boring sights can attract curious eyes and attention. To spend sun and stars is one of their processes to build a masterpiece. Sometimes they do this to make themselves proud, in any chance, it also becomes the roots for their living. Every single strand of detail could not escape for they are observant. Every color and a dot hides a meaning and holds an inspiration. It is their way to speak and act in different situations. Aside from the brush and colors, the emotion is always present to act as the foundation in the creation. An artist's point is to be the art behind art.

A survey has been circulating the whole social media for the data being shown. A Singaporean newspaper, Sunday Times asks 1,000 volunteers which are the jobs they think are essential and not during the pandemic. The publication listed the result in the top 5 essential jobs with doctor and nurse as top 1 with 86%, followed by the cleaner, garbage collector, hawker, and deliveryman. While in the other room, artists ranked 1 in the top 5 non-essential jobs, under this is telemarketer, social media manager, business consultant, and human resource manager.

People can't help themselves but throw their opinion about the controversial poll. The publication receives backlash and negative comments from netizens for putting the artists in a bad light. Most of them felt sad to discover that there are a lot who don’t appreciate the existence of the artists. According to them, artists have not been "just sitting around" during this period. They are not just relaxing and sipping coffee while shaking their feet and playing with their materials. They do believe that this job has a big contribution in these dark times. It is not about the salary but being placed as non-essential brings a hurtful feeling. The debate falls on artists as useless in the pandemic.

Different posts from people around the world conquered the internet for standing their side in this debate. Pandemic times, boring times, so people eat their days by watching movies. Actors and actresses are considered as an artist together with the director, cameraman, scriptwriter, and editors. Exercising helps to strengthen the protection from the virus and listening to music makes it more relaxing as well as singers as artists. Those bookworms who lived in fantasy while the pandemic is traveling around the world find peace on the trees with inks. Writers are artists for making a masterpiece by words. These were the comments claimed. Some dared those who agreed to the poll to dump their TVs, delete their movies, uninstall music programs, or stop using cellphones because it is all made by an artist. In conclusion, their point is if the topic is about being in lockdown, an artist is essential for uplifting souls and delivering positive outcomes.

The Sunday Times stands and clarifies that the survey doesn’t mean Singaporeans don't value artists. No one is saying that painters, actors, singers, and writers contribute nothing. For people in the other corner, that non-essential is not the same as having no value at all. This survey only talks about the pulse of people in this certain situation. For example, they would value a delivery rider more than a YouTuber or a playwright in this time because delivery riders play an important role than YouTubers, they give more benefit. An author says that there is still a difference between essential and valuable and he admits that being an author in this period of time is not essential as the other jobs but claims that his works will remain valuable. In a more understandable way, the definition of an essential worker that has been given is someone who is working to meet basic needs of human and well-being, such as food, health, safety and cleaning.

In the long road of different perspectives and feelings, pandemic really has a great impact on our life cycle and mindset. Nevertheless, opinions are all made differently based on how a person takes a situation. All jobs have their own responsibilities but at the end of the day, it is all essential in many ways, in any day. Art is living everywhere, besides, you can also be an artist without you noticing it by simply writing and decorating your homework and being a human. Every job is essential based on availability or people's needs. It is not useless and non-essential if it is made without weight on the chest.