WHEN WORK IS JUST A PAY CHEQUE
For some, stability isn’t a prison but a foundation that allows them to build the life they want outside of work, or to build a side hustle.
By day, 32-year-old Charmaine Yeo works full-time in beauty marketing. By night, she runs her own art label, Mochiak and Ahwoo, designing and selling bags, keychains and stickers.
Her creations have amassed a following of more than 80,000 on Instagram, and she regularly “booths” – that is, books and runs temporary booth appearances – at major craft festivals such as Artbox.
But her office job, she admitted, isn’t something she’s passionate about.
“I wouldn’t say I’m going all out to climb the corporate ladder,” she said.
Rather, having a steady income gives her the freedom to experiment and grow her side business without fear. “The monthly salary keeps me safe to try out different things,” she said.
And unlike peers who have thrown themselves into their art businesses and other passion projects full-time, Ms Yeo is not ready to give up the stability of a monthly salary.
She spoke of how some full-time artists struggle if they don’t keep “boothing”. “I don’t want to feel that stress,” she said.
She hopes to go full-time eventually, but for now, her focus is clear: build something she loves, while holding on to the financial safety net that makes risk feel less risky.
DO WE HAVE TO LOVE OUR JOBS?
The pressure on working adults to “find your passion” can feel overwhelming, but “it’s completely valid to treat work as a means to an end”, said Mr Ng.
If a role isn’t passion-driven, he added, it should serve another purpose – whether that’s offering financial security or time flexibility, for instance.
“Not every role will be a dream job, and that’s okay. The key is to be intentional.”
