Two things happened recently, one highlighted to me the importance of embracing one’s quirks.

The first encounter occurred at an ant exhibition, when i admired how an artist with autism drew portraits of our Prime Ministers. That in itself wasn’t unusual, but every single stroke was an ant. Imagine ants of all shapes and sizes forming the portrait of Mr. Lawrence Wong. So unobtrusive, but commanding my attention when I leaned in closer.

The second incident happened when I was crossing the road to get to Fu Shan Gardens. My curiosity was already piqued when I was opposite this mini Haw Par Villa. After coming up close with the eclectic mix of exhibits, I was so amazed at the amount of effort the owner had invested in creating his delightfully weird and esoteric wonderland. I wondered just how long he had taken.

Conventional society pressures us to conform to particular mounds, but we can still carve out the space to honour our quirks.