Good that Singaporeans are beginning to understand that creativity is not limited to artists and other impractical eccentrics

July 29, 2006

IT WAS a delight to read the letter, 'Engineers not creative? What about Leonardo?' by Mr Ng Yew Hong (ST, July 24). It is good to see that Singaporeans are beginning to understand that the concept of creativity is not limited to artists and other impractical eccentrics.

This is a message Singaporeans need to understand as we compete against lower-cost producers like China and India. In order to compete, Singapore needs to continue to invest in its only asset - people. Singaporeans can no longer compete on price and need to show the world they are as effective as the best the world can offer. This means the average Singaporean worker msus have to be able to approach problem-solving with a creative mindset.

Mr Ng points out that Leonardo da Vinci, who was renowned for his artistic work, also applied his vision to create engineering feats. How can Singapore produce its own Leonardos, people who can successfully merge the intangibles of the arts with the tangibles of the sciences?

Singapore's tertiary institutions are aware of this challenge. Nanyang Technological University has gone beyond being a mere technical institution and opened a school of humanities. The National University of Singapore is adapting its syllabus to expose students to a variety of disciplines.

However, it is not enough for tertiary institutions to do this. Students are already streamed into science or arts streams before they reach university. They have already 'typecast' themselves. It would be an idea for A-level students to take one subject from the other stream before they graduate.

Singapore should also celebrate the success of its creative industry. If students are aware of the economic opportunities available in the creative industry, they are likely to be more accepting of creativity itself.

Take the advertising industry, for example. Traditionally, it has been dominated by multinationals but, in recent years, homegrown companies like Mandate Advertising, Crush Advertising and 10AM Communications have made great strides within the region.

It is encouraging to see that local businesses no longer hold the mindset that 'Western ideas are better and therefore we are willing to pay more' and now make the most of value-adding local talent.

Two examples of local businesses staying local are Marina Square Shopping Centre and Goodwood Park Hotel, which were rebranded by Immortal Design, a 16-year-old homegrown brand consultancy.

Both of these organisations had the budget to hire international agencies, yet they chose to stay local because the local firm was able to demonstrate its ability to add value to them.

It is a good sign that local creative talent is showing it can compete with international firms on its own merit. Companies like Immortal Design prove that Singaporeans can be creative and make a good living out of being creative. What is encouraging is that the consultancy did not just deal in paper collaterals but also worked on the design of the physical building, which requires a great deal of practical knowledge.

Singapore's performing arts scene may be several years behind the West in its development, but this should not be seen as a sign that creativity among Singaporeans is non-existent. Singapore's growing creative companies have shown Singaporeans can be as creative as the rest of the world and a growing appreciation of a creative mindset among Singaporeans can only point to the fact that creativity is on the rise - and that is something worth celebrating this National Day.

Tang Li

Copyright: Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (C) 2006