From The Straits Times    |

Credit: Lasalle

Giving up a business to care for a sickly child is never an easy decision, but for Joanne Lim, it was a natural transition. She had been running a photography store for a few years, but when her daughter Grace was born with hip dysplasia, a medical condition whereby the hip joint is dislocated, she shuttered her business to dedicate all her time to her daughter.

While it was an extremely fulfilling period of her life, Joanne knew she had to join the working world again – in what capacity, however, she didn’t know. She knew art was a passion, and so she decided to pursue her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Arts at Lasalle College of the Arts.

We speak to the 2022 graduate about making tough decisions, studying at the age of 34, and future plans.

Joanne (third from the left) with student curatorial group at Alliance Francaise 2021 with Dylan Chan, Lim Zeharn and Priscilla Quek

You studied law, but decided to set up a camera store before doing your bar exams — what led you to that decision? Did you eventually do your bar exam?

Back then, I figured that when you are younger, the opportunity cost for risk of failure is lower. Hence if the business fails, I could go back and practise law or find a career in something else I am interested in. In hindsight, now that I have a family and heavier financial obligations, I do not think I would have the financial appetite nor the time and headspace to set up a store. 

But more importantly, I wanted to share my joy for experimental film photography and thought that I would like to chase this dream, create a platform for people to come together and share knowledge and experience, and for us to explore this space as a community. The memories and time spent on this endeavour were truly worth it. 

Unfortunately, I did not pursue my bar exam after that. However, looking back, if I did, perhaps my pathway to Lasalle might never have happened. But I never regretted my decision, and I am pleased with where I am today. 

A 2021 Lasalle class performance

You eventually shuttered the business to care for your child — was it very hard to make that decision?

A few years after opening the business, I got married and fell pregnant shortly after. At that point in time, I did think long and hard about my role as a mother and wife, as someone running a business, and the possibility of juggling all three roles sustainably. 

However, as my pregnancy progressed, I realised that it might not be possible to be there for the business all the time. I contemplated closing the physical store and conducting the business as an online shop. However, when I gave birth, we discovered that Grace was born with hip dysplasia, which required round-the-clock care. It was definitely not a hard decision to make then, as I just wanted to focus on her and ensure that she was okay. That was when I decided to call it a day. 

Were there any moments of doubt? What pushed you to carry on? 

For sure, there were times when I looked back and thought that if only I had persevered and pushed on, perhaps I could have carried on with my business and built a family simultaneously. After all, the business was something I cared about and something that I took pride and joy in. However, I also told myself that perhaps when she is better, I could start over again. After all, there are no limits whatsoever in chasing your dreams, and maybe one day, I could go to art school and learn something new. 

What were the four years of taking care of your daughter like? What were some of the toughest and most joyful moments?

My journey with Grace (now eight years old) was one big learning journey. Honestly, I am not the most patient person out there, so having a child and learning to take things slow, plan, and be truly dedicated to one person was a steep learning curve. I still remember bringing her home from the hospital and giving her first bath – it took three people to bathe her because of her condition. That truly broke my heart. My husband and I closely monitored her physical milestones during her first year, hoping and praying for her recovery. It was such a joyous occasion when she eventually took her first steps. 

As she grew older, Grace came to learn and love the cello, which she picked up at the tender age of four. She was fortunate to have found her teacher, Professor Natasha Liu, who helped her hone her techniques and grow as a person filled with discipline and love for classical music. Every day she would sit for at least 1.5 to 2 hours to practise, and I tried my best to accompany and guide her. Her hard work and dedication have paid off recently and I was really proud when she won gold for her age group (under 8) at this year’s Singapore Raffles International Music Festival. 

Looking at my journey with Grace, I feel like I am constantly learning from her and continually wanting to be a better person so I can be a good role model for her. 

Tell us about your decision to study again.

My husband was a huge inspiration to me. He has always been a firm believer in lifelong learning and that there is no end to learning new skill sets and knowledge. A year before I entered Lasalle, he enrolled in Insead’s MBA program. I saw how enjoyable the entire process was and how he embraced the experience and I thought perhaps I could think about going back to school as well. 

As much as motherhood was enriching, I did feel isolated as I was constantly at home, and the only people I met briefly were other parents when I sent Grace to school or for her enrichment programs. I yearned to return and be a part of a working society but simultaneously doubted my abilities. A good friend said that going back to school might be a good “reset button” – a holding space where I could refresh my skills and make new friends. At the same time, it would be good to think about what I want to pursue and understand what I am passionate about and pursue a degree associated with it. 

Hence after discussing it with my husband, I decided I wanted to pursue the arts. It was something I felt strongly about, especially when I opened my camera store, as I always thought that my lack of training in the arts was an impediment when making decisions. There were many questions that I wanted answers to, and I believed art school could provide a solution. After that, I went to a few open houses and spoke to some of the students and lecturers, which solidified my decision to return to school. I applied and went for the interview and was pleasantly surprised that Lasalle decided to take in a mature student like me. It was the best decision I’ve made, and I never looked back! 

Despite not being a digital native, Joanne joined the digital club at Lasalle

Was it hard to start studying again at the age of 34? 

I have to admit the journey to get my degree was quite the hurdle to climb. Firstly, juggling being a wife, mother, and daughter and being a student meant that I have to learn or at least try how to manage many different tasks simultaneously. However, my husband and family were supportive, helping me with any tasks whenever possible. The school lecturers also understood my time commitments and tried their best to provide any support they possibly could. 

Also, getting into the groove of learning has been challenging. When I joined Lasalle, it had been ten years since I hit the books. Hence it took a bit of time to return to an educational setting. However, the school, lecturers, and coursemates were supportive, and I did have honest conversations with them regarding my difficulties, and they were always there to lend a helping hand. 

What were some of your biggest challenges? 

One of the biggest challenges was keeping up with my younger peers who were really good with their software skills. I entered school with some knowledge of operating Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. However, I realised that that was not enough – learning how to make videos, edit photographs and create projects with Illustrator and other software was needed. However, my classmates and other seniors were always very kind to lend a helping hand and teach me how to use this software. I may still not be very proficient now, but I know at least how to operate the systems or troubleshoot whenever possible. 

I also had to compete with time to complete my tasks. Hence I had to rearrange my day to make sure that I had enough time to practise and spend time with Grace and my husband. Therefore, I would usually head directly to school and start working from 8.30am to 2.00pm. Afterward, I would head home and have lunch with Grace, complete some chores and accompany her for any classes or help with her schoolwork. After she would go to bed, I would start working again, mainly to research in the evenings from 9.00pm till about 1.00 to 2.00am. My day was stretched, and sometimes when assessments were around the corner, it could be pretty stressful. But somehow, it always worked out. 

Joanne back in the first year of Lasalle

Did you have an end-goal in mind? 

I hope that I will be able to practise as a visual artist or at least find a career within the arts scene if possible. Continuing this incredible journey for as long as possible would be fantastic. 

What’s next for you after your graduation? 

I plan to continue my practice and was very fortunate to be part of Supperhouse’s The World Is Flat After All in July, curated by Ashley Chiam. I was also a part of The Substation’s SeptFest 2022, a group show called Frequencies held at Figment Embassy House curated by Bridget Tay, alongside Arron Teo and Smiha Kapoor. I will also be showing at the 2022 edition of the Winston Oh Travelogue Award exhibition held at Lasalle curated by Adeline Kueh, where ten graduating artists from Lasalle’s BA(Hons) and MA Fine Arts programmes as well as two staff from Lasalle’s McNally School of Fine Arts were invited to respond to a field trip to Sarawak that we made in August. Apart from my practice, I have also provided freelance creative and administrative services to various artists and organisations.