What is the best thing that I love about my work?

My work gives me the flexibility and freedom to just be me. I do not have to conform to what is required of me by others or to change myself to fit into society’s mold. I am doing things that I love and knowing that what I do has a positive impact on others is an indescribable feeling.

What is my idea of happiness?

Happiness is to me is enjoying time with myself doing the things that brings me joy and satisfaction. It is watching the rain fall while enjoying a hot cup of tea. It is coming back to a clean and comfy home and a warm homecooked meal is waiting for you. It is sharing your space with people who matters to you even if you have nothing to talk about. It is taking in that first bite of your favorite childhood dish after being away from it for so long. And it is knowing that someone out there understands, love and cherishes you the way you do for them.

What is my greatest fear?

To not have someone to share your inner self with. I do not open up easily, especially when it comes to how I feel, more so in recent years. Partly due to past unpleasant experiences and also being constantly misunderstood for the way I think and see things. In short, I’d rather not say anything at all. I do like my time alone and I value it but having someone to actually share your vulnerability, without any hesitation is priceless.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?

Being less assertive and too soft hearted -> delicate as a butterfly’s wings as how my friend once described me This has caused quite an inconvenienced for me in the past. I know being soft can have its merits but perhaps it is workable when healthy boundaries are in place.

Which living persons in my profession do I most admire?

I do not have any in particular as they all are a collective to me.

What is my greatest extravagance?

Buying myself a few vacation trips to Europe. It is a huge thing for me as from a young age, I had to cut short my university years to help to support my family and my younger brothers when they went for tertiary education. I never really got to do the things I wanted for myself during the earlier part of my life so my Euro trips meant a lot to me.

On what occasion would I lie?

The amount of chocolates that I eat haha!

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?

That it lacks the stability features of working in an office.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work?

I would say, it was during the first half of 2020 when one of my portrait illustration was chosen as a book cover and another one winning an award and being showcased at an online gallery exhibition. Being relatively new, less than a year, this is such a huge achievement for me to date.

If I could, what would I change about myself?

I used to think about this a lot when I was younger but now I don’t think I would want to change anything about myself. I’m uniquely made just like everyone of us and that alone, I feel, is good enough.

Where would I most like to live?

Somewhere quiet or in a European countryside where I do not see the Sun rays blazing down on me daily and preferably near a water source.

What is my most treasured possession?

I do have many that I’ve collected over the years but right now, it would be the baby pictures, novelties and sketches made by my children. I collect every single one of their drawings and I put them in a box. Every now and then I take them out and look at them and sometimes it is just to remember how it was like when they were babies.

What is my most marked characteristic?

Being a good listener, soft-hearted and quiet.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city?

My hometown is quite a famous historical island and to pin point one thing would be rather difficult.

If I were to choose it would be the “Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion” It tells the luxurious tales of the Straits Chinese (Peranakan Baba Nyonya – which I belong to) and part of the history of the island.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city?

Hawker food are found in abundance everywhere and depending on what you want to eat, so there isn’t any particular favorite place for me to dine.

What books influenced my life and how?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I read Wild Swans when I was 13 and over the years through adulthood, I realized how heavily influenced our lives are with culture and tradition to a point that it almost becomes a negative thing from certain aspects. Some are so outdated and orthodox that going against it, seems like being an ungrateful and unfilial child. That changed my perception about being a woman and relationships. The Alchemist came into my hands a few years ago. It’s a book that tells you to go after your dreams and if you do not go after it, you will spend your whole life regretting and wondering. “When you want something with all your heart, the entire universe conspires to help you get it”

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?

It won’t be any form of music but to hear the voices of my children, grandmother and mother for one last time.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?

Unfortunately, I do not have any

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life?

In real life, they would be my mother and my late-grandmother.

Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime?

The Godfather and Schindler’s List

What role plays art in my life and work?

Art is in everything we do. From the music that we listen to the meal that we cook and put on the table right to the way we speak. Art is very much ingrained in our daily lives only in different forms.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ mean to me?

I can create the life that I want and the opinion of what other’s think about it is not of my concern. I have to march to my own tune. Just like the lion in the forest. It does not yield and mind its own business even if it means being alone.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime?

As of now, I do not have anyone in particular.

Which people or companies would I like to work with in 2020?

I will answer this as something beyond 2020 and to come. I do not have any one in particular and rather I am just going with the flow. I don’t think I can afford to be that selective as someone new but I would very much like to work with people/companies that have the same values like mine.

What project, in 2020, am I looking forward to work on?

It is more of a long-term project that extends beyond 2020 and that is to continue on to build my presence and improve myself. That alone is a project by itself as self-improvement is a never ending one. The day you stop, is the day that you bury yourself spiritually and mentally.

Where can you see me or my work in 2020?

I post them all over my social media accounts mainly on LinkedIn and IG. If you have been following my accounts since this year, you would have seen the links to the online art exhibition that featured my art. I also have an online portfolio that gives a brief of my work. You can find it here: www.iammaureenfletcher.com

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?

There is passion in everyone of us. We display it in the things that we love to do. It can be as simple as a homecooked meal prepared lovingly for our family or the love that we have for our cherished one. We do not really stop doing the things that we love, do we? So, it never really retires

Which creative professionals should Peter invite to tell their story for the heroine’s journey or hero’s journey project?

Here on LinkedIn, I would say Aaron Towle, Waldys Foubelo, Marina Syntelis, Gregory Proch, Arthur Vilbert, Laurie Hill, Jaana Janhila, Dena Ackerman,

How can you contact me?

I’m spend my time mostly on LinkedIn and Instagram. You can find me there mostly unless I am taking a break from socializing (which I do every now and then)