Start of the first week of December 2023, also the final month of Year 2023, in four weeks time, we would be saying goodbye to YR2023 and hello YR2024. I had initially planned to publish this updates, consolidations and wrapping up from both personal and professional perspectives in the photography, heritage, arts and travel segments. Not only did I face quite a fair bit of writers block, on top of many things going on inside my mind and my ongoing work stuff that hindered my writing.
As I managed to break free from my writer’s block, I worked on getting as many things written out here below. First and foremost, let’s start with – Consolidations.
Consolidations
In the photography, heritage, arts, and travel segments, it is first and foremost consolidations. My backlogs had already piled up, I need to make priority in clearing them, from my heritage, history, arts, followed by visual storytelling and photography reviews.
On the arts and creative segments, I am working on Tension (part 2) by House of VSE, interview articles with creative artists Wei and Karolina. Another big visual story is on Yip Yew Chong’s “I Paint my Singapore”, hopefully he would agree to do an interview article for my publication. There is also a contemporary paper art exhibition by artist Lee Bul at STPI that I aim to publish as well.
On the heritage sectors, the exhibitions that I attended at the different museums, sharing my stories, thoughts, views and the photos.
Beyond the balancing my consolidations and clearing of backlogs on my photography, heritage, arts and travel sectors, there also consolidations in my technology, business, marketing and personal sectors that you can read here on my TGH Technology and Business website.
Updates
Next up, a few updates. The uncertainties and slowdown in the economy can be felt, some of my peers in the photography sectors have also been affected, some are doing pretty good and alright. My photography business is also affected, the hustle of running a small business can be pretty straining and stressful.
On top of building more partnerships/collaborations with videographers, filmmakers, production houses, agencies, I am also looking at diversifying half of my photography business and entering into the start ups (can be fin-tech, sustainability or travel related) industry together with digital marketing/social media marketing/content creation with my photography and videography.
Some folks out there might not agree with my and style of working/running a small business. I feel the potential and focus would be in the content creator space, with videos in TikTok taking more precedence over other forms. I am planning to expand my content creation in travel writing, travel photography and travel vlogs (TikTok and YouTube).
The time, labour and building networks into travel photography over the years, my travel writing, travel photography and content creation might bear some fruits soon, keeping my fingers crossed. Meanwhile, I am planning my first real travel break (hopefully in Q1 2024) since the global pandemic period.
Wrap Up
While some people might be slowing down in the month of December, going for family holiday trips, I find myself unable to be like them. For me, I initially wanted to plan a short trip away from Singapore. However, prices weren’t exactly favourable, accompanied by quite a lot of people travelling for holidays overseas, and I haven’t finish clearing up my loose ends and backlogs, I decided to postpone it.
December 2023 is firstly consolidations, clearing backlogs and wrapping up my YR2023. The year 2023 in review would come later in Q1 2024, let me wrap up my December 2023 with bits and pieces of writing my review for YR2023. Not to forget, I am also looking for my Yearly Theme for YR2024.
Final Sprint 2024
Now is the final sprint to end of YR2023, no matter the ups and downs that I went through in my earlier 11 months or 48 weeks prior to this, I want to finish YR2023 on a high, on a good note and to start off YR2024 on a correct footing. What lies ahead in YR2024 is still unknown for all of us, we do expect a more difficult and challenging economy, on top of geo-politics and climate change issues.
May you also have a good run to the finishing line of YR2023!