Glimpse of my future, Savory crepes, and immoral activities.

When I was in my freshman year in university, I was so sure that I would end up doing work that’s related to film, but then I ended up enlisting for an advertising class come sophomore year. I ended up assessing what I want… again. It left me more confused/sure than ever.

Last Friday, I had the chance to visit Leo Burnett in Makati. It was a short tour, but it was great. The employees were hilarious and accommodating! I wish we were given more time to talk to them, alas, we had to be back at Ateneo by 5 PM. But I stayed behind with two of my blockmates, and we wandered around Makati, so we could eat crepes (teehee).

While the tour was interesting, I still don’t know what to do with my life, but the only thing that I’m sure of is that I want to be involved in the creative side of whatever it is I’m doing. So when my mom asked me about the tour, I told her just that… how I feel strongly about being in a creative field, and that being part of the creative staff in an advertising agency is an option. Oh my god, she had a shitload of things to say about it, and it made me want it even more.

It started out as a serious conversation about advertising agencies, and then it turned into a sermon. She warned me of the perils of being in creative work. How people who work in creatives have tattoos, take drugs to “inspire” them, how they work long hours, how they party like wild beasts, and how they want to get into my pants. What. What. WHAT.

My mom was basically saying that being in creatives was like being friends with the devil. She kept on saying that kind of job will only lead me to “immoral activities.” It was ridiculous. I don’t know if it made me love/loathe my mom more. I know she means well, and I’m thankful that I can (generally) have open conversations with my mom, but everything she said was silly.

I wish she’d stop undermining creative work. I wish she’d stop generalizing people who find themselves in that kind of work. Yes, some of them have tattoos, some of them party hard, but none of that is indicative of who they are as people and as employees. Even if they do engage in iffy behavior, it’s none of my business.

They are doing what they like, and they are damn good at it. I admire people like them for taking the road less traveled. I find that brave… plunging in, and not looking back. I wish I could do that some day.

So you know what mom, thanks for the warning, but you’re not scaring me. In fact, thanks for making me feel excited about the future.