For The Living

Introduce yourself!
Hello, my name is Charmaine, and I’m 24 this year. I graduated from the National University of Singapore doing theatre studies, so I’m very much into the arts, especially theatre. I also really like to crochet and like doing a lot of weird, artsy things. Right now, I’m into junk journaling, which is trending on TikTok, but it’s also a good reason for me to reuse old packaging, so I’ve been doing that a lot.

I also have a dog. Bobby, who’s 16 this year but is very small and tiny. He has a tongue that sticks out. If you don’t tell me to stop yapping, I’ll just keep going, by the way!

Oh, keep going! Why did you decide to pursue theatre specifically in school?
Oh, I’ve enjoyed theatre since I was a kid. I have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so I find it really hard to focus, but I realised that theatre stuff is the only thing that can capture my attention fully, which is when I started to dive more into it. I love the questions that it brings up, and the dialogues that it creates with audiences. It’s always nice to watch a show that really stays with you for a while.

That said, I am quite the film hater. The only films I watch are animated kids’ movies, with my top two being Ratatouille and Tangled.

Tell us about one such theatrical piece that has stayed with you for a while.
One that has stuck with me and one that I’ve been raving about is Secondary: The Musical. It’s an original musical by Checkpoint Theatre, helmed by weish who wrote, directed, and produced all of the songs. It was crazy and amazingly done—a very fresh local musical piece.

Funnily enough, even before I went into the arts, I actually thought about teaching and was a Ministry of Education (MOE) intern for a bit. I tutored and taught at schools and realised that with the current education system, there are a few things left to be desired. But Secondary was the first production to really hit those issues in the head and painted a really good, accurate picture of our local school system and showcased all of the stakeholders and how everyone is so tied down by this system. It was a very important piece of theatre.

Oh yes, we watched it too and feel the exact same way! It left us with loads to think about for days after. But for now, let’s talk a bit about your other interest then—crochet!
I think lowkey it was a COVID thing. Eh, or was it? No, sorry, I’ve only been dong it for two or three years (laughs).

I’ve found that it helps me focus, which is funny, right? I’ve treated crocheting as my fidget toy/activity for the past couple of years. I would even crochet secretly in lectures because it kept my hands busy, making it easier for me to listen in. But I also really enjoy making my own clothes and stuff. I always say that as a crocheter, you’re either an amigurumi (small stuffed toys) person or a wearables person, and I’m definitely a wearables person.

I like to express myself through my appearance, and I’m always happiest when I’m wearing the colourful things that I make.

Do you have a favourite colour?
Probably a combination of pink and yellow (which is basically orange), which is also how I would describe myself as a colour. Every time I ask my friends to associate me with a colour, these are the three colours they mention. I would like to think that I’m quite smiley and positive, and I’ve got a lot of energy, which is what keeps me running through life, shows, projects, and what not.

Last question: What are your hopes for 2025?
I hope to focus on self-investment this year. I know it’s a really big thing, but last year, I realised I kept trying to work on projects and other new things, but now I want to turn that energy towards myself.

I want to learn how to knit, and expand in the realm of fibre arts. I want to go for singing and dance classes, go to the gym like everyone else, and actually learn what self-care is all about. Because it isn’t just about bath bombs and journaling with candles lit—it’s also about staying home and taking a break from life when you need it.

I feel like our generation is very fast-paced, especially for us 20-25 year-olds. We just feel like we must achieve something before we turn 30, and that’s so tiring. So all the more we should take a break.