Different perspectives

Different perspectives – reflecting on one’s tolerance over people holding different viewpoints

Growing up in Hong Kong in a Chinese household, I was encouraged to ‘reflect on my daily encounters at least 3 times a day’ (especially the mishaps). Perhaps it is this Chinese upbringing that teaches me to think deeply and try hard to make sense of things happening around me. I often feel so much better if I could figure out ‘WHY’.

I visited a private art gallery in Hawaii in Nov, 2007 and called myself a budding artist when asked by the gallery owner whether I would be interested to hold an exhibition there. My artistic journey began in Feb 2006. While recovering from a relapse of clinical depression, I went to a community college to learn to draw. For the first time in my life, I found a teacher who could say something positive about my drawings. My so called hidden artistic talent was allowed to surface. This new found competence stunned my high school friends, they hardly believed their eyes.

My humble ‘learn to draw’ story hinged on the fact that I mastered the skills to draw ‘what I see’ and not ‘what I think I see’ (for details of this technique, read Betty Edwards ‘Drawing on the Right side of the brain’). I really enjoy playing with the ‘push and pull’ technique to create images capable of tricking the brain to perceive two sets of visual image depending on whether your eyes ‘push the image in’ or ‘pull the image out’. (Have you every see the ‘Ugly old woman Vs the pretty young girl’ figure in an Into to Psychology textbook?) My friends said I was pretty good at this and this could be my personal style in creating artwork!

Last Fri evening I hosted the 3^rd meeting of the Naremburn Cammeray Anglican Church-Connect 09 Art Club at my place. I continued to draw this acrylic on canvas that I started a couple of weeks ago. Fellow art club members Judy and Melanie gave me some suggestions. I finished this piece the next day which I spent quite some time to make sure the trick of ‘push and pull’ was working (at least for my brain).

I looked and looked at the drawing to practise the change of perspectives. It’s a triumphant feeling to be able to do it!

Reflection of the day – people from various ethnic backgrounds growing up under different socialization process often perceive things differently (just logical). We can train ourselves to be more tolerant (I should say more respectful) of other cultural practices or customs by trying to see things from their perspectives (common sense?). Otherwise we won’t understand why people don’t do things our way.

Note: My simplified answer to the above question is - because they don’t see things our way!