RAW
THE WORK
106
HOW PLUGGED IN ARE YOU?
AND DO YOU NEED TO GET AWAY
FROM ALL THAT INFORMATION/
SOCIAL MEDIA TO RELAX?
Oh dear, I’m always plugged in!
Although I do try to get away
from the interwebs from time to
time. During weekends, I try my
very best to spend face to face
awake time with my husband,
my family, my friends, my cat. I
also try to create art. I think I’ve
subconsciously loved hanging out
at The Curator because there’s
barely any signal there. Allows
me to converse with the baristas,
have some quiet alone time.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, YOU
POSTED A QUOTE ON YOUR
BLOG FROM “MAD MEN”
ABOUT RECOGNITION (IT WAS
DON DRAPER ADDRESSING
PEGGY OLSEN)*. DOES IT STILL
RESONATE OR HAVE AS MUCH
MEANING A YEAR LATER?
De Silva-Ong’s
cover art for
“Stupid is
Forever”
adobo magazine | July - August 2016
LOVED THE “NEW 27” LIST
YOU MADE ON YOUR BLOG
(CJDESILVA.COM) AFTER
YOU TURNED 27 IN AUGUST
2014. WHAT ITEM THERE IS
STILL ON TOP OF THE LIST?
I think “You can only control
yourself” cuts across all 27 items
that I’ve written before. I haven’t
perfected this but I try really hard to
remind myself of this. It’s proactive
point of view and surprisingly, the
least selfish of all. This thought/
mantra/motto allows me to be more
perceptive to others and practice
empathy. It also recalibrate me into
being more optimism because I can
focus on what I can work on, versus,
let’s say, what I cannot change.
Less frustration, more solutions.
Of course. Although I think through
the years, the context changes.
Same quote, probably different
life lesson. When I was younger, it
was about humility and patience.
A wake up call to throw away
all the youthful entitlement and
arrogance. Now that I’m older, it
reminds me of the importance of
relentlessness. Your commitment
should be stronger than any failure
you and your work will face.
*“You’re young, you will get
your recognition. And honestly, it
is absolutely ridiculous to be two
years in your career and counting
your ideas. Everything to you is
an opportunity. And you should
be thanking me every morning
when you wake up along with
Jesus for giving you another day.”