The Art Faculty
Our team is taking part in A Very Special Photo Challenge to support Autism Resource Centre (Singapore). Join us in raising funds to empower ARC's beneficiaries to lead independent and meaningful lives. Donate through our team profile - thank you for your support!
My Photo Challenge
Colourful Neurodivergence
Just like this one hydrangea plant that processes varied pH levels from its soil, your brain and mine process information differently. Like these multicoloured hydrangeas, we all contribute in different ways, with a variety of vibes. The roots near to acidic soil (pH below 6) created this lone blue hydrangea. The roots in alkaline soil (pH above 7) fed the rest of these pink and red hydrangeas. All through the same stem of the same plant. We are not horrified by this. We are fascinated. We think they are beautiful. It begs the question – is it that daunting for us to admire diversity and neurodiversity for its inherent variety and beauty?
Co-working Squad
I sometimes co-work with my friends and Harry. Grateful that we can still be productive remotely – individually or as a squad. It adds variety to the work week. We give and take good energy off one another. A chance to witness what goes on in our lives during the work week, too. It helps too that we discovered a cool workspace– Paper Plane Project– that comes with proper desks, comfortable chairs, great café/bar and a disco ball (DJ comes on after hours). We all need to find our tribe. A tribe that you can even sit together in silence. Just one’s presence can be fulfilling for another. That is a fundamental squad goal.
🫢 Squad Or Squat Goals?
Meet our Squad – a team made stronger by our different abilities 💪🏼 Some of us have benefitted from Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)’s programmes to empower adults on the autism spectrum to lead independent and meaningful lives.
Now, through A Very Special Photo Challenge 2025, we’re raising funds to help transform even more lives. Please support us by donating - every precious dollar helps us sustain programmes.
Unexpected Kindness
Harry and I happened to be away when the aftershocks of the Myanmar earthquake hit Bangkok. Unexpectedly, the staff at our condo took it upon themselves to check on the well-being of our pet cat Whisky the first moment the building was assessed to be safe to enter. We were utterly grateful for this unexpected kindness – someone thought of Whisky and sprang into action.
How many hearts can you spot?
❤️ It takes a village to make a real impact. Will you join us in being kind and support the autism community?
Distance & Space
I am grateful for simply joys – the taste of food without the interference of sauces, the intermittent chatty meows of my cat sitting next to my laptop as I work – unassuming moments that one can take for granted. I do not take for granted this view I have from my work/dining table. It is a simple joy to just train my eye far into the distance, wondering what building is which. Effortless (and beneficial) eye breaks from my on-screen work. Take it up a notch, stand up, stretch, peer out further and take in the space. Simple joys.
Happier together!
This week’s theme on things that warm our hearts was pretty easy – for us, it’s being together! Celebrating birthdays is one way for us to gather and share conversations & laughter over delicious food 🍕
To Thrive, Choose Chill.
It was one of those intense day with work tasks that motivated me to take to the pool. It was less about the laps, but more about the refreshing temperature, some movement and being alone with my thoughts. I paused at one end of the pool, removed my goggles, and a boy of about 8 years old stepped up to the edge of the pool. I looked up at him. He had a full cast on his right arm; a recent fracture perhaps. Gleefully, he tossed a small leaf into the pool to watch it float on the water. He took a confident step and plunged in fully clothed, shoes and all. It took a couple of seconds for me to clock that he had no intention to swim, nor was he able to. I grabbed him, extracted him from his struggle and hoisted him back on dry land. A man, I’d assume to be his father, rushed to him uttering the boy’s name. The boy giggled and stared at his father. No words, but just a puzzled, slightly perplexed look on his father’s face. I felt the exasperation, but the boy was delighted. I recognised it. The father made a choice to not react. He thanked me and left promptly with his still giggling son. I felt safe to assume that the boy might be on the autism spectrum and probably non-verbal. He likely was convinced he could float on the water like his leaf. Not all moments are teaching moments. Maybe the man felt that his son has learnt sufficiently from the shock of sinking and gulps of pool water. His father chose to chill, so his son can thrive.
Our go-to activities and places to keep calm!
Here’s our team’s take on activities and places that bring them peace - listening to music, writing, enjoying nature, travelling and going to Jewel Changi! What’s yours?
☕☕
We’re so thankful to have ArtBar Café right at our workspace where we can grab our daily cup of coffee or ice cold drink ☺️ Essential for contemplation and hydration. Essential for training new baristas!
Essential Rituals
As a neurotypical, from the moment I wake up, I have a very fixed routine. Sparing you the details, I complete the same itinerary of taking the same optimised routes in the apartment for morning chores – making the bed, picking up the cat’s bowls, sequence of cupboards opened to retrieve items, every task and micro execution – I get discombobulated if these are deviated from. Even my weekday WFH salad lunch has exactly the same leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, chicken – same prep steps, complete with finishing with a mug of coffee with Hup Seng Crackers. If all these provide local coherence and sense of secured successes for me, I would love to think rigid routines can provide essential respite and self efficacy for many neurodivergent individuals. Seek first to understand. We all can be a little more analytical, instead of reacting to seemingly inconvenient stubbornness. Personal rituals are soothing self-care.
OUR DONATIONS
$200.00
Elaine&Ray donated to Victor Ong
Your talent and dedication to cause is inspiring Vic ❤️
$1,000.00
Kemia Pte Ltd donated to The Art Faculty
$50.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
$1,000.00
Clarissa Wee donated to The Art Faculty
$100.00
Jerlyn Lim donated to The Art Faculty
You will never walk alone!
$100.00
Daryl donated to The Art Faculty
$1,000.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
Keep up the awesome work!
$100.00
Broccoli donated to The Art Faculty
Just a small act, but it can make a big difference.
$300.00
Henry donated to The Art Faculty
Go shine!
$300.00
Jac donated to The Art Faculty
Keep capturing beauty, pushing boundaries, and sharing your vision.
$1,000.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
$1,000.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
$500.00
Lynn donated to The Art Faculty
Great team great cause!
$100.00
Mdm Soh donated to The Art Faculty
Jiayou TAF!
$500.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
$1,000.00
Melz donated to Victor Ong
You make the world a better place because you're in it. Glad to support the cause and thank you for sharing. Hope that our society will be warm, kind, and compassionate, where everyone feels like they belong.
Loving your photos and stories, Vic. Thanks for sharing your reflections.
$50.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
Appreciate all your work for this community!
$100.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
Go TAF! Continue doing great things for the autism community 💜
$1,000.00
Steven Lim donated to The Art Faculty
$500.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
$350.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
$100.00
Anonymous Donor donated to The Art Faculty
$100.00
Ong Teck Chye donated to Victor Ong
Jia you! Thank you for being so kind and generous with us and others !
$100.00
Anonymous Donor donated to Victor Ong
$50.00
Anonymous Donor donated to Victor Ong
$50.00
Jj donated to Victor Ong
CHALLENGE MILESTONES
Raised so far
$427,164.32
Our goal
$1,000,000
Challenge Ends in
4066
Donations
257
Participants
31
Teams