I just watch two different life changing and thought provoking documentary: Cowspiracy and Minimalism on Netflix.

All my life, I’ve been thought living life the wrong way. What is a successful life? Back in Singapore, we were taught being successful- owning 5 Cs. Condominium, Credit Cards, Country Club and Cash. When you achieved these 5 Cs, you are considered a successful person. These 5 Cs were influenced by the American dream. We were taught to climb this corporate ladder, to make as much money as possible so that we can buy whatever we want- own bigger house, bigger car and if you are successful enough- own a bigger yacht. This American dream is killing our our planet and the environmental system, it is causing climate change.

1. Fast Fashion

We are too materialistic in the everyday sense of the word and we are not at all materialistic enough in the true sense of the word. We need to be true materialists, like really care about the materiality of goods. Instead we are in a world in which material goods are so important for their symbolic meaning, what they do to position us in the status system based on what advertising or marketing says they are about.- Juliet Schor

We are throwing things away not because it is no longer usable but because it no longer has social value of it is no longer fashionable. Fast fashion means higher demand in consuming goods- getting the latest trend fashion clothes in store and getting the last technology product. For example- how often an average person change their mobile phone, probably once every 2 years when our contracts end. We change our phones not because our phone is not working, but because of the way the telecom company advertise to sell their products.  We upgrade our phone whenever our telecom company tells us to ( the agency doesn’t belong to us!)

Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but what one owns- Jimmy Carter

2. Meat consumption

I was shocked to learn that animal agricultural is the no.1 cause of pollution. Did you know that Methane has a global warming potential 86 times that of CO2 on a 20 year time frame? and cow produce 150 billion gallons of methane per day. 2500 gallons of water are needed to produce 1 pound of beef! More facts on animal agricultural pollution here 

We cannot handle the demands of our overpopulated world and everything is changing. Food microbiologist are experimenting different ways to substitute food. Food isn’t the same anymore, i guess we will reach a point of time where food is not real. Let’s take milk for example- right now we have soy, almond, rice milk to substitute cow’s milk. I read this somewhere, I cant remember where but if we don’t stop pollution, sooner or later, we will be starting climate war where countries goes on war for resources.

Why am I blogging about this? Because everything that I was taught was a big fat lie. The American dream is not working. people are consuming more things to fill their discontentment. We work our ass off to buy expensive things that we don’t need or things that will go out of trend in a short period of time. This whole system about life is wrong and we need to look at life at a different perspective. We need to rewind and rethink the definition and meaning of things to make it right or rather to make things better. Which links to the purpose of our studio, using different techniques and approach to learn the meaning of an object all over again. To find a different connection, meaning and metaphor of what it could do. Looking at things with a different perspective and reworking things on this fast changing world. Because the world is never fully right, there isn’t just one way to do things or one way to live our lives. There are different methods and relation to things around us.

Before watching these 2 documentary I thought I would never make it big or earn enough money in the film industry. I considered changing industry, a more corporate establishment so that I can earn a steady income. I was wrong. If I could ever produce documentaries such as Cowspiracy and Minimalism, I think I will be contented with my life.

This is probably my longest post.