What he said.

Anxiety.

I was on my desk, siting, waiting, eager to speak to Peter. It's been on my mind for days. There's so many things that I wanted to know, wanted to ask because Peter is someone that I can really talk to out of everybody, really. Not Audrey, definitely not Hasnah, and it's too little to talk with Anthea. There's not much time left. I'm ending my internship on the 29th and I think I made the right choice of ending it. I think not only do I need to spend more time with my family but spend more time at home, in Ipoh. I think I won't have the chance like I used to. I only have around 20 days in Ipoh. Compared to 20 days getting less than 10 jobs in the office, I prefer to spend that 20 days at home. Not to say that I would do anything also, but at least I'm spending time at home. I would not have the chance when I graduated. I would want to apply myself for some internship in Melbourne, apply for PR and have the chance to work there.

Confused.

It's been hard for me in the last two months. Thinking of what I should be doing, worrying about the future. Not just that, the tough times I have with family, with parents, just the fact of being at home. Well, talking to Peter helps me to just get myself focused and to just understand what the future holds. Not to say that he doesn't really know what to say. But from what I remembered and to recalled what he said to me last Wednesday? Freelancing copywriting is not really what I should be doing unless i've established myself with few other companies and big brands, that is when you start to do freelance. Search for creative recruitments, they will help you to work at different companies, big or small, it's about building your portfolio. It's good that you can put any piece of writing in there. Rebranding some campaigns, the work you've done and not really the simple lines but ads that you have done. I think what people would look for is the ideas. Just take a brand and see what ideas you can bring to the table and advertise them, in terms of copy, not really with the visuals and all. Its hard when you are a copywriter and yet you need to know about designs and packaging when it's not really my thing.

I think the gist of what Peter was telling me that day was that you can do so many things, there's so many things out there that gives you an opportunity but it's good if you can start narrowing down what you want to do. His personal experience is that he didn't expect he would come to JWT in Kuala Lumpur and work at the things he is working now. I guess it all depends on the clients you will be working and the opportunities you get. Small companies gives you more things to do, more opportunities, more campaigns to work at but smaller clients whereas big companies gives you big clients but less work. This is an interns point of view. If I want to pursue something, read books on it. I gave my script for feedback and its really good that I can have feedback on the things I've done. For Peter, he did creative writing as a degree and after that he did not know what can he do, he went to the creative recruitments and found out about copywriter and this is what he has been doing ever since. He said he liked the people here, the culture, just that sometimes at work, it's a bit hard working with the directors. Sometimes it's just hard when you don't have something in common. In overseas, like in London, directors would take the ideas and push forward, they are more like a facilitators towards your ideas. Here in Asia Pacific, countries like Malaysia, directors would have their own thoughts on where they want to take the idea, so directors are more like the chooser? Most of the work copywriters and art director done either would not be accepted or just leave it aside. It's a very different perspective but all in all, it's just different companies and how different companies work.

I guess in every company, you get different types of environment, different types of people. So, when you have the chance to get yourself into different companies, that is the time when you get experiences. It certainly gives me some perspective in the future but I still don't really know what i'm suppose to do. I can't really set any goals yet for 2014. Maybe it's still early, maybe we just can't tell what the future is you know? Me and Peter we talked for almost an hour something. I'm trying my best to remember what he said. Ah, I should have just written out everything he said to me that day. I could have remember most of it while it's still fresh that day. All I can recall is that just read books that benefits you if thats the thing you pursue, gain more experience with internships and just build your portfolio to be able to get work. Other things that was said that day, I can't really remember. Just small little things like how does the company works, how JWT works, the different roles and the advantage and disadvantage working at JWT and generally being a copywriter.

What's next?

I bought a new journal. I don't know what can I use it for. It's still blank. I read the copy book 'How Some of the Best Advertising Writers in the World Write Their Advertising'. It's a great book. I should just start from there and just jot down every idea i have. Anyway, I can't believe Wednesday is my last day. Apart of me saying I should just continue working, part of me just want to stop and just give myself a break before the start of semester 1. Oh yah, if you guys didn't know, I wrote a short film movie script. It was my first ever script. It's cheesy but its okay. I'll try my best to edit it out and just make it a better script. Part 1 is finished and I'm currently working on Part 2. It's really hard doing this but i'll try my best. It's called Different People. Ask me for it if you want to read it.

Scriptwriter, Copywriter, Strategic Planner, Social Media Manager, Market Researcher, maybe even some jobs in production. These are some of the jobs I have in mind if I were to find a job. Since now, i've done copywriting and starting to learn on being a social media manager and quite like the idea of strategic planner also writing my own scripts. I'm planning to find an internship on being a strategic planner/market researcher in Melbourne, in companies like Mindshare/Nielsen? Something like that. From there, I'll just see what I can do from there. Definitely I will want to do my IELTS and hopefully apply for PR. I hope I don't give people pressure or saying until like I'm some guy who only cares about his career. In person, I don't boast about my career or the work i'm doing or anything like that. I just think it's good to put things into perspective and to just have a goal to reach for. I guess in 2014 the things I would be doing are:

1. Complete my script and learn how to write a better script.
2. Developed another story if I complete my first script early.
3. Buy a bike and travel around Melbourne.
4. Be healthy and just cook more often and exercise more often.
5. To just get to the bottom line of what I want to do next. (internship/PR/work)

That's my goals so far. As long as it's doable.

Believe.

I didn't really get myself involved with God that much nowadays. It might be a sad thing that I so wish that I can have a relationship with Him but I guess for me it's like, I know what is right and what is wrong, I can distinguish what you need and what you don't need. All that I ever needed to enrich my life with God is reading the bible and sacrifice more of myself to God but I just can't seem to do it and maybe I'm just doing it the wrong way. Not to say that I'm distancing myself from Him but if anyone comes up to me and say something about God or anyone who is in doubt, who is in trouble, I know the right words to comfort them with the Word of God. Planetshakers conference that night was like an inspiration. I know what I needed to do but it's all about confidence and commitment. It applies to every single thing that I do. If I commit myself, to be discipline, to build my confidence, then only can make words to action, goals to action. What I got from Peter is that whatever I do has to be based on the sense of being proactive and just pursue with interest. Set myself to do what I really want to do and just focus on it till the very end.

Updates.

I'm still not doing much work in the office. Got jobs for Ford which is a treat. Thank you, Peter. Read my script, gave me jobs to do, gave me feedback, talked to me about personal experiences, writing me a reference letter. Hasnah gave me work on Friday. I thank you for the job, but working with her is really discouraging, everything I do is either rejected or not clear to her. Unlike Ravi and Peter, things are less stressful and just it's fun to do work even though the things given are more or less boring. Audrey is quite busy so can't really get work from her, working with her is also stressful because you need to perform and it's not really fun, it's more stressful, same like Hasnah but much better than Hasnah. Personal Opinion. I don't really know whether to stay in Kl more often or stay in Ipoh, since all of my friends are in KL. Can't wait for Chinese New Year, reunion with the families! Cut down on my intake of sweets. Trying to stop eating Chinese New Year cookies. Reading a lot of copy books lately, should stop and read other books. Just want to exercise and get fit really quickly, this annoying accusation of me being fat is really getting on my nerves. It's been hard dealing with my family especially my parents but it's alright, criticism well taken and trying to my best to understand an be the best son. Sometimes I just don't want to talk cause you don't want any arguments to start it off but I think i'm handling it well. So just hope nothing major like the car talk again. I just want to rest, and just relax and just take a time out and just be lazy. I've been working or being under the influence of stress and a lot of criticism. Anyway, I want to learn this piece for Valentine's day and hopefully I can play this for someone. Sing and play piano at the same time. Hard thing to do but I will try. Oh, that day, sang karaoke with Tekyi was so relieving till I got sad. Its because it's so relieving that you just get rid of all the walls and all the limits you put yourselves into. It's different when you let yourself go like that. So yah, till then.