If you grew up in an Asian household, chances are that you’ve been told by family members to pursue an education so that you can secure a well-paying and respected job.
Thus, if you were to tell them that your decision is to drop out of college and do something else, it would be considered something almost unforgivable. However, this was what one young woman did and she has never looked back since.
Dropping out of college
32-year-old Nadiah Yan was one such person who decided to go down a path that most would never dare dream of doing – opting to quit college and embark on a journey to becoming a self-taught contemporary artist.
Speaking to WeirdKaya, Nadiah said she, like many, continued her tertiary studies after completing SPM by enrolling in the Foundation in Business program at Taylor’s University.
Unfortunately, her time in the program was relatively brief, where it lasted for only one semester before she decided to call it quits.
I’m the kind of person who thrives on action and hands-on experience. The thought of sitting still for hours in a traditional academic setting just didn’t align with my personality.
“On top of that, I had a burning desire to start making money all on my own. As such, I made the bold move of dropped entirely out of college and dove headfirst into the real world.
“I wanted to get my hands dirty, face real challenges, and grow in ways that no classroom could offer,” she said in an exclusive interview.
Turning to abstract art
Nadiah said that her family had no particular attachment to the arts, which was why it was such a shock for both her family and herself when she chose to dive deep into abstract paintings.
The journey started when I felt the need to change the art wall in my living room. Coming from a non-artistic background, I stumbled upon the incredible potential of a blank canvas.
“The prime reason why I went specifically for abstract painting was due to my background in architecture and intense love for interior designing.”
However, this is not to say that Nadiah never faced any challenges. When she made the decision to drop out out college, it dawned on her that she could never step back into the traditional job market due to her lack of a professional certificate.
Additionally, she frequently found herself comparing to her friends who were continuing their studies and enjoying some form of stability in their lives.
I spent a lot of time feeling confused and uncertain about my path, which I believe was my biggest challenge throughout my journey.
“Furthermore, I wasn’t known for my artistic skills so when I told my family about my decision to pursue abstract art, they had doubts over my abilities and laughed it off.
“In our society, pursuing art is often associated with the ‘starving artist’ stereotype, and that had my family being a bit skeptical initially.
“Thankfully, they started to put more faith in me once they started to see noticeable positive developments in my career,” she said.
No easy path to success
Nadiah explains that there’s no specific formula when it comes to success. For her, one of the keys in achieving that is to create opportunities for oneself instead of waiting for them to fall into one’s lap.
“The greatest quality one can have is to have the willingness to try out new things in life, and that’s what made me the person I am today.
“I started off selling abstract art paintings online, and being the only few to do so in Malaysia, my business quickly boomed and I was later recognised by Saatchi Arts, an international art-selling platform.
I absolutely made the right choice in pursuing what I’m passionate about and there’s nothing that will change my mind about that.
For Nadiah, her work goes beyond being a mere collector of sculptures. She hopes it will become a global story—one that knows no borders and resonates with people all around the world.
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