a leftist walks into Steem and attempts to monetize - an introduction post

hello one and hello all! I’m Aisyah, from Singapore, and for verification:

(If there are any concerns about why this picture doesn't resemble my icon: I dye my hair about once a month, or once every two months.)

I understand that there’s a great lack of Asian representation in general, and some (allow my self-indulgent ass to imagine I actually do have an audience) might possibly be wondering a) what’s Singapore? and b) what are you?

Singapore’s a tiny island at the tip of the Malay peninsula, in Southeast Asia, so it’s right under Malaysia. We straddle the equatorial lines quite neatly, so it’s not our 33 degree celsius temperatures that kill us, it’s the humidity.

I’m Malay- another name for it is Austronesian, who are the ancestors of Polynesians (so Moana came from me, basically). I’ve Javanese, Boyanese, Bugis (who were known as bloodthirsty pirates, wicked) (these are all grouped as Malay) and Cantonese blood (which is Chinese) so in that sense, I’m not purely Malay. I am visibly brown, still, and treated as such. Of course, feel free to talk race relations with me- I’d love to hear your opinions on the evolution of race as a concept and its role as a boundary maker rather than anything genetic or scientific.

(This is me and a bunch of friends in traditional dress: I especially adore the juxtaposition of the traditional and the modern.)

If you couldn’t already tell, I’m a Sociology student, with Psychology as a first major. I’m uber interested in how the human experience is shaped, by both societal quirks and individual traits. I’m a fan of the humanities in general, with media (and especially fantasy/sci-fi) being my favourite medium to explore them. Expect a lot of nerd on my Steem: I’m always quick to do analyses of world-building and character studies. An an ENTP, the more I love something, the more vocal I am in criticising it.

I came to Steem on a friend’s recommendation (hi Ryan!) because he understood that I’m a content creator, which is odd, since I’ve never seen myself in that light before. But I’m interested in how Steem runs, and of course, the financial incentive is a main draw. In this I’m trying to benefit from my work, and yet still curb spending, but we all know how that goes. I’m a leftist, though I’ve yet to read any of the big white commie dudes’ works, and I abhor consumerism and capitalism even as I’m navigating a life that inevitably deals with it, given that I live in a capitalist society.

I’m dabbling in makeup and fashion, so let’s see if that leads anywhere, should I actually earn from Steem. Favoured styles includes the 70s-90s, and I’m a staunch worshipper of the art hoe movement. You can read more about that here: http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/25862/1/the-new-art-movement-empowering-poc

Yours truly is also the editor-in-chief of a local-based, sociopolitical zine called The Local Rebel. We’re apparently “radical” for educating and empowering the youth, which includes providing a platform on discourse re: social issues. (To give some context, Singapore’s media is heavily censored, and we still have colonial hangovers that includes a law that criminalizing homosexuality.) I’ve faced quite a bit of backlash for this involvement, both online and offline, so I’ll probably use Steem to talk about the perils of activism, as well as what it’s like to own a magazine.

Other interests I feel I should mention: DC comics, watercolouring, poetry & youth activism. I'll likely blog about mental health (seeing as I live with depression and anxiety), university life, community service (though this is the only time I will call it that, to make clear what most people understand it as: my residential college/dorm emphasizes community engagement, which is quite different), and being a #millennial.

If you made it this far, congratulations and thank you! The length of this post probably underscored any narcissistic tendencies I may or may not have, so do with that information what you will.

You can also follow me on Twitter @vibewrecker or on Instagram @aiswater