The Art of Possibility

The Art of Possibility

Danny Raven Tan painting in his own gallery, 2017.

 

A person who owns a gallery in their own house in Singapore, whose mother has dementia and who went through pancreatic cancer is still here, Danny Raven Tan doing what he loves – art.

 

He wasn’t always doing what he loves though.

 

When he first got out of university, his job was a normal, stable job: property managing. Tan had big dreams, wanting to create a designer hotel- but soon gave up on it, merely because he was impatient that his dream wasn’t happening.  

 

Only eight percent of people achieve their goals, one of the reasons being because they commit to their goals till it is accomplished. Why are people giving up on their goals so easily?

 

According to the University of Scranton, we should be setting goals that are specific and challenging, but not too hard as we wouldn’t be able to accomplish it, and that we need to be committed to the end.

Tan shouldn’t have given up, his dream of designer hotels became reality, but not by him. He soon saw on the news that a new designer hotel has been created. Despite this, he still continued working in the same field.

 

“God said- ‘Trust my timing’” Danny Raven Tan mentioned. In saying this, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2010. Going through a seven-hour operation, several hours and hours of chemo, getting sick of it and not wanting to continue, he didn’t.

 

Tan didn’t tell his parents anything about his cancer. He states, “What’s the point? I don’t want them to worry even more”. He told them an excuse, trying to convince himself that it was the real reason.

 

He was sinking into depression. The chemo was too much for him. Trying to get back to his normal life, he kept telling the doctors to stop, so they did.

 

A study shows that ninety-two percent of people give up on their dreams, just like Danny Raven tan, he wanted to give up.

 

But he didn’t.  

 

Danny Raven Tan did survive. He stated that he believes, “God gives his toughest battles to his best soldiers”, and with this mentality, he carried on with his life. To him, it was a very eye-opening story. Tan got a tattoo on his scar, covering the nightmare that he relieved over and over again, every day.

 

Every scar has a story, and he lived to tell his.

 

Ninety percent of people believe that success is more about happiness than power. Tan tried to move on and not give up, he believes anything is possible as long as you try. So even after everything, Tan still moved on and continued on with his life.

 

At the age of 48, Danny Raven Tan believed that he had reached his turning point. He quit his job as a property manager, he started to paint and he bought a flat. He finally felt like his life was under control again. Tan gave up the power, to make himself happier, doing what he loves- creating art.

 

Tan got to spend more time with his mother and pursue the thing he loves the most – art. He owns a personal gallery in Singapore, open to anyone to see and even possibly purchase the artworks being showcased. Creating art is one of his passions, and what he loves doing the most. He continues to live life to the fullest while painting.

 

Danny Raven Tan’s works have been purchased by collectors from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, UK and even USA.

A study shows, that sixty percent of people, define success as loving what you do for a living. Danny Raven Tan would say that he has become more successful over the past couple of years.

 

Anything was possible with Danny Raven Tan. He continued to work and work even after all his struggles to get to the point where he is now.

 

After the battle of pancreatic cancer and a job that he didn’t really love, Danny Raven Tan managed to finally do what he loves with creating art in his own gallery, which he didn’t even think he would ever do, even while he was still working at his past job. That is the art of possibility.

 

There are many things that we dream to do that we think we can not do. Looking from the view of someone who has dealt with a lot of problems, they would say otherwise. We tend to choose things that seem the best for us when we could be considering, what if I can do what I love for a living?   

 

Tan believes that life is nothing without art, and to exist without art would be merely surviving, not living.

 

“We were all created to create something,” Danny Raven Tan strongly voiced, “The worst thing, is to live in regret.”

 

Bibliography:

Schwantes, Marcel. “Science Says 92 Percent of People Don’t Achieve Their Goals. Here’s How the Other 8 Percent Do.” Inc.com, Inc., www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/science-says-92-percent-of-people-dont-achieve-goals-heres-how-the-other-8-perce.html.

TAN, Danny Raven, and Danny Raven TANSingapore. “BELIEF (信) (2017) Painting by Danny Raven TAN.” Saatchi Art, www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-BELIEF-2017/844968/3362735/view.

“Danny Raven Tan.” The Artling, theartling.com/en/artists/danny-raven-tan/.