I'm artistic, enough so to be a working artist in several media. Digital arts, watercolor, fabric arts (yeah, I sew), printmaking, graphic design. I also cook and am a working writer. My mother not only regularly throws away my art and writing...she openly threatened not to pay my tuition for college unless I majored in something she approved of. She doesn't approve of any creative field. So I have an undergraduate degree in a field I will never work in. (Political Theory/Pre-Law)

At the same time, my lack of formal art training is a major impediment to working in fields I'm good at...and she gives me grief over being underemployed and comparatively poor. (I'd apparently not have this problem if I'd listened to her and minored in Engineering instead of Creative-Writing/English.)

Note though, she wouldn't pay for law school either.

Your name is Chan. Sadly this is quite common with a lot of Asian families. I know coming from one that is 1/2 Asian. Actually my own family isn't like this but I know others in the family who are. Every culture has their flaws, Filial piety, tiger mothers, and the eternal debt you owe to family is one that Asian cultures share.

Last edited Mon Jul 15, 2013, 01:39 AM - Edit history (1)

Although the throwing away of your work and my mothers in my case seems particularly cruel IMO. In my mothers case I think it stems from some form of jealousy on my uncles part.

My parents are just country-club Republican types.