The major we take in college does not always lead us to a uniform profession.
One of them is Andre Patio Sinaga, who completed his studies majoring in psychology at the University of Indonesia and is now working in the entertainment world. However, upon reflection, Andre thought that as long as he was still involved in human relations, the psychology he had studied would always provide benefits. Because humans are complex creatures that they have to deal with.
How do theories in psychology help Andre in carrying out his profession as a fashion stylist and creative director? What do these young people who graduated from college two years ago want to achieve in the future? Take a closer look at Andrew's success journey in the article we present this time only on KARENA.ID
Choosing a College Major Based on Parents' Expectations
Of course Andre is not the only person who made his college major based on his parents' expectations. There are so many people going through something similar. Some of them are in the right profession, but there are also those who remain successful after changing direction.
It's true, going to college that doesn't match your passion might be seen as an obstacle. However, Andre chose not to abandon his dream of working in the fashion industry. So, in the middle of the lecture period, precisely in the 4th semester, Andre started his career as a fashion stylist.
Apart from Andre's talent and taste in the field of fashion, supported by a potential environment, Andre has succeeded in influencing figures in the entertainment field, by helping them put together the perfect outfit combination. So, after graduating from college, Andre can focus on continuing his career as a fashion stylist.
Was his psychology degree a waste? Andre doesn't think so. Because, when working on styling, for example. Andre is dealing with humans who have different preferences. Andre admits that psychological knowledge has helped him to read more sensitively what his clients' tastes and desires really are.
In psychology, there are terms visible and invisible behavior. When accepting a project, Andre will first look for invisible behavior from his client. Starting from finding out their track record, social media; from Linked In to Instagram, until Andre got a conclusion that he could use as a reference. It doesn't end there, Andre will then invite them to do a brainstorming and Andre will use the meeting to analyze their visible behavior.
Andre added, as long as he is still dealing with humans, the psychology background he has studied will always provide benefits.
Psychology helps Andre to be able to read more sensitively to clients' tastes and desires.
Actively Campaigning for 'Self Love'
In between his work, Andre admitted that he was interested in campaigning for efforts to love oneself by using the hashtag #SundaySelfLove. The goal is to invite more people to pay attention to mental health.
Currently, Andre has seen many people also carrying out campaigns to increase awareness of mental health. However, of all these campaigns, Andre found that many of them focused on negative mental health; a kind of escape.
Some of them involve cutting parts of their own body until they sink into depression. In contrast to these things, Andre wants to invite people to be more aware of the importance of mental health, at least starting with themselves first.
What motivated Andre to move this campaign? Namely his own mental health. Andre realized that he was not one hundred percent mentally healthy. However, he has succeeded in finding a coping mechanism, or an appropriate effort to escape from pressure. Andre knows what he needs to do to survive the pressure that makes him stressed.
Currently, there are still many people who do not consider this as something important. Andre thinks that there are differences between generations that have led to previous generations not considering this as something that needs to be discussed. Meanwhile, Andre and the current generation, because they have been exposed to various types of information, have become more aware of the importance of paying more attention to this matter.
What makes the difference between whether someone is mentally healthy or not? According to Andre, everyone has their own problems and it is very natural that occasionally these problems make our mood down. A healthy mentality can recognize the root of the problem and immediately overcome it, without dwelling on sadness. Meanwhile, a healthy mentality will allow itself to sink deeper and if it lasts more than three months, this is categorized as a state of depression.
What someone can do regarding mental health problems is to be open. Open up to yourself, learn to recognize the causes of problems. Then, open up to the people closest to you, share the burdens we are feeling with those we can trust.
Next, if you don't feel better, we are advised to consult a professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. Andre thinks it is time for us to normalize people's decisions to seek professional help regarding mental health.
“Be open to yourself, learn to recognize the causes of problems. Then, open up to the people closest to you, share the burdens we are feeling with those we can trust. “ - Andre Patio Sinaga
More Developing in the Entertainment World
Apart from being a fashion stylist, after graduating from college, Andre also became a creative director. Andre helps workers in the creative and entertainment industries to design a concept according to their needs, even if they intend to re-brand, Andre is ready to help.
Starting from the concept of the image they want to build, the image they want to have in their work, to the artwork on their album or mini album. Vidi Aldinao, Sheryl Sheinafia, Noura, RAN, Budi Doremi are the names of musicians who have worked with Andre. However, Andre never feels too busy to do everything. He is still open to new opportunities.
In the future, Andre dreams of becoming a radio broadcaster. Andre admits that he wants to develop further in the entertainment world, so he tries to have a lot of influence through various methods and channels. In order to make his dream come true, apart from becoming a radio broadcaster, Andre also hopes to have his own TV show. Currently, he is starting his struggle to achieve his dream by creating his own podcast series.
The focus of the discussion is to present the point of view of friends who are currently in a quarter life crisis, a term for those who are not yet classified as professionals, but have started to become part of the productive generation that professionals demand in the world of work.
Like a machine, Andre makes the analogy that humans have internal spare parts and external spare parts. The inner parts he means are inner, mental and spiritual things. While the external spare part is the body. So far, Andre thinks people only focus on caring for external spare parts. When we find a few symptoms, we will be responsive to seeing a doctor.
However, when there are problems with internal spare parts, such as anxiety disorders and mental stress, we often ignore them. This is dangerous because it can damage human function. To be able to work optimally, to pursue the goals we dream of, Andre advised us to take good care of both parts of ourselves.
Has Andre's story sparked your enthusiasm to immediately analyze your own mental health? So, what dreams do you want to achieve immediately with a healthy body and mind? You can find other articles at KARENA.ID.