Start here: The webpage of VOOYA, an institution that aims to help young people find out their true passions. (Courtesy of Vooya)

The more kids grow up, the more they encounter societal disapproval. They begin to believe that passion does not pay the bills. “Get a real job,” their parents often say. Eventually, as adults, they spend most of their lives doing things they hate, just to get by.

One of the most celebrated Indonesian fashion designers, Barli Asmara, almost fell into the trap of society’s expectations when he was young.

As a young man, Barli never openly told his friends about his passion for drawing and sketching fashion designs. Back then, the fashion world was considered too feminine for a man to enter and so Barli did not get the approval of his parents to enter fashion school.

To please his parents, Barli decided to enroll in interior design at Triskati University after he graduated from high school. At the very least, he could channel his love of drawing there.

Eventually, Barli realized that interior design would not allow him to achieve what he really wanted to do and he dropped out after a couple of semesters. After dropping out, Barli started to work in a boutique, though he spent most of his time socializing and going out.

Barli worked in the boutique for two years before he enrolled in another university, the London School of Public Relations. However, the call of fashion was so strong with him that he decided to go all the way to make his dream career a reality.

“My journey in fashion started from my dream to have plenty of clothes for myself. Eventually, I realized that I also loved to make clothes for other people,” the 41-year-old said.

Barli then started his label “Barli Asmara”, which produces high-end ready-to-wear and couture for women, back in 2002.

Six years later, Barli finally had his first big achievement in the fashion industry by being selected as one of the best Indonesian fashion designers by women’s magazine Dewi and in 2013 he expanded his portfolio into the men’s and Muslim women’s market by introducing the “B Homme” and the “B by Barli Asmara” labels.

Barli shared his experience during a recent event organized by VOOYA, an institution that aims to assist young people in seeking their true passion through assessments and coaching programs.

What Barli went through as a young man is not an uncommon phenomenon, particularly in a relatively conservative society like Indonesia.

Research conducted by the Indonesia Human Resources Forum in 2017, for example, showed around 87 percent of Indonesian students felt like they were studying the wrong major. Further research from the Manpower Ministry also showed that almost 63 percent of fresh graduates work in fields that are not in accordance with their university degrees.

Realizing the phenomenon, VOOYA then saw an opportunity to help young Indonesians to follow their passion from the beginning so that they would not waste years chasing something that did not make them happy or fulfilled.

“We want to inspire younger people to be true to themselves, to inspire them to be honest about what they want, and to take action,” VOOYA cofounder Stephanie Wijanarko said.

One of the main factors behind young people being unaware of their true passion is their parents’ expectations. Some parents may support whatever their child wants to pursue, yet some can be very dominating in giving directions. With years more experience, parents tend to advise their children to follow a certain path, though it may not be suitable for them.

“There is also societal pressure. There are stereotypes that a certain profession is more prestigious, with more social status, or perhaps given that start-ups are trending, people think they have to study computer science,” Stephanie said.

This unseen pressure may lead to an individual choosing something they think is more impressive while ignoring the fact that they are actually interested in something else.

Stephanie further said that the education system could also be one of the main killers of children’s passions and dreams. In Asian societies, including Indonesia, there has always been a constant push for students to score the highest in every subject, making them really confused as to what they should focus on.

“We all have different potentials. You can’t expect someone to ace all subjects” Stephanie said.

Most importantly, the biggest challenge to overcome is personal doubt and the younger generation’s feelings of sluggishness. There is always the fear of failure, the fear of disappointing loved ones, and the fear of judgment, but one thing that should be done is research and figuring out their desired profession.

“Sometimes, the biggest challenge is ourselves,” said Stephanie.

— The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post

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