PM Wong, "We have never had the reputation for being creative": Is SG lacking in creativity?

Over the weekend, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong issued his first National Day Rally speech to the nation. In his speech, PM Wong brought up that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) looked at the creative thinking skills of 15-year-old students across 64 countries and that students in Singapore did very well. 

He said:

We have never had the reputation for being creative. Passing exams, yes, but being creative, not so.

His views were certainly interesting, and a talk for many in ad land, who pride themselves of creating world class creative work. However, they too agreed with PM Wong that the stereotype that academic excellence overshadows our early education system.

According to Tay Guan Hin, chairman, BBDO Singapore, "Given the context of his speech, he acknowledges that our world has evolved, and Singapore must recognise the importance of creative skills to adapt and evolve. The recent OECD results demonstrate that our students' creativity is surprisingly good, which we have much to be proud of."

Tay added that to really boost creativity in Singapore, we need to create spaces where students can experiment, fail, and try again without worrying about being judged.

"I often see student or graduate portfolios that feel a bit empty—they lack emotion and don’t tell a story that really connects. We should encourage students to focus on crafting stories that evoke a real emotional response," Tay said. 

What could also make a big impact would be to involve more industry mentors, guiding teachers and students as their insights can bridge the gap between education and the real world.

"Another great way to spark creativity is by encouraging students from different fields to collaborate. When you bring together diverse perspectives, amazing ideas can emerge," said Tay. As a creative person himself, Tay added that he often sees great talent in the arts and culture scene—artists, designers, musicians, and writers all adding to our vibrant community.

"But to truly be creative, we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. We need to be ok with failing and uncomfortable ideas," he said, adding:

Donatella Versace said it well: 'Creativity comes from a conflict of ideas.'

Meanwhile Ronald A. Heifetz also said  that conflict is the primary engine of creativity and innovation. "People don't learn by staring into a mirror; People learn by encountering differences'," said Tay, adding that too often, we shy away from these challenges, preferring comfort over creativity.

Meanwhile, Fiona Bartholomeusz, managing director of Formul8 said while Singapore has the creative talent, there is not enough encouragement to allow for individuals and the industry to survive and flourish. She added that the same applies for sports and the arts.

"In a city as expensive and stressful as Singapore, you cannot blame parents for pushing their kids to explore ‘safe’ careers that allow them to pay the bills. This won’t change as simple economics dictate that unless you have rich parents who bankroll your lifestyle, anyone who has a creative bone in their body will find spirit snuffed out here," Bartholomeusz added. 

She added the press plays at important role in shaping perception and that "we have read enough press about playwrights, athletes, creatives who cannot eke out a living without taking on fulltime jobs".

"We can’t even approve an outdoor mural with a smoking samsui woman without making it a national debate, she said, adding:

Support isn’t just financial, but also of acceptance, encouragement and understanding that creativity isn’t just ‘nature’ but very often also ‘nurture’.

A change in mindset from a young age

At the end of the day, change needs to start with the educational system and less emphasis needs to be put on the pursuit for academic prowess at the expense of individuality, mental health and a very narrow window for commercially viable careers is a "death knell for creativity", Bartholomeusz shared.  More financial support is also needed for those in the art/theatre/design/music/dance/advertising communities and exposing more Singaporeans to these industries, as supporters, patrons and professionals.

"If parents never see the possibilities and potential in these sectors, they will never encourage their children to seek careers in these sectors. It’s a vicious circle."

Being Singaporean, Bartholomeusz shared that she appreciates that the government has long focused on building economic stability in Singapore, which we now enjoy.  "However, as a developed country, we should also realise that a city without creativity and self-expression is one without passion and soul. We need to think about what type of future we envision for the next generation and make the change now," she said. 

True enough, brands with high creative capital scores, which include influence and creativity scores, outperform others when it comes to financial performance, stock market returns and consumer advocacy, highlighting its profound value. In fact, a brand with influence alone drives better stock performance compared to the broader market.

These were the insights gleaned from WPP’s index last year that also showed that brands with high levels of Creative Capital deliver double the financial return of the average brand measured by brand asset value over five years. 

Adding to her point, Eunice Tan, group CEO at The Secret Little Agency said that it is important to shift our mindset that creativity is the antithesis of growth.

"I would argue that creativity is in fact the bedrock of progress and should be valued as such. How we think out of the box, how we find new solutions to problems, how resourceful we were 50 over years ago till today - these require creativity," she said, adding that creativity pervades everything in Singapore from our urban planning, our water systems to even the amazing architecture we have around our city.

"This is the reason why Singapore continues to be a leader of innovation," she said. That said, she added that much more can be done to encourage this sort of creativity from a younger age.

A need for national culture of creativity 

Agreeing with her, Andy Greenaway said that while it is true that Singapore has a lot of very creative people, what’s lacking is a national ‘culture’ of creativity.

"First, there isn’t the same investment that other societies put into the arts. Most parents still want their children to go into professions like medicine, law and finance," he said.

"Second, creative culture often comes from environments where conflict, and also poverty, is at the heart of a society," he said. He explained that the blues and jazz came out of a segregated south in the US. Rap and Hip Hop came out of gangland.

"So how does Singapore become a creative culture? The government has been working on this for a long time. There isn’t an easy solution to the problem. One way is importing top talent from around the world. Because when Singaporeans rub shoulders with greatness, some of it rubs off," said Greenaway.

"Pay Scorcese to write and shoot a film in Singapore. Get Taylor Swift to write an album with the top five musicians in Singapore. Get Banksy to work with a graffiti crew to paint public spaces. Yes, it would cost money. But Singapore has it. Buying talent, maybe, could be the first step to grooming it," he said. 

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