Agalia Tan

A creative practice is not a substitute for living alongside people, for sharing memories and learning from each other. A portfolio is not a substitute for a community.

The best thing is being able to make a living doing work that indulges your curiosities with people you legitimately like being with, what a rare thing indeed.

Meanwhile, my single friends tell me meeting people “on the apps” has only gotten worse, making the dream of a coup de foudre over cappuccino dreamier. The coffee shop is a slower space, where conversation trumps sex, and the dailiness of the need for caffeine offers the possibility of getting to know someone over time. All the little things that... See more

What I’m in search of is maybe hard to explain in a neat sentence, but, maybe, it’s some sense of resonance. You know when you’re reading and you’re like “Oh, this person is saying this thing I’ve been thinking or feeling forever, but didn’t know how to express in words?” That’s a beautiful feeling when you can see yourself more clearly through... See more

I think it’s interesting how this happens—the way the highest functioning aspects of our machinery, however miraculous or unique, disappear into the background of our perception. I thought of this in a more personal context the other day, when a friend was feeling depressed about a lack of momentum in her career. She was plagued by memories of how... See more