PUBLISHED ONApril 18, 2023 9:55 AMByMelissa Teo Why I Do What I Do is an original AsiaOne series where we showcase people with uncommon professions and what it takes to get there.
It takes a massive leap of faith to quit your stable, full-time job to pursue a passion that is not as recognised in Singapore.
But Rachta Lin is living proof that sometimes, as cheesy as it sounds, dreams do come true.
With pure grit and determination, she's become one of the most successful manga artists and illustrators in Singapore.
In fact, Rachta, who is in her 30s, has become so prominent in the industry that big names like DC Comics, Armaggeddon and Blizzard Entertainment have worked with her on multiple projects.
Keen to know what makes her tick, AsiaOne visited her home for a chat.
Once we stepped into her house, it was clear we were in the right place.
The area meant to be the living room had been converted into a massive workspace for herself and her husband.
Embellishing the forest green walls were numerous drawings, with some of them painstakingly drawn by Rachta herself. And against one of the walls, several large, glass cases held the couple's prized figurine collection.
Just like her vibrant art pieces, the bubbly Rachta has a bright personality that filled the room.
But while she was all smiles and carefree during our talk, she revealed that the journey to get to where she is today had her feeling plenty of uncertainty and anxiety.
A memorable anime and a childhood dream
Whether it was to be a policeman, an astronaut or a doctor, most of us would have fantasised about a dream job when we were young, and Rachta was no different.
"I have been doing manga and art for as long as I can remember. It was my childhood dream. I have always wanted to make this my profession," she tells us.
In one specific recollection when Rachta was around four years old, she was sitting in her living room watching the Japanese anime The Secrets of Akko-chan on television and was left mesmerised by the animation.
"At that moment, something inside me just kind of clicked and I became obsessed with it. I was glued to the television and thought that it was very cool. I wished I could do something like that," she recounts.
Inspired, she took a school notebook and began scribbling away.
"At that point in time, I didn't know [such a job existed], I was still too young," she shares. But things soon changed when she realised there were illustrators and manga artists in the world. "I decided that that was what I wanted to be," she shares.
It isn't surprising that her favourite classes in school involved art, and with a little self-teaching and guidance from her teachers, Rachta honed her artistic talent through the years.
"Maybe because I liked art more than most of my friends and classmates, over time, I got very good at it," she says.
Naturally, she wanted to pursue this passion at a higher level and while choosing university courses, she tried looking for "compatible" courses to fulfil her dream.
Unfortunately, back then, there were no character design classes, design classes or manga anime classes that she could apply for.
The closest thing available was a graphic design course, which she eventually enrolled in.
A leap of faith
Despite aspiring to be an illustrator and manga artist, Rachta initially took on several "practical jobs" that involved graphic design, including becoming an art director.
At one point in time, she even dabbled into IT, user interface and digital marketing — a far cry from what she really wanted to do.
This went on for a few years until Rachta started thinking about her next career move. She even considered studying business with the goal of transitioning to a managerial role.
"I felt that I had reached the pinnacle of graphic design. If you want to be in this line of work, this is probably as far as you're going to get," she states.
Rachta, who was also being pragmatic at the time, felt that "if you want better compensation, then you would have to do something else".
But at the back of her mind, she always knew what she really wanted to do.
"I was weighing another choice in my mind that kept nagging at me — my childhood dream of drawing manga," she shares.
So, she finally took that leap of faith and quit her stable, full-time job in 2015.
However, as she was afraid of the risks involved, Rachta started off with a safer option.
"When I first quit my job, I didn't want to become a manga artist right away. Because, at that point in time, I thought it was a difficult job, so I became an illustrator first," she explains.
Nonetheless, the whole thing still made her feel anxious.
"I knew that this is what I love and this is what I wanted to do. But emotionally, it's hard because I quit my job and there was a voice in my head saying it was a stupid thing to do," confesses Rachta, who admits to being worried about how she was going to sustain herself.
She also adds that the first few years were the hardest, especially since this was the first time she wasn't working a nine-to-six job.
"I would be lying if I said I didn't feel doubtful about my choice. I had a cool job that pays my medical bills and now, I have to pay my own medical bills and take unpaid leave all the time."
So, to get warmed up, she attended a gaming event, where she was the only artist there.
That was also where she got her first commissioned project as an artist.
"At that point in time, I was still new. So, that's probably one of the first commissions that I got and I actually got a good price for it," she recalls.
"I was like, 'Oh my god, somebody's willing to pay me this amount for my artwork'. I was very happy."
People told her it wasn't a realistic dream
For the longest time — even before she entered the workforce — Rachta was told that her dream was unrealistic.
"From my childhood to university, people always gave me weird looks when I told them I wanted to be a manga artist," she says with a laugh.
When she was still in school, adults would ask her what she wanted to do when she grew up. But after she told them, Rachta didn't get the most encouraging comments.
Some even told her: "That's not real art."
"I didn't think that was true. But then, I was too young. I couldn't come up with a good argument," she confesses.
These comments eventually affected her initial career choice.
"I got sidetracked for a while during my university years. At that point in time, a lot of people told me that this is not a viable career. And it got to me, so I decided to pursue a more practical job instead," she reveals.
When she finally decided to make the switch from a full-time job to becoming a freelance illustrator, Rachta's parents had some valid concerns too.
One was that Rachta's present, stable job as an art director had "great compensation" and the company covered her medical bills and travel expenses. By working freelance, she would lose all these privileges.
"My mum is the practical one and she kept asking me if I was sure," recalls Rachta.
However, her dad, who is more entrepreneurial, eventually became more open to the idea, especially after she explained her plans for the future.
In the end, they were "surprisingly" more supportive than she thought they were going to be.
Today, the successful Rachta has gotten used to the life of a freelancer and there's no looking back for her.
"I wouldn't say I regret anything about this decision because, after all these things I've been through, I like the kind of person that I have become today.
"I like the people that I have met along the way and all these experiences have made me who I am today and I will not trade this for anything," she tells us wholeheartedly.
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