Bioinformatics to Artistic Anthropologist

Bioinformatics Programmer : Career Change to Artistic Anthropologist : Careerfinder

Hi, Anthony,

It was great talking to you yesterday. I listened to the tape last night and it took me a little while to absorb all the information. Now the message is clear to me: naturally, I am an artistic Anthropologist (I love this term).

I have been wondering about the same questions for more than 15 years: who I am? what do I want to do with my life? Now I finally got an answer. I will mark the calendar the date of November 17, 2004. It is a turning point of my life.

I have been walking in a the fog for such a long time. I sort of knew what I am good at and what are my interests. But I was never so clear. Yesterday’s conversation cleared all the fog. Now the road is clear and the path is planned out. It is a long, bumpy and difficult road, but it is highly exciting! Pathfinders is truly revolutionary. The test and the one hour talk revealed more about myself than years of “test driving”, thinking, reading and asking for external help.

I liked your analysis, that I am interested in science but can’t handle the technical details. This has been a puzzle for me for a long time. Now I understand that although I look like a scientist, I picked the wrong science.

I also like your analysis of the analytical part of social science. “It is a science.” This was my concern for more than 6 years. I wanted to enter an Anthropology PhD program but hesitated. I felt that something might not work for me but I did not know what it is. Now I know it is the analytical reasoning.

You also warned me that marketing is a tribal activity and I have to adjust myself a little bit. “But it is close.” I also liked your analogy of “competing with ducks”. It may difficult to find food in the pond but I would feel that I am a competent player. I could pick as much as fruits as possible from the bioinformatics tree and store them near the pond. 🙂

I want to summarize my plans here. My long term goal is to express the artistic side of me. It could be in the form of a documentary film, a novel, a non-fiction book, rapping, performing etc. The short term goal(5 years) would be the following:

1. Survive as a programmer in the bioinformatics field

2. Find a new job (a technical position but leaning toward marketing and training) and get a green card

3. Build a bioinformatics startup company with friends If we were lucky, we could make some money and I could support my art projects

4. Experiment with arts (writing, film making, photography, music review, song writing, performing etc).

Anyway, I am so glad that I found my path in old town, Alexandria. I will keep you updated with my progress.

Here is a hip hop lyric that just came to my mind:

If you were a duck,
come to old town,
Anthony will help,
to find your path.

This is my first rap lyric. 🙂

Alexander