Okay, so I don’t know if or how this has manifested in your circles, but I swear, based on an n of maybe 10, there is this graduate student phenomenon where we are all actually just fantasizing about opening up one or more of the following three things: a coffee shop, flower shop, or bookshop. Very seldom is this, like, a real desire informed by all the nitty gritty financial and logistical details (on cue: oh no, numbers! I’m just an Arts girlie) or curbed by the fact that it is quite an oversaturated market. Like good slice-of-life fanfiction, these fantasies are but an outlet for our yearning – for some alternate universe (AU, if you will) that will allow us to combine all of our favorite things and return to the originary desire of just chilling with a warm beverage, reading silly little books, and thinking silly little thoughts, preferably surrounded by natural light and vibrant vegetation, that drove all of us (probably) into academia in the first place. 
In the past seven months, I have had the chance to check my bias against the idea of “entrepreneurship.” As a concept it just seemed to conflict with the ethos I hold onto about academia even as a disappointed idealist – just as perhaps, my coffee shop AU inherently conflicts with my realities as a grad student. However, like all boundaries, these are fake distinctions that we must problematize! Looking around me and inward, we all have some form of desire to AmplifyTM (oh look it’s the title!) our hobbies or skills, whether professionally or in our personal lives, or to at least learn how we can.
I have a friend who recently told me about her goal to open a Bengali food stand at farmers markets this summer, to bring together her passion of cooking and desire to eat better food and share it with the sad and deprived of us who have never had the joy of partaking in true, delicious Bengali cuisine. Just a few months ago, another friend and I joked about opening an events planning business, after having to run an event for a series we were doing in our department. And yet another friend has been telling me about her various escapades into learning the art of flower arrangement and gardening. Maybe she’ll do flower arrangements for weddings and other formal events in the future, somehow, on the side of being a performance studies professor. Maybe she’ll just have a cool niche hobby that helps define who she is beyond academic achievement. And of course – we’ve all heard that myth of a friend of a friend of a friend in the Physics department who went to become a shepherd in the Scottish highlands after receiving his doctorate.
In any case, after I graduate (obligatory teehee) and must traverse into the evil, torturous domain of trying to find a job these days, I’ll remember to invest in my other interests, skills, and hobbies. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll go scrolling back through the Arts Amplifier page and learn how to kickstart actually merging that alternate universe me with the present.
Thanks for learning about the best of both worlds with me this year!
Just for funsies… Read on to learn which AU suits you best
Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): Flower shop
- It really just do be earth –> nature –> flowers
- You’re grounded and nurturing, perfect for keeping all your little plant friends happy
- You’re reliable and patient – you water things on time but also it’s okay when you forget
Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): Coffee shop
- You’re a free spirit who’s generous with free refills
- You live for the casual yapping
- You’re calm and collected but maybe also a little anxious, which makes you perfect for dealing with strangers-turned-regulars everyday
Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): Bookshop
- You know how to read both books and people
- You have a wild imagination
- You rely on your finely tuned instincts to guide people to the perfect recommendation
Fire Signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): Speakeasy (a secret fourth option)
- Playful and creative, your mocktail/cocktail concoctions are the best
- You bring warmth and light, in the form of liquid courage, or the coolest thematic lamp decorations
- You inspire people to talk to someone or try something new
All signs (inclusive of Zodiac, astrological, MBTI, blood type): Going to the Arts Amplifier to see what opportunities are out there for you to explore!
Written by Ying Han, Master’s student in Asian Studies, Curriculum Development and Communications Assistant at the Arts Amplifier.
Published 6 April 2025.
Faculty of Art