Hello everyone, my name is Zien. I would really appreciate it if anyone with experience could review my motivational letter and share suggestions on how I can improve it. Thank you in advance.
Motivational Letter:
I discovered the importance of children's stories long before I could explain why they mattered. As a child, reading was my safe place. I turned to books whenever I had free time, and they quietly shaped my perspective on the world. Through stories, I learned about different people, emotions, and ideas, even before I had the words to describe these experiences.
My relationship with children's books deepened when I became a mother. Reading to my child became part of our daily routine. As I watched her respond to pictures, sounds, and stories, I realised that picture books are not simple or small-they help children develop curiosity, emotions, and values. This awareness gave me a clear sense of purpose.
A small moment at a community event later challenged my thinking.
I overheard a mother telling her child, "This book is expensive and has very little text. It is a waste of time. A schoolbook is better." I realised how little I truly knew and how easily assumptions could misrepresent children's and families' needs. That moment taught me how children's books could better serve families in my region, including those with limited access and resources.
Feeling strongly about the importance of children's literature, I took a proactive step by approaching a well-known local publisher founded by young entrepreneurs. I proposed a dedicated children's section, explaining how picture books could shape young readers while attracting new audiences. I was then entrusted with managing the publisher's first picture book project, leading it from concept and illustration planning to production, and marketing. This experience sharpened my leadership skills and motivated me to complement practical experience with research-based knowledge, data-driven insights, and structured management training.
I have also applied my professional skills to community work. During floods in my hometown, many children were deeply affected. After attending workshops led by clinical psychologists, I organised storytelling and drawing activities at temporary shelters. One young boy quietly told me he had lost his favourite toy. Through stories, he could express emotions he had no words for. Beyond emergency contexts, I teach art to children as a way to build confidence and encourage self-expression, while supporting affordable and culturally meaningful picture books for diverse families.
My academic training in architecture has been a strong foundation for this work. Architecture taught me to approach problems critically, justify decisions with clear reasoning, and present compelling visual solutions rather than mediocre or superficial ones. These skills have been invaluable in book creation-from designing layouts and illustrations to conceptualising how a story is visually experienced by young readers. Architecture also trained me to balance creativity with structure, a skill I now bring to storytelling, publishing, and program design.
The Children's Literature, Media, and Cultural Entrepreneurship (CLMCE) program is a strong match for my goals. It combines literature, media studies, research, and cultural practice, providing a structured, research-based framework to deepen my understanding of children's literature. I am particularly drawn to learning how stories function across different cultures and media, and how cultural entrepreneurship can create socially meaningful and sustainable literary projects.
In the future, I aim to create accessible picture books, develop community reading program for underserved children, and support early literacy development. I want stories to help children learn, express their emotions, and feel seen and understood.
Applying for the CLMCE program and this scholarship is a crucial step in my personal and professional growth. It is a continuation of my commitment to learning, service, and care for children and families. I look forward to learning from lecturers and peers from different countries while sharing my experiences as a Southeast Asian creator. I believe this program will equip me with the knowledge and confidence to use children's literature as a tool for education, empathy, and positive social change.
Motivational Letter:
I discovered the importance of children's stories long before I could explain why they mattered. As a child, reading was my safe place. I turned to books whenever I had free time, and they quietly shaped my perspective on the world. Through stories, I learned about different people, emotions, and ideas, even before I had the words to describe these experiences.
My relationship with children's books deepened when I became a mother. Reading to my child became part of our daily routine. As I watched her respond to pictures, sounds, and stories, I realised that picture books are not simple or small-they help children develop curiosity, emotions, and values. This awareness gave me a clear sense of purpose.
A small moment at a community event later challenged my thinking.
I overheard a mother telling her child, "This book is expensive and has very little text. It is a waste of time. A schoolbook is better." I realised how little I truly knew and how easily assumptions could misrepresent children's and families' needs. That moment taught me how children's books could better serve families in my region, including those with limited access and resources.
Feeling strongly about the importance of children's literature, I took a proactive step by approaching a well-known local publisher founded by young entrepreneurs. I proposed a dedicated children's section, explaining how picture books could shape young readers while attracting new audiences. I was then entrusted with managing the publisher's first picture book project, leading it from concept and illustration planning to production, and marketing. This experience sharpened my leadership skills and motivated me to complement practical experience with research-based knowledge, data-driven insights, and structured management training.
I have also applied my professional skills to community work. During floods in my hometown, many children were deeply affected. After attending workshops led by clinical psychologists, I organised storytelling and drawing activities at temporary shelters. One young boy quietly told me he had lost his favourite toy. Through stories, he could express emotions he had no words for. Beyond emergency contexts, I teach art to children as a way to build confidence and encourage self-expression, while supporting affordable and culturally meaningful picture books for diverse families.
My academic training in architecture has been a strong foundation for this work. Architecture taught me to approach problems critically, justify decisions with clear reasoning, and present compelling visual solutions rather than mediocre or superficial ones. These skills have been invaluable in book creation-from designing layouts and illustrations to conceptualising how a story is visually experienced by young readers. Architecture also trained me to balance creativity with structure, a skill I now bring to storytelling, publishing, and program design.
The Children's Literature, Media, and Cultural Entrepreneurship (CLMCE) program is a strong match for my goals. It combines literature, media studies, research, and cultural practice, providing a structured, research-based framework to deepen my understanding of children's literature. I am particularly drawn to learning how stories function across different cultures and media, and how cultural entrepreneurship can create socially meaningful and sustainable literary projects.
In the future, I aim to create accessible picture books, develop community reading program for underserved children, and support early literacy development. I want stories to help children learn, express their emotions, and feel seen and understood.
Applying for the CLMCE program and this scholarship is a crucial step in my personal and professional growth. It is a continuation of my commitment to learning, service, and care for children and families. I look forward to learning from lecturers and peers from different countries while sharing my experiences as a Southeast Asian creator. I believe this program will equip me with the knowledge and confidence to use children's literature as a tool for education, empathy, and positive social change.
