Studio of Self-Love

Photo contributed by Michael Tan.

Recently I was one of 10 artists selected to participate in the Noise Festival Singapore 2015, as part of an installation showcase called Studio of Wonders. The artists and I set up our respective little cubicles along the theme of "Curiosities" - essentially creating a studio space based on what inspires us and our art.

Well, initially I was gonna write about setting up the installation, post some pictures, the usual stuff, but an unexpected comment on my Instagram post about my Studio of Wonders changed the course of my writing:

(Read what's circled in ORANGE).

Screenshot of my Instagram post and the comments from a follower.

So I got this comment from @katybobsyouraunty and turns out she thought that this was an area of my studio! My initial thought to that was... Haha I wish!! ... because the space I created looks pretty darn awesome, a far cry from my real-life studio. (It's a mess, and very cluttered, and needs a long overdue spring-cleaning LOL..)

And that was when it hit me - why doesn't my actual studio look like this?

I had spent a month creating the design for this installation, creating new artworks for it, carefully measuring and planning, sketching when I have pockets of time, painting late into the night (as I currently work full-time). Then on a Monday evening, after 9.5 hours at the day job, I spent 3 hours to put this space together, agonizing over whether I should change my original plan, whether the paintings can be seen from the holes... And then ALL OF IT is sealed behind a wall with some tiny holes for people to peek into, and it's quite ironic that I invested much time and energy into this because no one actually gets to see the full extent of what I've created. And that's assuming they're intrigued enough to peek into the holes to begin with. Which again begs the question -

Why did I put in that much effort to create this studio-for-show than the real one in which I work from and look at every single day?

Well, for me, it's a really simple answer. Because besides myself, nobody is there to look at it, so there really isn't a need to beautify it, to care for it, to make it worth spending time in. It's serves its basic purpose as a space I work in, as a space to contain all my art-related stuff and clutter, and that's all I need from it, or so I believe. But tell me that a gallery owner might possibly stop by and take a look, and watch me scramble to fix it up and make it beautiful.

And really, when I faced up to it, it really isn't about the studio. It's a reflection of my own life, and how I love myself. How much time do I really invest into myself, to do something that's purely just for me? To do something that's not about impressing someone else, or living up to a society's expectations. To do something that's important to me simply because it is important to me (whether I'm aware of it it or not), and because I'm worth the investment of my own time, energy and effort.

I know a single mom who took on a 5-week project to redo her master bedroom because it reminded her too much of her failed marriage. It was one of the most difficult things she had to do, because there were always seemingly more important things than her project, like caring for her son, running errands, working over-time... but she stuck to her commitment to herself, and transformed the entire room within 4 weeks. And she felt happier, felt more connected to herself, and it improved her interactions with others, and especially with her son.

We live in a world filled with busy-ness, taking on various commitments to the people or causes that matter to us, constantly running and striving for success in various forms, but what is all of that really for? Who are you trying to impress? What are you really working towards? And if none of your answers is for yourself, your own happiness, or your own growth, then it really begs the question - how are you loving the most important person in the world - YOU?

So I'm about to jump into what's perhaps one of the more confronting projects of my life - to actually turn my real studio in a Studio of Wonders. It's something I've been thinking about ever since the space was created almost 2 years ago, but I never got down to it. I'll be sharing more on that later, so stay tuned for updates, and I hope this inspires you to create something for yourself simply because it just makes you happier. :)

Here are some pictures from setting up on Monday, 14 September 2015. And also pictures of my completed Studio of Wonders. Before it got walled up :(

The exhibition runs from 16 September - 11 October.

View from the top on Setup Day, 16 Sept 2015. That's outside my Studio of Wonders, scratching my head.

The original plan was to have the Penguin piece in the center.

Dream Tree Totem all setup!

Finished Studio of Wonders!

With sketches on the left wall...

And the Dream Tree Totem and more sketches on the right wall!

Closer view of what's on the table...

7 Tips for the Aspiring Artist

It's been almost 2.5 years since my first self-run solo exhibition in 2013, which brought me from an aspiring artist to a professional one within 2 months. Despite my initial success, I've had many struggles in the past 28 months (mostly within myself), and am still rather clueless about how to run a business of selling my art. That's gonna be a work in progress for a while (more on that next time), but for now, here are 7 things I've learnt that need to be done consistently if you really want to become a professional artist.

1) Meet people.

Make it a habit to meet people. It’s not that difficult - one easy way is to join Meetup and attend events that interest you. People on Meetup want to meet you too, and can be just as shy sometimes. You’ll never know who you’ll meet! One of my clients was someone I met through Meetup and a year later, she commissioned me to paint a mural for her restaurant. So set a target to meet a certain number of strangers every week or “network” for a certain number of hours. You’ll also need to create a system to keep track of all your new friends and their information.



2) Support local arts events and local creatives.

Attend their art show openings, join communities (both online and in person) and participate in their discussions, projects and activities. Make friends, support one another, be open to collaboration opportunities. Create your own creative events and invite these artistic friends! Ask to be an event organizer in a creative Meetup group. Or just put together your own event and invite your friends and new contacts to attend. There are always creatives out there who are looking for something interesting to get into.


3) Step out of your head.

Stay connected to the world around you, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s okay to shut off once in a while, but don’t get too comfortable being there. Take a walk when you’re feeling cluttered. Journal out your thoughts and feelings. Follow up with a new friend and catch up over coffee. Spend time with your family.


4) Share your work.

Share on social media. Send images, video clips or mp3s to your close friends. Post your images in forums to ask for feedback. Share the stories and the ideas you have. You’ll never know who may find your work and fall in love with it. Share it even when it’s still in progress. Share consistently and at least once a day. It can be scary to share your work or your process, and most creatives are rather private individuals, but when you’re new, sharing your work is the only way to know how the world responds to it.


5) If you don’t know something, do your own research.

Ask people. Post on forums. Create surveys. Go out into the world and get your answers. Answers don’t come from being in your own head, or listening to your own assumptions. Talk to other creatives with more experience. This isn’t about taking what you find as the “right” answer; rather, it’s about gathering data so you can create a bigger overview of things or a reality check for yourself.


6) Be yourself in your art.

Work with what you have and what you already do well in. Have faith that there is someone out there who will love your work, even when you don’t think it’s good. Yes, technical quality and skills are important, but the people who truly fall in love with your art are going to fall in love with who you are as expressed in your work. And chances are they will be similar to you. Your art is just as unique as you are, and no one can ever replicate that in the exact same way. So embrace your art for what it is, embrace yourself for who you are, and work at both every single day.


7) Start now.

Procrastination takes you in the opposite direction of your dreams. Start NOW. Even if you have other commitments and can only put in 30 minutes a day. Even if you think you need to get more training first. Even if you feel that you’re not ready. Just get started. Ask yourself, if not now, then when? Don’t wait for tomorrow because you can never be sure what it brings. All we really have is this moment, and whether you like it or not, your life is happening right now.

A Penguin Adventure

A picture story created by myself during Singapore 24-Hour Comics Day 2014.

These 24 panels were painted over 24 hours from October 4 - 5 as a personal challenge to myself to create 24 paintings in 24 hours. 

Here is the story:

This is a story of adventure, and specifically about these two penguins who love adventure.

Besides playing in the snow, they also love sailing their raft and visiting new lands.

After they have visited all the lands around them, one penguin says to the other that it's time for them to explore the worlds in the sky.

 
As penguins can't fly, they use their intention, their love, courage and their passion for adventure to propel their balloon into the sky.

When they arrive in the land of the clouds, they find an empty sandcastle and make it their new home.

 
Over time their love for each other grows, just like the love tree they planted behind their castle.

 
The penguins spend their days enjoying the stillness in the sky, knowing that they have gone further than any other penguin ever had. They spend their time reading and playing music in their tree swing...

 
... and when their love tree starts to snow, they build snow penguins and play like their did when they lived in the land below.

 
And they write songs inspired by the sunsets they experienced, and sing their duets over and over and over again. Living in the land of the clouds, life is simply too beautiful for words sometimes.

 
Then one night, as they prepare to fall asleep under the stars, the moon rises and on this night, it sings a most mysterious tune. Entranced, one penguin wonders what it's like to explore the world beyond the sky.

 
So the adventure seekers build a sky ship, and set sail into the world beyond the sky that they've come to know and love.

 
Armed again with their intentions, their love, courage and passion for adventure, the penguins set sail towards the moon, and watch as it becomes bigger and bigger as they get closer and closer....

 
... and their sky ship turns into a spaceship!

 
The penguins soon land on the moon, and discover that from the moon, there are far more stars and galaxies than they can ever possibly imagine when they live among the clouds.

 
And so they set off into stars, into infinite space and time, into infinite freedom and they awaken to see that truly all things are possible.

Now able to fly, the adventure seekers return to the world of the sky, and the lighthouse guides them back to their sandcastle.

 
Sitting outside their sandcastle under their love tree which lights up at night, they ponder the adventures they've experienced, and their learnings about themselves and about the world and its infinite possibilities and space.

They realize it's time to return to the land below, but first they need to create more love and courage for this next part of their adventure.

 
Carrying the love, courage, dreams and passion for adventure they have created, one penguin returns to the land below and shares all of their discoveries with the other penguins. Some of these penguins have had their own adventures around the land, while others have been too afraid to leave the safety of their home.

 
Although they are afraid of the unknown, some of the penguins below are curious about what the adventure seeker is offering, and they accept the invitation to rise up into the land of the clouds.

 
Some are a little lost and unsure why they are doing this, but still rise up to the sky anyway.

 
When they arrive at the sandcastle, they are greeted by the other adventure seeker who is waiting to welcome them into their new life.

 
And they all get on board the sky ship, and sail off to explore the world of the sky, the moon, and the infinite possibilities of the galaxy beyond.

 
And this is how the penguins discover themselves and their ability to fly.

The End. (for now...)