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First GIF of the year. 

Me, leaving my 2017 magic conch shell.

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2018

I’ve always been amused as to why animals shed their skin. I mean… it’s like leaving your favourite hoodie somewhere in the Himalayas. Never bound to see it again. Ever. Then again, it’s only human nature that they do. It’s an ultimate part of their life cycle. No strings. No attachments. Just moving on and waiting for the next one to grow back. Just like bidding goodbye to an ending year.

The last 360 days was one heck of a spin. It was a year of self-growth and pure learning. Growth that helped me in my career, in love and in God. There were some sticky steps along the way, yes. But these were just inevitable. Strong faith helped me leap past them and made me punch through dark walls that blocked me from the alley of progress. (Go Yani!)

I am humbled to achieve accomplishments I never thought I would in a span of a year. These fulfillments are what pushes me to become more hopeful for what awaits. Hope is what keeps us on our feet after all. And just like a reptile or a hermit crab, I’m leaving behind that layer of skepticism and negativity. Shedding all that needs to be left behind and go yonder.

Thank you 2017 for being one of the best years to date. Now off to a spree in search for a new and better looking hoodie. Yello, 2018!

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There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "good job".

Terence Fletcher, Whiplash

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The world moves less by money than by what you owe people and what they owe you.

Haruki Murakami, 1Q84

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A short film I made of our Tokyo trip last June. 

Tanoshinde! ^-^

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Tokyo

They say it is the bustling capital of Japan. A fast paced city without halts or delays. For 10 days I got to experience what it’s like being in Japan’s busiest city.

How was it?

Incredible.

I’ll start by recounting the little things I enjoyed most.

We stayed in a little loft in the middle of Setagaya, a small district in Suburban Tokyo. It was a comfy place with everything you need. Bedrooms with extra pillows, a kitchen, a laundry machine, a gigantic LCD TV, a bathroom with amenities, and a record player with vinyls such as Billy Joel’s (holy shit?) Talk about convenience.

Just outside our little corner of comfort, you’ll see Starbucks, Mcdonald’s, Doutour (a famous coffee deli in Japan apparently), Family Mart, Ramen shops and tons of local cafes. It’s like living in a little kingdom of accessibility. When you think about it, it isn’t as suburb as it sounds. But it still is considered a rural area in Tokyo.

Now, the local transportation. It is so efficient I could almost cry. Trains are the norm there. You’ll see men in suits, children in uniforms, hipster dressed youths and ordinary dressed locals riding the train to their own destinations. It’s confusing at first, but like any other new thing we experience, it takes some getting used to. It amuses me how synchronised and organized the Japanese are. Not only in terms of transport but in all aspects of their lifestyle. Makes me want to be Jap myself. ^-^

Another thing about lovely Japan were the parks. Inokashira as my #1. It had this Garden of Words feelz~ (beautiful anime film) with benches everywhere and a perfect view of the lake. Staying there felt so serene. Something you probably wouldn’t feel elsewhere.

Of course, visiting Japan means visiting the streets of Shibuya. A shopping district for most, but what I liked most about the area was the feeling of rush while crossing paths with strangers, observing how they take part in a city as alive as Tokyo. I’d do anything to relive it again.

But that doesn’t end in Shibuya. Here are other (best) places I loved in the city:

Shimokitazawa

The hipster / bohemian town is how they’d call it. Look left to right and you’ll see novelty shops of all sorts. Stores for hats, shoes, second hand clothing and useless kawai stuff. Best part are the thrift shops. You’ll never know whose pair of shoes or pants you’ll be taking home. Might be from the great great grandchild of a Japanese ninja assassin. You’ll never really know.

Kichijoji 

A small neighbourhood of clustered shops, cafes and restaurants just like any other, but with a gleam I couldn’t exactly put into words. There’s just something about Kichijoji that appealed to me.

Harajuku

Probably the most famous district for youngsters. Costumes, make-up, dapper clothes, crepe and cat cafes. You name it! A stroll along this place will surely be a tick of your bucketlist.

Akihabara

The ultimate place for Anime geeks. No need to put it any further.

And for the highlights. The 5 things I would surely come back to:

Trains

If you’re going to take the cab, think again. Taking the train is the real deal. Cheaper, efficient and fast. (Warning: You may get lost. But that’s what makes it fun :D)

Air

Compared to my hometown, air in Tokyo is scentless. Barely any smell of engine fumes or cigarettes. Impressive for a busy city. Wouldn’t be surprised if there was an invisible giant air freshener to mask their true air though. I mean it’s Japan after all, right?

Bread

The bread here is just as heavenly as taking your first bite to your favorite meal after being locked up in an isolated room a hundred feet under the ground. A feeling of pure rejoice.

Curry

The C&C curry shop is a must try. Best curry in Tokyo next to Coco Ichibanya. I could eat it everyday if I can. Curry up and try it, curry lovers!

And the best for last..

7-Eleven Iced Latte

Out of all the cafes I’ve been in in Tokyo, best coffee award goes to 7-freaking-eleven. I am in complete shooktness after tasting their delicious yet so cheap iced latte. To all coffee lovers, this is a 10/10 would recommend beverage. Would. Not. Disappoint.

Putting everything in retrospect, being part of Japan’s dynamic society, even just for a shortwhile, felt surreal. It’s a dream I’d love to have a sequel to and experience over and over again.

Jikai made, Tokyo! ‘Til next time.

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My favorite band just released a new record. And here’s my take about it:

I’ve been listening to Paramore since elementary school and I’ve known them as a powerhouse punk rock band full of rage, power and angst. (Miz Biz perfectly depicts this) But after listening to the first few tracks of this album, I instantly thought, “Oh. A happier Paramore.”

It’s a carefree sound that makes me want to dance and blow dandelions like an idiot.

It’s no doubt, a completely different Paramore. But what’s great with change is you get to experience a whole new level of appreciation. Kinda like tasting your favorite food for the first time. To put it into words–

A brand new familiarity.

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This film really hit the spot.

Here’s to the ones who dream. *lifts wine glass*

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Road trip

I feel like life’s a road trip.

You hop on board. You drive to your destination. You follow the right path. You get lost. You ask for help and directions. Then you find yourself back on the right path again. Then you get bored of driving so you pull over to grab something that comforts you– like a donut maybe. Then you’re back on the road trying to avoid getting lost again. You spot a landmark telling you you’re close. You accelerate a bit more just ‘cause you’re excited. Then before you know it, you finally reach your destination. You feel comfort. You feel contentment. You feel happy. You feel grateful. 

And after a time, you go on and find a new stop to go to.

I figured… life's a long road trip. You may still be a hundred miles away. But no matter how far and long the drive is, you will get there. Eventually :)

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Been attempting to write a new year blog for weeks now, but I can’t seem to put all of them into words. Here’s a GIF instead.

My 2016: a year of ups, downs, turns and loops. Incredibly grateful to have experienced this ride :)

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Oh Cool Drapes!

It’s so hard being an artist when you have OCD :/

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Norman the Cat.

Decided to turn this into a comic series. Stay tuned for more kitty talk :D

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Because who doesn’t love the throwback Will Smith?

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A Tuesday wish.

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A tribute doodle dedicated to my pal Britney. Have fun in doggie heaven, Brit!

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Spikes

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to attend one of the most notable creative festivals in Asia, Spikes. (*screaming, wooing, clapping, trumpet sounds, sounds of a whale giving birth*)

Initially, I had no idea what Spikes was. I just thought how lucky I was to travel to Singapore and have allowance for food and novelty items. (Typical.) However, after attending Spikes, my outlook of the entire trip changed completely.

To cascade the festival experience into 3 words. It’d be:

Enriching

Humbling

Unconventional

For some reason, describing the experience as “inspiring” felt lacking. So I thought, it was a rather enriching one. Not only was I given a determined mindset, but I was also fed with insights that were extremely helpful for a newly bred advertising creative like me.

One key learning that struck me most was from Ogilvy & Mather China’s CEO, Graham Fink.

“If you create from the heart, nearly everything works. If the head, nothing.”

True enough, in an ad agency, (especially if you’re a new employee) you automatically become a JO bait. Job orders from different clients are continuously piling up and with that amount of load, you suddenly become unmotivated.

Pretend a donut without it’s honey glaze. Or frozen yogurt without any toppings. That’s how my work looked like. Just plain ol’ boring. Then I realized, I needed to change my work ethic ASAP. But how?

Thinking over this dilemma, I came up with an effective solution. It was to believe in my work and love the brands I’m handling. Ever since then, I’ve been applying the same principle and I could see my work improve over time. (Can I get a hip hip?)

Apart from the talks, an extra perk from attending Spikes is you get to meet high-profile people from the industry. I got to sit beside someone who works at Facebook, shake hands with CEOs /creative directors from respectable ad agencies all over the world and take photos with celebs like Adrian Greiner (who’s an environmentalist, to my surprise) and Kurt Hugo Schneider, youtube music legend. The fangirl in me was squealing inside. It was a very humbling experience.

To top everything off, from the talks, exhibit, speakers and participants, I realized all of them have one thing in common. They’re all unconventional.

The talks / exhibit consisted of ideas that were very particular with innovation. Ideas that were radical. Ideas that were cleverly thought of. Ideas that would sweep people off their feet and make you slow clap as if you’re rooting for that underdog who just lost the race but still won the people’s hearts. Those kind of ideas.

And to be able to create ideas like those, sometimes all it takes is a 15 minute shower. Or a quiet stay in a coffee shop. Brilliant ideas can come from anywhere.

The speakers on the other hand were people who were very passionate with their craft and totally out-of-the-box thinkers. They were neither intimidating nor egocentric. Wayne Arnold, MullenLowe’s CEO said “Too much ego will kill your talent.” And that is probably why most creative leaders I’ve met looked like ordinary people. I saw one executive wearing only flip flops in Spikes. Amazing.

Meanwhile, the people who attended (participants and event-goers) looked artsy and like I said, unconventional. One guy had on colourful tattoos, a fedora hat, high socks, vans, and a beard just like Connor McGregor’s. Pretty rad. They were so interesting too look at. It was like a gallery of hipsters.

People may think, maybe I’ve got it all figured out by now.

Wrong.

In fact, as I am writing this, I thought of it as a way of reminding myself to always stay grounded. To constantly learn from the mistakes I make. I was a lump of frustration during my first few months at work but I realized, failure is truly the best way to learn.

Attending Spikes changed my perceptions about work and my personal growth. An amazing experience that food nor novelty items can’t compare to.

To combine everything I’ve learned, here’s something I came up using my own words:

“There’s no excuse to not being good enough. It’s either you choose to fuel your creative tank, or choose to leave it empty.”

It’s really all about perception.

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Life of the Bowls.