Why do we say "Creativity is not a hobby, it's a way of life."

10:50 AM artcher 0 Comments

Today while browsing the net, I chance upon some quotes by this famous spiritual teacher ( of which I only heard of his name until now :P) Osho. His thinking about the meanings of creativity totally hits the spot of why I chosed that quote for my blog, Here's an excerpt from the full article which you can read here - http://www.osho.com/highlights-of-oshos-world/what-is-creativity

"Creativity is the quality that you bring to the activity you are doing. It is an attitude, an inner approach – how you look at things."
"So the first thing to be remembered: don't confine creativity to anything in particular. A man is creative – and if he is creative, whatsoever he does, even if he walks, you can see in his walking there is creativity. Even if he sits silently and does nothing, even non-doing will be a creative act. Buddha sitting under the Bodhi Tree doing nothing is the greatest creator the world has ever known. Once you understand it – that it is you, the person, who is creative or uncreative – then this problem disappears."
"Not everybody can be a painter – and there is no need also. If everybody is a painter the world will be very ugly; it will be difficult to live. And not everybody can be a dancer, and there is no need. But everybody can be creative."
"Whatsoever you do, if you do it joyfully, if you do it lovingly, if your act of doing it is not purely economical, then it is creative. If you have something growing out of it within you, if it gives you growth, it is spiritual, it is creative, it is divine."

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Many concerns for making and selling handmade bags

1:52 PM artcher 0 Comments

PippiRabbit Shop

Making and designing my own bag started off as a hobby to fill up my spare time and fulfill my need to get away from the computer as I worked as a web designer for my day job.

As the skill matured, my own set of judgement and standard kicks in for what I consider a good handmade bag fit for 'sale'. Why do I stress the word sale? How is it different from making bag for yourself and for others? 

Making bags for yourself means you can customize the design to your unique preferences, design specific sizes for your belonging, decide on the color to match your usual outfits. These are all unique factors to each and everyone of us. But when I apply that to my sales item, I'm only targeting a niche group who share the sentiments with me, but how do I expect them to find me in this corner of the world? So what about if I start making generic design, colors, materials? It doesn't work either, because my unit cost are many times higher than mass produced goods from factory. People would compare the prices. I was a confused and unhappy crafter for a while, crying over the poor sale in my shop.

There is no best solution, but I did try my best to come up with my own standard that could satisfy my creative need and the market's demand for a 'buyable' handmade bag.

Here are my guideline for making and designing PippiRabbit's bag:
• The design and material used cannot be easily reproduced.
• The material must last for a period of time. ( no more fake leather or plastic material that cracks after a while and no to leather that get moldy in our hot and humid weather)
• The bag must have a structure that let it stand on it's own proudly and not slouch into a pile of fabrics.
• There is a theme/uniqueness for each design
• It is a bag that I would want and buy for myself.

The self-encouragement that I told myself is to keep doing what I like and enjoy the process, find other means to support this love and interest even if it means doing brainless job to support my financial needs.




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Tommy Print Namecard Review

12:03 PM artcher 0 Comments



I have finally printed Namecard for my PippiRabbit. After some searching on the web, I decided to try Tommy Print which was located at Funan DigitalLife Mall who offer 360gsm paper for $30/100pcs + $6 rounded corner clipping. Which means that each card is $0.36!

The result? The printing quality and matte lamination is average because I can still spot tiny air bubble with my designer trained eye! I can still accept all that BUT what I cannot agree with are the 4 rounded corner that come in obvious uneven size and shape! The quality control is obviously lacking in this area! And when I raised my concern on the spot of collection, the sales person told me unless I opted for die-cut it would be better!? So I paid extra $6 purposely for uneven rounded corner? I think they should just cancel that service!

So what I'm going to do now is buy a round corner punch and correct the mistake myself. Haiz... Sad...

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Making happy pouches!

11:44 AM artcher 0 Comments

I'm one of those kind who can't plan too far, cause I'll forget or give up. So I do things according to mood and I like to make myself believe that this is how artist work LOL! So for this weekend I'll make as many pouches as I can in different colors and design but the same size for some consistent. So far I only made 1 laminated fabric pouch yesterday so 3 more days to go before this cycle ends. Sound like having a period huh!! :P

So finally after 2 days from the last paragraph, I made 2 more pouches! One's company, two's a crowd, and three's a party' Yeah!

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In Memoriam of Singapore Founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew

1:34 PM artcher 0 Comments

Original source of photo taken from  https://www.pap.org.sg
We are now in the national mourning week for our country's founding Prime Minister and Father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who has left us on 23 March 2015, 0318hr.

And I finally have some quiet time to sit in front of my MacBook to write this piece of tribute to a great man who have done a great deal of mammoth work that laid the foundation for Singapore's success and prosperity today. I have search through the internet for a picture that I personally felt represent him the best, which is the moment when he is giving a speech with microphone pointing at him when he speak. That is how I remembered him from television, a serious politician who is always doing the thinking and putting his words and plans into action. It was only from recent reports and documentaries that reveal the other side of his life as a caring brother, loving husband and father that we have a more dimensional view of this leader. Much have been talked about him..and yes he has indeed done so much and affected so many people in his life time that nothing was enough said about him.

In my opinion, he reminds me of Steve Jobs. Highly smart genius among the human race, who seem to know exactly what to do in achieving a goal when they have lock their mission in life. It was with full passion and determination that they make sure nothing could stop them no matter how many time they fail. I may not explain myself clearly here but it always seem mysterious and magical that, nature of life has a mean of injecting the essence that create the balance necessary for evolution and progression in different aspect of life, nature, science, medicine etc. That dose of 'essence' may come in the form of a natural disaster, accident, coincident event or birth of a special person. And to a poor piece of small island on this Earth in the beginning, it is Sir Stamford Raffles who founded us and it is Lee Kuan Yew who give her a bright future. And I'm just one of the fortunate, normal being who happen to be a Singaporean. Thank you for being born and for everything that you have done for Singapore. May you rest in peace now Mr Lee :)

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