Something really great happened recently. And I can't sit on this information any longer. I just can't--I'm getting squirmy and fidgety.
I'm thrilled to pieces to share the news with you! This little something helped to jolt me out of my homesickness and quasi-creative slump. It's helping me to get to know Singapore a heck of a lot better, all while meeting fun and inspiring people. I am at once humbled and floored.
I've been waiting for the exact moment to break the news and I think now is about as good a time as any . . .
Drumroll, please . . . I am now officially a creative team member with Handmade Movement Singapore! Aaaaaah!! Isn't that exciting??!! I guess all of that fingerweaving is finally paying off! As if I couldn't get any more crafty . . .
Boom: I just did. Yay! #HMSG
My official title? Well, it's just Lindsey. But I am in charge of organizing and implementing monthly craft parties and community activities all over Singapore. Perfect! I will also be blogging about various crafty things popping up about town, once or twice monthly.
I'm telling you: I have never felt so good about anything ever! It's so nice to have a creative family. I had been missing my creative family in Nashville. And before that, my creative family in Baltimore. And before that, Austin. Finally! I feel like I am home!
I first spoke about Handmade Movement Singapore in November of last year. I came home from work one day in October and decided that I needed to make a change in order to help me get out of my hey-I've-moved-to-a-new-country-and-feel-a-bit-alone-slump. So I did a quick search for artists and crafters. And the first link that popped up was Handmade Movement. They were looking for vendors for their curated craft market in January. I loved the little otter on their website and thought, I am not a selling craft person but I know I have something to offer these folks. So I sent them a quick email with images of my work and told them that if they needed a community teacher or installation artist at their fair, I would be game.
It worked! (Cue happy dance.)
I was asked to run a community event and decorate the park for their inaugural craft fair. However, this happened. Oh my goodness, what a soggy mess. While it wasn't a deterrent of people showing up to the fair, it certainly made it difficult for me to really present my work for Handmade Movement Singapore how it was really meant to be . . . But the community quilt square making table that I was running--however--sparked everyone's attention. Once people started making things, people REALLY started making things. (It truly is amazing what happens when you lay out a bunch of mismatched fabric, needles, and thread in front of people and say: go to town!) It was inspiring to watch.
The long and the short of it? That fateful rainy day back in January is when--unbeknownst to me--I found my creative family in Singapore. I wouldn't change a thing about that day of being freezing cold and drenched for 10 hours straight . . . Totally worth it. Absolutely, no question.
Check out the video above to see how beautifully the craft fair turned out in spite of the day-long downpour. It was incredible!
Fast forward to last Saturday: our first event as a team. All 6 of us (we were missing Hani, but she was there in spirit!) co-facilitated a creative sharing session with The Gentlemen's Press and Monster Gallery. You remember Monster Gallery, right!?!
A small grouping of about 15 folks drinking coffee and talking about the future of craft and art in Singapore. We touched on everything from collaboration to starting a business, inspiration to focus. It was an amazing conversation that allowed everyone the opportunity to introduce themselves, network, and share. And it lasted for well over 2 hours!
Crafting as a business and the handmade movement are fairly new concepts in Singapore. I was surprised to find this out, considering how design-oriented the city is as a whole. Clean lines and pretty things are everywhere, they're just manufactured and not handmade. But I have a feeling hand-fashioned items are about to take Singapore by storm.
And I'm pretty sure our creative family grew about three times the size on Saturday! Just sayin' . . . Look-out!
"Crafting as a business and the handmade movement are fairly new concepts in Singapore." I rarely speak up online but I find myself reacting quite strongly to this statement.
ReplyDeleteIMO, crafting business is definitely not a fairly new concept in our young nation. The local market is just not mature enough to be profitable for indie crafters who need to make a living out of it. As much as my limited knowledge provides, I've seen handmade businesses which started in 2006 and 2007 and I personally started one in 2010 too.
But I appreciate efforts from people like you who are pushing the handmade boundaries here. Keep it up!
Thank you for your comments! People have been crafting things everywhere in the world for hundreds and hundreds of years, and making an object profitable enough to make a living off of it is always a challenge regardless of where someone lives. Less than 8 years is relatively new. I'm excited to see where this conversation leads us in Singapore. Go handmade! Yay! To continued success!
ReplyDeleteSure. I must say our nation is very young so the number of years ago appears relatively long to me. I also look forward to where handmade heads to here in the next decade! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteOh, what an interesting writeup! I missed the creative sharing session because of a prior engagement, and I'm hoping to join the next one. Your enthusiasm is contagious. I do agree that the craft fair would have been hugely different if only the sun showed up, but heck, I was there and had a wonderful time – muddy shoes and all! Congratulations in finding people to share your passion with.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind comments! Please keep in touch! :)
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