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I’ll be selling my artworks very soon. All proceeds will be going to the victims of super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. I’ll keep you all posted.

A Curation of Creative Works

My passion is to make art for art’s sake and it’s great to get to know other creative people across the globe who are also passionate like me.  Thanks to Aaron Yeboah, Jr. of 2dots, I was given an opportunity to be a part of over 90 artists and designers who collaborated to produce a book that would inspire creative enthusiasts.

If you’re always looking for creative inspiration in all sorts of fields, like illustration, graphic design or photography, A Curation of Creative Works (Volume 1) is the perfect book for you.

A full page spread of my works

You can purchase the book via blurb

Make Memories Last

Relying solely on digital storage is not a great idea for me.  I don’t know about you, but I have this feeling of anxiety whenever I save something important in my computer or even in hard drives, USB’s and CDs.  Technology is ever changing and before we know it, these storage devices would become like floppy disks and diskettes–obsolete and not accessible.

That’s why whenever I need to take down something very important, I write it down (I always keep a handy dandy notebook and pen)–like important events, random great ideas, quotes I read from books, etc.  As for my photos, I want them tangible.  I print the good ones and keep them in nice boxes or even turn them into a collage.  Call me old-fashioned but I know I won’t regret doing these now because in the future, I can always look back on the good memories.

For a sentimental person like me, I’m got really excited when I found out about PixaRoll–a photo printing kiosk in your hands!

So what’s PixaRoll and what makes this app awesome?

PixaRoll allows you to upload your smartphone photos and have them printed into lasting memories for your family and friends! Just select your photos, select recipient, pay and you are done! Delivering smiles has never been that fun!

And to my fellow Filipinos, rejoice! PixaRoll is launching the app globally and its first world tour launch is in the Philippines! To know more about PixaRoll Philippines, visit and like them on facebook. Don’t forget to share their page with your friends because PixaRoll is also giving a discount once they hit 1,000 page likes! Yay! So give this app a try and make memories last 🙂

It’s Alive!

Yes,  my blog is still alive and I’m back from a 4-month blogging hiatus. If you’re wondering why–which I doubt it but I’m gonna tell you anyway because it is my freaking blog after all–let’s just say my plate is overflowing and work keeps pouring in.

It’s already September and we’re nearing the end of the year.  But no worries, I’m back and I won’t let 2013 end without posting awesome stuff this good year has given me.

Stoked in Baler

I couldn’t believe I didn’t post a single entry in the month of March, my birthday month.  I’ve been busy with client works and personal projects.  I must admit, last month was pretty exhausting–not physically but purely mentally.  I felt that my brain’s lacking in creative inspiration and is hungry for new ideas, so I have to feed it.  I need to take a time off from work.

Good thing, my friends and I planned a trekking and surfing trip in Baler, Aurora.  And I must say, I came back rejuvenated and ready to share with you my summer experience.  Baler is known for its perfect waves that surfers dig but it’s more than just a surfing site.

Baler Waves

What would Jessica do?

This 2013, I promised myself that I will get back to my creative mindset because I felt that I kinda lost it when I started working full-time as an in-house graphic artist…so I came to a decision.

But before the drama, let me tell you about Jessica Walsh, an art director and partner at  Sagmeister and Walsh.  Jessica is a fearless lady who has a big influence in design and art direction.  After watching her presentation/lecture during the Graphika Manila design conference a few weeks ago, I became an instant fan.  I hope I don’t sound like a stalker, but after knowing about her and her works, I researched more about Jessica and came across this great interview by The Great Discontent which made me love her even more.

I found out that she was offered an in-house job at Apple in California right after graduating, but she turned it down and chose to move to New York and be an intern with Pentagram and do some freelance works.  She was then helped by The Paula Scher get her first job as an art director for Print Magazine…and then…well, Jessica became The  Jessica Walsh.

In the interview, she was asked, “Did you have any moments when you had to decide between doing something financially stable as opposed to doing something more creative that you really loved?”

Her answer was simple but it struck me the most:

“I think it was what I mentioned earlier—the temptation of taking the job at Apple versus doing the internship with Paula at Pentagram. I knew Apple would be much more stable and well-paid, but I knew in my heart that in the end, I would be much happier at a design studio than I would with an in-house job.”

Her answer is very much relatable with my situation now, but the only difference is that I accepted the job offer as an in-house designer with Apple’s top competitor (figure it out).  But then, like I said earlier, I made a decision. Yes, I’m quitting this “corporate job”.

Tomorrow’s in fact my last day. Finally!

Like Jessica, she went through a tough decision…but it was a good one.  Just to be clear, I had planned to quit way before I knew about Jessica—but I found her career path story comforting. It made me feel that leaving this stable job and going back to freelancing will get me somewhere.  I just have to believe in my talent and never stop creating.

If you have a passion for design (or art direction), and you are considering a career path in the creative field, make Jessica Walsh your role model.

Sweaters for trees

I spent my whole saturday in the steets, bombing trees with woven fabrics.  Yarn bombing was my first ever street art activity and despite the sunburn and calluses, I had fun and it’s definitely a memorable experience.

Urban art may be the most debatable/controversial form of art and is not acceptable by many.  However, as soon as the Arts at BGC organized a “yarn bombing activity” in celebration of their first art festival at the Bonifacio Global City, I volunteered right away because of three good reasons:

1.  I’ll get to spend the day with the artisans of Rags2Riches–an eco-ethical, for-profit social enterprise.  These artisans are women from the poor communities who create rags, bags and accessories from scraps, organic and indigenous fabrics.

2.  Yarn bombing is temporary unlike paint so it can be easily removed.

3. The world needs more color.

My very fashionable tree

More yarn-bombed trees! They look like wearing sweaters

Daytime Moon

The moon can’t wait for tonight so it made an early appearance. I took this last sunday, at 5 in the afternoon.

Last Glimpse of 2012

Last Glimpse of 2012

Happy 2013 world!  How did you celebrate your new year? I welcomed the new year by taking a “goodbye photo”.

I’m getting back into photography this year so I started off with this photo which I took a few minutes after the clock struck 12.  The moon will set sooner so I thought of capturing its beauty before it leaves to remind me how awesome my year 2012 was.  It has been a good year for me and I have a feeling that 2013 will be better.

Now

Obviously, this is going to be my last post for this year and I’m keeping this post short and sweet. If you’re thinking that this is going to be a “My New Year’s Resolution List” post, then you’re almost right, but not quite, because I only have one:

My New Year’s Resolution is to NOT make a New Year’s Resolution.

I believe making a list of your resolutions is a form of procrastination…and I’m a big fat procrastinator myself. If procrastination is a crime, I’d be sentenced to lifelong incarceration.  That’s why I’m changing this bad habit now as I’m typing this entry.

If you want to change or do something in your life, why wait for next year when you can actually start right now?