Freebie: Patience & Appreciation (Printable + Phone Wallpaper)

They were gone - everything - past lettering work, future lettering and illustrations I had intended to showcase, logos and headers from upcoming collaborations, styled photographs, family vacation photographs, school assignments.

In the last couple of months of 2015, the portable hard disk containing all my design and personal files had become faulty, and the price for its repair and file recovery was far too costly - more than ten times the original price of the hard disk itself. As a college student who was still studying, I was had no means to afford the four-digit repair cost.

The loss of my diligently-organised folders in the hard disk (which I had previously committed much of my time to construct) had upset me so much then that it came to a point where I wanted to throw in the towel.

I subsequently subjected myself to the deplorable state of remorse, lamenting how I should've opted for cloud storage, or used other methods. Returning to the one therapeutic activity that could take my mind off things, however, inevitably called for the labourious task of put the remaining, salvageable files back in order.

So during the last semester break, I had undertaken the arduous challenge of rebuilding the library of all my lettering and design work. Re-organising, re-editing, re-scanning any physical copies that were left. It was time-consuming and labourious, but without any reason, the only way to circumvent the problem. 

'Two things define you: your patience when you have nothing, and your attitude when you have everything.' - Imam Ali 

Version 1 // White

Printable
Simple Download
Floral Download

Phone (Andriod/iPhone)
Simple 1080 X 1920
Floral 1080 X 1920

Version 2 // Black

Printable
Simple Download
Floral Download

Phone (Andriod/iPhone)
Simple 1080 X 1920
Floral 1080 X 1920

The freebie for this post is just a little reflective reminder I'd like to share after my much-needed test. I've been practicing more each weekend, experimenting with new brushes and brush pens to create a neater lettering piece each time. I acknowledge that it is not the best, and there are improvements to make. Documenting my lettering progress has made this space such a beneficial learning journey and I am ever so grateful to have family, friends and readers to share it with.

As for losing family vacation photographs in the hard disk, it finally occurred to me that living in the moment is far more important than possessing those scenic images. Captured moments in physical form are doubtlessly beautiful, but being present and mindful as each new experience sweeps in supersedes this. The fleeting nature of each irreplaceable second makes it even more breathtaking than we can imagine.

It's difficult to imagine, but losing everything was the best thing that has ever happened in the recent months. Having some patience and a sense of appreciation will certainly shape resilience, and our seemingly innate ability to survive the worst life can hurl towards us.

Until next time ♥ 

Lettering and photo by me

Printables created by Dian from The Happy Candle. For personal use only. Not for distribution or resale. Please link back to original post if shared. Thank you.

Growing The Garden (+ Reader Survey)

It seemed unimaginable that I just spent the last couple of months in university - the institute of 'thriving talent, desire and opportunity'. I suppose time flies while we're bustling through the avid, networking community and endless friends-of-friends introductions. While orientating myself in the fresh atmosphere and joining the pursuit of self-exploration with thousands of others, it was no surprise that some anxiety was involved.

We find ourselves clinging on to the safety of our comfort zones as we commence the year with new beginnings, whether moving to different neighbourhoods, starting in a new school or a new job. It's natural to be intimidated; everyone has reservations to new experiences. It's only important that this doesn't prolong, for each time we turn down the audacity to make new decisions and overcome challenges, we evade the tugging at our sleeves to grow as a person.

The beauty of a garden lies in its cultivation. This especially rings true in self development while experiencing new challenges. There are gardens are in our hearts, filled with various botanical elements, depending on how we develop as a person. It only takes some water and heart to nurture it.

Never mind weeds and setbacks. Adversities build character. Procrastinating to subdue them or avoiding them completely harbours apathy. One should be able to tell the difference between hanging in there, and constantly asking time to hang on. And as much as I'd like to take heart from what is mentioned, admittedly, I've yet to instill this upon myself, so this has been dutifully placed as one of the resolutions for this year. 

What then, would be the grand plan to achieve this? For a start, know and acknowledge that we're not alone - soak ourselves in the relief that these challenges are not only unique to us, then, go through them together. The world is a much brighter with family and friends. I can never be more grateful to God for giving me such supportive and encouraging people who care; we're all given so much to be thankful for.

Hopefully by understanding this, instead of chastising ourselves or surrendering to these challenges, we'll not only have compassion for others who are struggling, but also learn how resilient we really are.

Until next time ♥

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+ It's refreshing to be finally back from my near-three-month break. I'd love to hear updates from readers of how things have been and catch up with everyone. Some might have also noticed that I've put up a little link to a short reader survey. I've received some feedback since - all of which bear the sweetest and most helpful responses. If you haven't attempted it, feel free to do so. All feedback mentioned will undoubtedly be taken into consideration to make The Happy Candle a more creative and inspiring place for all. Your response and time taken to review is greatly appreciated.

This semester is going to be much busier, but several posts have already been planned out for the future, in which we can all look forward to. There are several projects I've been busy with last winter which have yet to debut, so it's going to be a very exciting year. I do realise it's been more than three months since I last posted in this space - winter break was more packed than I'd expected - so much so that I took no notice that The Happy Candle blog actually turned one back last December. (This calls for a short belated celebratory applause!) Here's a jog down memory lane with it's first post. 

Corridor (+ IBR)

There's the familiar savoury aroma of curry from the neighbour a few floors downstairs, the indistinct tune of Hokkien karaoke music from the elderly couple across the building, the colourful blinking lights on the window pane of the family in the apartment opposite to celebrate the upcoming Eid - a variety of cultures that ignite senses.

People are moving in and out of their homes either to dry the laundry, buy their groceries or water their plants in their 'gardens'. The serenity doesn't get any more flawless than hearing children's laughter from the playground downstairs. It's a typical weekend in the heartlands of this island city-state.

Since we're a relatively tiny island/city with about 6 million people, we have high population density (as most cities do). This means we have a large number of people living in a particular area. As a result, most of us live in apartment buildings and high rise flats with no backyards.

Corridors are the common spaces that we have - spaces where we see our neighbours and their homes (about five to ten metres away from our very own front door), where children ride on bicycles from one end to the other, and even where people start their own little 'garden' at its sides. Most of these 'gardens' are healthy but they clearly weren't large - usually they were five potted plants lined along the concrete floor against the low walls of the corridor to reach over for sunlight. It seemed to enjoy the sunlight from the highest storeys in the building.

You must think that the corridor seems awfully narrow, but there's indeed a wide area for people to walk and reach the lift lobby from their apartment. Nonetheless, what perhaps is the most important aspect of this common corridor is its role to bring a particular entity together - the people.

It is certainly a different atmosphere in other parts of the world, but what remains most similar is the community that lives in neighbourhoods. There's no doubt that neighbours can come in various forms. Some are reeked in envy, others are as polished as gold. Yet it's important to realise that though there are some who might be putting us off a little, we stay courteous and considerate.

Wherever we are in the world, despite any troubles we might experience, there is indeed a little 'corridor' in each neighbourhood - something that brings people together, something that allows them to live with comfort in the knowledge that there are people who care. It doesn't have to be a place or a tangible item. We can be that little 'corridor' ourselves - the person who just remains as kind and courteous to everyone and makes that little first step towards building relationships regardless of how difficult or awkward they might start off.

Neighbours are people we need, let's aspire to be good ones, for if we love our neighbours as ourselves, we gain nothing more than home sweet home.

Until next time ♥

Lettering and photo by me

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+ The notebook with the beautiful watercolour print featured in the photograph is created by Nancy Tichborne, a talented watercolour artist from New Zealand. I bought the notebook a couple of years back at a local stationary shop, and it is part of the Nancy Floral Series Journal. 

+ This post was also written for the linkup 'Inspired By Random' (IBR), hosted by Fatima from That Delete Button. The linkup includes a writing a post based on a random book title chosen without it being related to the book. 

+ 'Corridor' is the title of a book written by a local Singaporean author Alfian Sa'at, and I picked out the book at random from my to-read list. I've always wanted to read his books because of all the positive reviews I've heard about them, but needless to say, I never took the chance. Here's me taking that opportunity - I'm making it a point to read the random book I've chosen for the linkup after this post. :)

You can also find me on Goodreads.

The Loopy Doodles: Eyes On You (+ IBR)

Have you ever had perhaps two tabs opened on your browser, and you're conscientiously attempting to complete a task, but decide to open several other tabs instead? You've made the decision to complete that single task, and think to yourself - yes, this is what I'm going to stick to and do for the next hour. Minutes later, you find yourself on another task picked out from your endless to-do list and attempt to do several things at once clumsily.

In our hurried lives, we always want to get things done all at once, and multitasking seems like the best way to check off the boxes of the never-ending list. It often ends with not completing the tasks at all, or even if we do, they aren't of the best quality. Most might think that they've been multitasking well, but if we already find difficulty in focusing on a single task, multitasking is in fact an even more difficult skill to cultivate. 

After what felt like the hundredth time my sister expressed her constant annoyance at the numerous tabs opened in my browser, I found myself returning to the first task and saying to it, "This is it. I'm keeping my eyes on you. Come on, focus."

The notion occurred to me that perhaps before we can multitask, it's important to find focus. There's just too many things to look at that we fail to keep focus at each of them one at a time. There's nothing inherently wrong with multitasking, but one has to be extremely skilled at it to not just complete all of the tasks, but complete it well.

As part of my very own collection called The Loopy Doodles Series (a series of GIFs and animated illustrations with lettering), I've created a lettering with this uplifting quote that has become a state of mind, or perhaps a disposition, that I'd like to work towards.

This image is an animation. Click to play; image will play in an infinite loop without stopping. 

These lines were taken from a poem written by Sarah Williams called The Old Astronomer to his Pupil. They are no doubt the reason to the poem's outstanding recognition. Though the lines works well on its own, it becomes even more enchanting when read with the poem itself, and I'd certainly recommend anyone to read it if they're interested. The poem explored the humbling aspirations of a mentor to his student and the themes of death, knowledge and love.

For the interest of this post, if we take a look at the line on its own, being so fond of the stars is what makes the line so poignant. It's magical to fondly gaze upon the universe and the stars and eventually determine the dark night to be negligible. It's liberating to be so concentrated on a task and eventually become immune to the small petty issues - to keep so focused on a specific task, that we do not notice the darkness or challenges enveloping it. This is the level of focus that perhaps we should aspire to work towards in order to achieve our goals. 

I do realise that this Loopy Doodles Series was supposed to be done monthly, and I truly apologise for not keeping to my word about it. There's been so many new projects and things to deal with lately that it's been pushed back since March. So I've made a decision that it's best if this series is made in to a bi-monthly or tri-monthly (once in two/three months) series instead of a monthly one. I've been quite busy these few weeks and probably will continue to be for the coming weeks because I've been working on these new projects and collaborations that I'm really excited to showcase soon here as well.  :)

In completing these projects, I did find myself toggling from one task to the next. I wasn't a splendid multitasker, so I attempted to focus on one task at a time, and I'd like to think that completing this post without becoming too distracted is a legitimately first successful attempt.

Most of us are always looking for ways to kill two birds with one stone - we've been given numerous opportunities to do so - from the option of opening tabs in browsers to using floating widgets on mobile phones. However perhaps what we need to learn first, is to kill a bird well and effectively, before we attempt the slightly more arduous task of killing both at once, only to merely injure both of them instead.

Until next time ♥ 

Lettering + illustration + animated gif by me 

For more lettering work from the Loopy Doodles Series, click here.

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The Loopy Doodles Series a bi/tri-monthly series of moving drawings + animations with lettering. They'll mostly be in the form of GIFs, and the drawings + lettering will be shown in an animated loop, just like the one above. 

+ This post was also written for the linkup 'Inspired By Random' (IBR), hosted by Fatima from That Delete Button. The linkup includes a writing a post based on a random book title chosen without it being related to the book. (The linkup was hosted back in March, but I haven't gotten the chance to do it, not sure if it's too late or if it's still working. But I've always wanted to do a linkup, and this is my first time participating in one, hope I'm doing this right.) 

+ 'Eyes on You' is the title of a book written by Kate White. I picked out the book at random from my to-read list. It's a psychological thriller, and I'm making it a point to read the random book I've chosen for the linkup after this post. :) 

You can also find me on Pinterest and Goodreads. 

Breaking Away

Some might have realised my absence in this space for several weeks. I've mentioned previously on my about page that I started this little space to fill up my three-month hiatus while waiting for my results. Last week, that day had finally come, and everything had returned to the busy state as it were three months ago. 

Admittedly, I was fearful and worried of what was to become of this space. Would readers stick around? I didn't want to lose the beat this was building. I do realise that letting this space sit idle for a month can be brutal on readers and traffic. It's bounce rate was already increasing slightly after two weeks, and while traffic mostly came from Pinterest, it was still losing it's momentum. Yet, it was time to step away from the screen, and set new priorities.

The more important realisation was that I needed a break (as much as everyone has to sometimes) to focus on crucial university applications and other administrative matters. I'm going to embark on a new phase in my life. There isn't time for everything, and I didn't want to abandon this space completely. A poet, Nayyirah Waheed, had mentioned this quote above, reminding us that sometimes we just need to take a breath, pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start over when we're ready again.

I suppose it'd be courteous to explain my future disappearances or infrequencies in posting something as well. It'll probably be a month or so before I finally manage to get back up on my feet again. I'd just like to state the reason to this temporary pause concisely, and give a time frame for my expected return. I want to ensure that readers are informed and (hopefully) look forward for future posts. 

Apologies for the long wait and this short post. I may check in once in a while, and I'll be looking forward to your updates as well. Finally, a blog is nothing without its readers. I'm grateful for all. I'm so appreciative of all the support that has been given, and I'd like to thank God and everyone for having this creative part of my life. 

Until next time ♥

Lettering + Photo by me

The Loopy Doodles Series: Creativity

"I'm not creative," a friend had said. Some classmates and I were in the midst of a school project, and this had happened a few years ago. We had been discussing how else to approach a particular problem in the project. "Sorry, I'm just not that good in these kind of things."

It was merely a claim disguised as an apology that she had put upon herself, and I paid no substantial attention to it. However, further down the road of experiencing relationships and interactions with others, patterns emerged and I began to recognise that more people had begun to say the same thing. "I'm just not creative."

Admittedly, it could be just an excuse for refusing to give a significant contribution, but it was also a confession of a destitute soul. These people were actually underestimating themselves. Being creative is the natural order of life. We are all born creative. You are. Everyone is.

We're never uncreative just because we don't come up with the best ideas. We look at things from different vantage points. We always have ideas to suffice, regardless how intricate or elaborate. The most important thing to realise about creativity though, is that it takes a lot of courage.

This image is an animation. Click to play; image will play in three loops before stopping. Reload page to repeat animation.

Don't we ever feel assuring to be in a place of stillness each time we take a familiar path? Don't we just love where we are, where our feet is planted steadily on the ground? But imagine the possibilities if we just took another step forward and think out of our deep, dim box. This isn't about risks. This isn't about being dauntless. It's just about having faith in ourselves.

I decided to commence digging for ideas beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone and explore new ways of this form of expression. It did take a little more audacity to decide on coming up with a new series, to change things a little bit from the usual.

With this, I'd like to introduce a new lettering collection, called The Loopy Doodles Series. It's a monthly series of moving drawings with lettering. They'll mostly be in the form of GIFs, and the drawings + lettering will be shown in an animated loop, just like the one above. I also appreciate the help from my twin for helping me in coming up with its catchy name. I'd love to hear thoughts about this series as well, so improvements can be made and I can learn along the way.

In hindsight, we all have the ability to generate potent innovations. Let's not let fears rob us of the most valuable entity that makes up who we are - our ideas.

Until next time ♥

Lettering by me, Photo by me
Find me on Pinterest for more lettering work.

Blackbirds

A few days ago, while I was in the train, I overheard a conversation of a man on his phone grumbling about how he despised this situation he was in. His thoughts were cold, and he saw the everything as raw and scorched. He kept talking about how worse it'd get in time to come. But before he hung up, he did say something interesting - "It's not going to get better. But I'll work on it."

From just that conversation, I discovered a few things. For one, he's clearly not an optimist. But he had an attribute that most people perceive they do - hope. I was adamant to find out more about this new understanding I was just grasping - there's a stark difference between optimism and hope. But what is it?

"Optimism is the way you think," my sister explained casually at the end of our ride. "It's thinking positive." She intended to explain more before I brought up the word 'hope', but she was busy responding to something important in her phone.

The notion occurred to me that perhaps optimism is an attitude. Hope on the other hand, is a belief, and it comes with a plan to do something about it. We think our future will be better than today. But hope is the belief in a better future and taking action towards achieving it.

We can be a pessimist and still be hopeful at the same time. We can be painfully annoying bleak thinkers, piqued by everything we see, but we can also take action to improve what's important to us, just like the man on the train.

Sir Paul McCartney wrote this beautiful song as a reaction to racial tensions escalating in the United States in the spring of 1968. Blackbirds were a symbol of hope and freedom meant for the black people's struggle in the southern states. 

The world has it's own new blackbirds, whether due to discrimination against another religion or mere refugees finding a place to flee. Many civil rights issues have been overcome last decade, but more have been cropping up, and all these people need is a little more than just optimistic onlookers for the world to have a sliver of hope.

Nothing's wrong with being optimistic. But when wishing on a star outweighs making a difference, when building pretty castles in the air surpasses making an effort towards our goals, and when "It'll get better" trumps "I'm doing something about it", we're simply not being true to ourselves at all.

I've been caught up a lot this week, chipping away at chores and being bombarded with an overwhelming quantity of to-do lists, having some slight issues with the scanner as well, but I'd like to continue writing one to two posts weekly about some observations and share some of my recent lettering work to inspire others. Sometimes, it's the littlest things that makes us realise the huge ones that we never really take to heart, and nothing is more liberating than to just write about it.  

The blackbird probably sees nothing but it's broken wings but she has hope, because she's well capable of flying. She should very well take her first plunge, because her ability to fly - the action of working towards her brighter future - comes when she least expects it.

Until next time ♥

Lettering by me, Photo by me
Find me on Pinterest for more lettering work.

Passengers

The truths in the world may be undermined because of me. Because of us. The world is so full of self-proclaimed professionals, yet here we are - bloggers or tiny voices in social media - giving away our most valuable 'insights'. Why do we intend to appear as experts? Who are we? 

After my apprehensive forays into this visual diary this holiday, I was attempting to figure out the reason to why I started it in the first place. It's the beginning of 2015, and before I step forward to continue this venture afresh, I wanted to contemplate on it's purpose and the repercussions I'm bound to inflict on others. Then, somehow by coincidence, I encountered a trigger that led to my explanation.

I was clearing up some of my old assignments and came across an excerpt of a book by Andrew Keen, an indie author. The book, The Cult of The Amateur, is about our liberal, user-generated, digital world. At risk of sounding like a mundane non-fiction psychological writer, this might actually resonate with everyone, bloggers or not.  I discovered a few points in the excerpt that was appropriate to ponder over about the consequences of blogging in the world.

"What the Web 2.0 revolution is really delivering is superficial observations of the world around us rather than deep analysis."  

"As former British Prime Minister James Callaghan said, 'A lie can make it's way around the world before the truth has the chance to put it's boots on.' That has never been more true than with speeding, freewheeling, unchecked culture of today's blogosphere."

In short, Keen was explaining how truths are being undermined and professional work are undervalued by user-generated information like blogs. In that assignment, I had to decide if I agreed with him, and at that point in time, I carelessly did. I was too narrow-minded to realise that there were people who were frustrated with Keen for mocking the human race and being a luddite. Keen assumes the entire world is foolish, when even the most shallow of us can judge the validity of the facts on '.org' and '.blogspot.com'.

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor who lived long before the birth of our virtual network, but he did mention a quote that seemingly describes this infinite cyberspace.

Perhaps truths are not entirely being undermined because of blogs. Perhaps as much as there are countless of user-generated information out there, people know what to trust. They are their own appointed arbiters of content and they make the decisions on what to believe. They decide whether they intend to shield themselves from the cacophonous media environment.  

It's really crowded and noisy in here, but let's think for ourselves and continue to keep an open mind. We have the ability to make our own decisions on what to trust.

Besides, the unmapped network of blogs or YouTube videos play a string of discordant voices. All gets lost in this virtual insanity. But it's vital for identity development. 

Sites with user-generated information like blogs, allow us to 'perform' for others and take us on a journey of self-discovery. This was explained by a psychologist, Danah Boyd. Facing a mirror to reflect on our own performance, we 'perform' to attain the reactions of others, while making an audacious move to expose ourselves shamelessly in the process. Maybe this answers the question to who we actually are. 

We're passengers of a plane to that distant island of Approval, clad with just a shifty passport. We're in an airport passing a series of counters, checkpoints after checkpoints, to garner that mere ticket of Acceptance. We're living in the digital age of egotism and the search for recognition, parading itself as mere socialisation. 

Some might agree, but you know, you can't trust me either. 

Lettering by me, Photo by me. 

This post is about the consequences of blogging and why we still do.

Mixtape 02: The Glow of Nostalgia (Guest Post)

This is a guest post written by my twin sister, 'Amira. She will be compiling a mixtape that features the best songs of 2014, ranging from indie, alternative to the amusingly fun bubble-gum pop.

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It doesn't hurt to look back. There's a funny thing about nostalgia - as much as we think it's a sense of longing for whatever's in the past, it ends off a strong note of gratification. And that's what makes it so...endearing.

This 2014 we have seen history being made time and again in music, with U2 releasing their latest cut Songs of Innocence to all iTunes users for free, Taylor Swift’s pop package 1989 selling more than a million in its opening week and the boys of One Direction making their fourth number one album on the Billboard. But these are just the headliners – we mustn't forget the some fresh faces in the industry as well as some gems in the trending indie music scene. After all, it’s the diversity that makes music a universal instrument. Let’s dive into our best 2014 list of songs.

25. The Hanging Tree – James Newton Howard ft. Jennifer Lawrence

24. News – Freddie Dickson

23. Let It Go – James Bay

22. The Mother We Share – CHVRCHES

21. The Heart Wants What It Wants – Selena Gomez

20. Fool’s Gold – One Direction

19. Yours – Ella Henderson

18. King of the World – Young Rising Sons

17. All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor

16. I Won’t Let You Down – OK Go

15. Compass – Zella Day

14. You Are In Love – Taylor Swift

13. Medicine – The 1975

12. We’re Not Alone – Echosmith

11. In Time – Kris Allen

10. Broken Frame – Alex & Sierra 

09. Budapest – George Ezra 

08. The People – Nina Nesbitt 

07. Rollercoaster – Bleachers 

06. Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

05. Bridges – Broods 

04. Geronimo – Sheppard

03. Yellow Flicker Beat – Lorde

02. Iris (Hold Me Close) – U2

01. Ink – Coldplay

♪ Spotify  ♪ YT

So there you have it - the best of 2014. We seem to be engineered to move forward all the time. Now hopefully some music will change that because in the blur of everything, we can't deny that there'll always be that looming glow of nostalgia. Just embrace it, before it evansces with the climb of the sun.

Peace out,
'A

Photo by 'A

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'A is a contributor to Wattpad, where she publishes her books 'Storms and Other Short Poems' and 'Speculum' online, with over 4000 reads since October 2014 and more than 500 votes. She enjoys reading, writing and videography.

Wattpad is a world of free stories - a writing community which users are able to post articles, stories and poems about anything. The content includes work by undiscovered and published writers.

Check out a snippet of her first book 'Storms and Other Short Poems' here.  

Freebie: Collecting Moments

Our hurried lives in the competitive world has painted what seems to be a mundane portrait of the universe. It appears to be an unpleasant piece, but in fact it's beauty lies in the acknowledgement that it is exquisitely abstract. Some see graceful light rays on the little corners of the canvas, carefully splayed, others see a mere stroke of paint. It's just like the little details in our lives.

People tend to think of life as nothing more than calendars after calendars - days, months, years. We fail to see that life is pleasantly punctuated with instances of joy. It's liberating to be in the realm of the setting sun, chirping birds in the morning or just being around smiles of loved ones. These are the little things in life meant to be relished. Let's appreciate that life consists of moments. For if we fail to see them, the daily struggles is what's left in our eyes. Perhaps this should be a mental note for writing the upcoming new year's resolutions. 

I wanted to make something special to motivate myself to commit more resiliently to any new resolutions. Since I had my eyes plastered to the computer screen more frequently to edit photographs and lettering this holiday, I decided to make a personal wallpaper with a reminder. I scrawled up some water colours and pens to the drawing board and set my mind to inspired-mode.

So, here's a little gift I'd like to share - a wallpaper for our gadgets to remind ourselves to enjoy the little things in life. I profess that my work may not be completely pleasant-looking because I'm really still learning lettering, but I'd just like to share it with others so that we can improve on ourselves together.

Phone (Android/iPhone) 1080 x 1920

Laptop 2880 x 1800

Desktop 2560 x 1600 / 1280 x 1024

Let's also note that enjoying the little things doesn't mean to sweep our slip ups under the rug either. We remember the good things that matter but that doesn't excuse us from forgetting our trying times, because it is these disasters and disappointments that admonish the pessimistic thoughts that lurk at the back of our minds and allow us to think - if we can make it through then, we can make it through now.

Until next time! ♥

Lettering by me, Watercolour Illustration by me

Wallpapers created by Dian from The Happy Candle. For personal use only. Not for distribution or resale. Please link back to original post if shared. Thank you.

Awaiting The Aftertaste

Have you ever tasted the best candy ever, or maybe just any of your favourite foods, and you love it so much that you chew it, so slowly, sucking the little bits of it, so that it takes just a little longer to be digested in your mouth - just because you want the taste to last forever? And it just gives you such sorrow that regardless of how slow you intend to digest it to let the moment last, that tasty treat will inevitably dissolve into millions of tiny bits that enter your digestive tract, gone. Just after a few seconds, the zest dissipated almost delibrately, and what's left is just your empty mouth. It was merely a temporary sapidity.

Nothing lasts forever, not even the strongest taste, and this December seems to be just like that. Perhaps a little like the ampersand - "&".

After my unproductive post-prandial lament with my twin about finishing the last spoonful of ice cream, I scoured The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to identify the perfect description of this feeling - the feeling of enjoying the last essence of a taste, something like savouring the small bit of ice cream but finally losing it again.

So after scrolling and browsing through countless of words and descriptions of irrelevant desires and moments, I finally found the perfect word.

kairosclerosis n. the moment you realise that you're currently happy - consciously trying to savour the feeling - which prompts your intellect to identify it, pick it apart and put it in context, where it will slowly dissolve until it's a little more than an after taste.

I was doubtful that I could ever find a word, and in fact the word I found puts my situation in a more complex manner than I initially thought. It's not just about savouring the last bit of food/drink - it's about the savouring the satisfaction/happiness that comes with it.

December is a month celebration, whether it is due to the ever-so comforting abatement of examinations or just looking forward to the year-end holidays to spend with loved ones. It's a month of reflection and deliberate self-blandishment - to comfort the soul that what you did this year was right and that everything happened for a reason. We look past regrets because we accept that it is too late to return and we move on to celebrate the good times left.

Apologies for this lengthy post.  I just wanted to say that the mixtape was actually about savouring the last (hundred) hours of the year.

Until next time! ♥

Lettering by me, Photo by me 

Mixtape 01: Savour The Hour

I finally decided to come up with a mixtape just for fun for the last few days of December. It's just a compilation of hearty songs, because the mix is all about taking the time to enjoy the remnants and the last sweet delights of the year. It consists of upbeat tunes and pleasant warbles to take a journey through the festive month that will come to an end swiftly. Ranging from happy tunes to solemn vibes, this mixtape is perfect for a ruminative + festive December. 

01. Must Land Running - Stepdad
02. A New Feeling - Alphabet Botanical
03. All of the People - Panama Wedding
04. Say It Just Say It - The Mowgli's
05. Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root
06. Last Forever - Fenech-Soner
07. Paris - Magic Man
08. O - Coldplay
09. To Build A Home - The Cinematic Orchestra
10. Every Breaking Wave - U2

♪ Spotify  ♪ YT

And before each petal finds its way floating to the ground, let's enjoy the beauty of this rose while it lasts. 15 days of 2014 left, 16 more to go. I'll probably keep more of the mixtape details in the next post to keep this more concise.

Until next time! ♥

Photo by me

Every Breaking Wave

“Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me.” 

― Walt Whitman

It's been two weeks since the major examinations are over, and all the leisure time I spent watching television and lazing around seemed to have blurred the dusty image of the nearing future. I have three months until the return of the results from Cambridge, and as far as it appears, that fateful day will inevitably come. I hope to embrace this fleeting life to the best I can.

Recently I decided to take up hand lettering as a hobby. I'm probably an amateur, but my attempts at it also serve as an encouragement for myself. The lettering of quotes or short phrases now fill up my time, and it dawned on me that this hobby somehow allows me to contemplate about life and understand how blessed mine is. I'm planning to update blog more seriously, and maybe attempting some other part-time jobs at the same time during this hiatus. I hope to share my lettering work with others. Perhaps I'll share book reviews and design ideas in this little space as well.  

At risk of sounding like a prissy 18-year-old after having a ruminative period, I do realise that now that we have all the time in the world, it's not about what we can do. We can do whatever we want. It is the decisions that we will make - the countless choices we have - that are most vital. We are our choices. There are innumerable opportunities and setbacks we've yet to face. It's going to be a thrilling adventure - wave after wave.

"Every breaking wave on the shore, tells the next one there'll be one more."

Though every wave will meet its end when it breaks on shore, there'll always be another wave following it.  As much as I'd like to think it's over, it's not. Our school days might end for the rest of our lives, but there's just so much more things to face - and these opportunities or challenges will reach all of us just as quickly and repeatedly as these waves reach the shore. Maybe all we have to do is embrace it and prepare ourselves for any possibilities of a tsunami.

As much as I enjoy lettering, I'd like to keep it as a form of 'play', and leave other things I enjoy for my daily grind (whatever it is, I haven't actually figured it out yet). Embarking on lettering and design has helped me understand what I intend to do for leisure and work. And like most people, I still worry about the future - where will I go, what will I be, how will I get there - but I'd like to stay positive and believe that regardless of any difficult times, we'll find strength in one another together through mere goodwill. After all, it's up to us whether we want to chase every breaking wave indefinitely.

Until next time! ♥

Lettering by me, Photo taken by me