Walk Sew Good

Do you ever wonder.....what if?
What if I had decided to stay?
What if I had taken design instead of science for my college studies?
What if I didn't have kids?
A few chance encounters this month stirred these thoughts.

1. A friend mentioned over coffee how being married with kids changes our progression as artists. No overseas workshop trips, less time to experiment and being in the flow of creativity. It's a change in priorities! 
2. I attended a talk "Surface Design: Discover the Quality of Tactile Fabrics" and discovered that Tiffany Loy and Minyi both went to Japan to study weaving and shibori, respectively.  I wanted to scream, "I want to do that too!"
3. Then I e-met two wonderful ladies, ​Gabrielle Murphy and Megan O’Malley who plan to walk across Southeast Asia later this year. They plan to speak with and learn from the people that are making fashion in a positive and sustainable way. I wanted to scream even louder, "If only!"

I started wondering "what if I had made these decisions earlier in life?". Obviously this would be very unfair to my family as I had made a commitment to be with them. But can I do something to improve my situation?

Of course I can! I saw this quote on a friend's facebook feed. It's true, you have to change your situation to be where you want to be. I might not be able to go on a study/workshop trip, but I can continue learning on my own and attend local workshops to satiate my hunger for knowledge.  I will squeeze in as much time as I can to continue my craft, and be extremely DISCIPLINED (ahem, do you really need to surf the internet?). It's my life and I have to take control of it!

Everybody's journey will be different, but by witnessing and being part of others' experiences we can grow richer too. I'm so in awe of Megan and Gabrielle - what they are doing is amazing. They will be connecting with people across South East Asia, people who are trying to change the fashion industry status quo for the better.  The stories of these people will be shared on Youtube and as Megan beautifully puts it, 

“We want to connect people with the stories of those working hard to create fashion in a sustainable and beautiful way. The aim of Walk Sew Good is to start a conversation with our followers and show them how they can support a fashion industry that has a positive impact,”

I asked both of them what pushed them to do this, and I wondered how their families felt. Megan and Gabrielle mentioned that the inspiration to walk came from the 13,000km pilgrimage Satish Kumar undertook to promote nuclear disarmament in the 1960s,

"In terms of how we decided to go for it, the idea had been mulling around in my brain for about a year and a half after I read an article about Satish Kumar before I did anything about it. What a legend and an inspiration! I highly recommend his book if you can get your hands on it. He did his walk to promote nuclear disarmament and after reading the Dumbo Feather article, I felt like I wanted to do something as powerful and meaningful about a subject I cared deeply about."  - Megan

I really could understand what was going through Gab's mind when she alluded to the "now or never" attitude. If you don't do it now, then when?

"I could spend the next 50 years of my life stuck behind a computer, or desk or counter in a job I hate, complaining about the state of the world, doing nothing about it, then die sad and depressed without ever having really lived; OR I could join Walk Sew Good with Megan." - Gab

Are they scared? Yes, they are (and so are their families), but, as Gab put it, 

"I think that there are some risks in life that are worth taking. If this trip can help make a difference to slavery, pollution or improve sustainability it's worth it. Hell, if it can stop my friends from buying so much crap then it's worth it. "

If you would like to support them on their 5,000km journey across SE Asia, pop over to their campaign page and "like" them on their facebook so that you can be "part" of their journey.  These two definitely knew what they wanted to do and are an inspiration to all of us!

So stop asking the "what ifs" and change them to "now or never"!

Featured on TODAY and 938Live

Photo: KL Chiong

It felt very surreal to have the local newspaper and radio notice my work and interview me. The TODAY paper was looking to interview green individuals for a feature article. Among those featured were Bhavani Prakash (EcoWALKthetalk), Lee Ler Cheng (The DIY Secrets), Olivia Choong (Green Drinks) and Eugene Tay (Green Future Solutions). They even interviewed a 12 year old, Dylan Soh, who is passionate about urban farming. 

When the article came out, one lady pointed out that we shouldn't be called "eco warriors" (as in the title of the article); I hadn't spotted this, but I think she is right. I don't think I am a warrior or fighting a battle; I am (as with all the others who are featured) just doing what I think is right, and it's part of our lifestyle. 

If you watch the video, you might notice that I'm doing an upcycle there and then. Do you know which one it is? Scroll down below to find out!

Thank you to Siau Ming En and her very professional and patient team of videographers! 

Here I am at the radio station right after the interview on 938 Live. It was supposed to be a 1 hour feature with me also introducing my friend, Raye, who designs sustainable clothing. Unfortunately, due to the algal bloom incident along the beach, our segment was cut down to 10 minutes, and we had to squeeze in as much as we could in that short amount of time. We still had fun and it was a great experience for me - talking live is no easy job!

Like my skirt?

If you want to find out how I made the skirt, click here!