Creer Magazine "Bakit Art"

Artwork by Jules Russel Camato

“Bakit Art?”

Time and time again, we are asked the same question: in uptight family gatherings, that one time you spent with your guidance counselor in high school, in one-sided conversations with the stranger you’re stuck with at a party, and even within yourself. “Why did I choose art?” That voice would go inside of you. It’s this voice that would sometimes be weak but often ring strong and grating. You are wary of this voice because it breaks down your resolve. You’d start to second guess. You stopped drawing that one piece you’ve been working on for weeks. Why, of all the paths available to you, did you decide to go this way, and where will it take you? These questions, with seemingly no viable answers, remain in the deepest nooks of your consciousness.

“Maybe if I walked the path already laid out for me, I wouldn’t be plagued with such crippling reservations.”

We try to live vicariously through pipe dreams and longwinded monologues of “Why this is the next big thing” or “What you’re missing out on’’, so much so that we push aside what we want, what we wish to achieve, what makes us feel most fulfilled in life. Sometimes we fall into a pit of convincing ourselves that if this were a different path we’re trudging on, we’d doubt ourselves less.

The team got on a call one Wednesday morning to discuss what advocacy we unanimously resonated with most. In those moments, we were just a bunch of art kids trying to figure out what purpose we serve in the world and fitting it all into an assignment worth 100 points. Topics like cultural preservation, environmental issues, and the political landscape we exist in are some of the things that were put forward and discussed among us. And then we realized something. In all of these seemingly grown-

In all of these seemingly grown-up problems, there’s someone out there who made a drawing out of it, a song of it, a dance of it, performed a play of it. Someone that took it upon themselves to create art for the people in the hopes that it may bring social reform. Someone like us. Picasso’s Guernica, the Bossa Nova of Brazil, Hip Hop of the Bronx, Les Miserables, and Bo Burnham’s what.

It takes passion and unyielding courage to pursue a dream riddled with uncertainty, and it takes even more of those two to attempt to change the world and hope to leave it better than we found it. These aren’t just boring adult problems that we have no say over. These are conversations we need to have to bring about a brighter tomorrow that we can all share and celebrate with those ahead of us. We advocate art with a purpose, and to our dear readers, for you and your work as an artist, we dedicate this to you.

So why art, they ask? Well, Why not?

Artwork by Jules Russel Camato

Artwork by Clar Lopez

Bluebird:

featuring digital artist Glendy_Bluebird

Glendy and I met during our freshman year as block mates.

We first spoke to each other in the Block 12 group chat when we discovered that we were both in Misamis Oriental. She is residing with her family in Camiguin Island while I was in Talisayan for a brief stay. I’ve always considered her a very talented and introspective individual in the classes I’ve attended with her. Her works are some of the most incredible art I’ve seen. The thoughtfulness of each detail in her pieces and the sheer display of pure skill are what resonated most throughout her portfolio. Writing this now, I remember the animation she

made for Self Dev class back in the last term of that school year. I was watching it and thought, “Wow, this looks like it was made by a seasoned professional.” It was amazing, and the content itself was even more memorable. Again, she’s an outstanding artist, so I felt absolutely stoked to be interviewing her for our advocacy. On such short notice too!

We started around 6 PM. She just got back to me moments after I

reached out to her for an initial survey, and I was working on a separate article for the magazine.

Artwork by:glendy_bluebird

So to start, I am representing my advocacy group for Art Appreciation. Our advocacy is about Stigmas Surrounding Art Careers.

My first question would be, kamusta ka?

How is your experience pursuing an art career so far? Like how do you find the journey?

Glendy: Well, it was never easy actually, both emotionally and financially. As a child, a career in art was never really presented by my parents as a profession. They only introduced me to jobs like doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, etc. Basically jobs under the government. At first, I thought it was just any other hobby, until I realized that it wasn’t.

responsibilities. So ever since I was in Grade 11, I started striving to really stand out as an artist. I created a “life plan”, looked for jobs from galleries and malls, and got commissioned to paint, design, etc. Even up until now, I still take commissions online only as a digital artist and no longer tend to my traditional art materials and works. But the same feeling of dread still haunts me to this very day, even though I just started earning more than my parents in just a month through commissions. I feel happy to be able to keep track of my career path, but my anxiety will forever live at the back of my mind.

She then explained how joining various drawing competitions sparked a fire in her and that fire somehow held her back from improving as an artist, and more so as a competitor.

Glendy: This was exactly before I was introduced to the internet. When I was 14, my best friend from back then showed me a poster from the creators of our favorite series at the moment, and that’s when I first saw the term “animator”. We searched for the meaning of the term and came to know about the different jobs and career paths an artist could pursue. Of course, my mother heavily disagreed, but then I started making money out of commissions and joining competitions with money as prizes.

She recalled the time she introduced her mother to potential career paths an artist could pursue. Eventually, her mother became more open to the idea and began supporting her throughout her studies, especially during senior high school.

Glendy: Finally getting accepted by my parents made me happy, of course, but the dreadful feeling and thought of not being able to succeed in this ate me up. I started fearing that I will end up broke and will not be able to support my family in the future. I’m the eldest, and I had to choose between my passion and my

Yeah, it must’ve been tough being in that situation, and I see where you’re coming from as a fellow artist. Would you say that stigmas concerning art careers played a part in creating these apprehensions you had when you were younger? You mentioned jobs being suggested to you by your parents, like becoming a doctor, a lawyer etc. Would you say that this is a stigma of art being seen as less of a career compared to those professions? And did that prevail as you were starting your journey?

Glendy: Yes, indeed. I even started avoiding family gatherings with our extended families because I don’t like seeing my relatives flock around my parents and ask them what my career is. I notice the look on their faces each time I try to explain to them what my passion is. That look that says “Kawawa naman ang mga magulang niyan.” And when I tell them about my commissions, they get surprised by my income. They always have this reaction “They’re willing to pay that much for that?” Which is extremely frustrating.

And indeed, it is a very frustrating thing for our passion to be looked down upon by our own blood as a lesser purpose to fulfill than those that are considered the standard by comparison. It’s moments like these that stick with us creatives. I decided to check in with Glendy and suggested we take a break, but she dismissed it, and we carried on with the interview.

Alright, so you mentioned that you were affected in some capacity by stigmas surrounding art careers. How did you deal with the frustrations that came with those? Were they easy or tough for you to deal with?

Glendy: Well I usually just avoid it or avoid confrontations, but it does still live at the back of my mind. The way I deal with this anxiety is to watch other artists on Youtube and listen about their life or art journey, and maybe write an entry to my journal and see if my life plan needs any updates.

Ah, I see. That’s very interesting, especially the part about writing in your journal.

Mental health experts do suggest keeping a journal we can regularly write in to help us organize our feelings and thoughts better. With this in mind, I asked the next questions:

Artwork by:glendy_bluebird

by:glendy_bluebird

Have you experienced creative burnouts? Do you also unwind the same way when you experience those?

Glendy: Yes, of course. Before, I was invested in the Encanto fandom on social media. I was burnt out for a loooong time (months) because none of my drawings seem to really work and reach more audience. But since then, my burnouts only last for one to two weeks now. Two weeks is the limit. As mentioned, I trained myself to be a competitor rather than

an artist back when I was in elementary and in junior high, so I just mixed a little bit of that personality with my current state, and I think it worked. I can pull myself out of burnout when I want to.

That’s actually pretty awesome! Being able to pull yourself out of burnout is hard in itself, but being able to do it as soon as you see fit is even more remarkable.

We’ve seen a handful of creatives let their burnouts get to them and their craft

so it’s nice to be able to hear a response like that from someone like Glendy.

I’d like to take us on a detour regarding your interests outside art. You’ve mentioned Encanto, and I think we can both agree that that movie has become an integral part of our current pop culture, especially with Gen Z audiences like us. What’s it about Encanto that tugs at your creativity? And have you felt the same way towards other movies? How about songs, books, or series?

Glendy: Encanto for me is a masterpiece. It’s something that I really hope to achieve. Like a lot of other aspiring animators and screenwriters, I have always wanted to direct my own story for an animated Disney film. The creators and their craft are such an inspiration to me, and creating my fanfiction made me feel like I’m somewhat practicing to be a good storyteller like them. It is indeed very obvious that I’m just starting out because I wasn’t a very good writer. Reading and writing weren’t my thing, but Encanto really pushed me to practice writing and reading and aspire to be a better designer and artist. I’ve never tried hunting down visual development artists, concept artists, and animators before just to know more about their development process. It helped me realize that you have to have something

more than just being able to draw good. It’s the level I really want to achieve. Before Encanto, with other films, I just watch them, feel inspired by the story, and nothing else. But with Encanto, I legit tried my best to track down their artists and animators because I was so curious and invested to know more about how they were able to create that masterpiece of a film.

Encanto really do be the spark that ignites us, artists. I agree!

Glendy: Yeeeeesss But I won’t be asking for a part 2 or a series, because I’m already satisfied with the story. All I want is a series of them on Youtube explaining the whole development and the creator’s thought process in extreme detail.

Inspiration is a powerful tool for us creatives because it helps us keep moving forward. I would like to end the interview by asking: do you have any insight into the current state of the Filipino multimedia industry? And would you like to give some words of encouragement or even advice for artists out there who are just starting out on their art journey and would like to be part of that particular industry?

Glendy: Being an artist in the Philippines is hard because the majority of people here, from what I know, are not so appreciative of the arts or don’t really value art, nor do they consider the career as a real profession. I advise

young artists to pursue their passion and make sure that they have a specific plan for what they can do in the future, and what they want to do, and how to achieve that. Because if you keep on drawing without putting in the effort to enhance your technical skills, putting yourself out there, and making plans, that’s not a career but a hobby that doesn’t guarantee financial security.

Her response to those questions made me realize a lot of things. We artists sometimes feel invincible. I guess that’s just an innate part of us, because what is art drive, right? We have those tendencies where we carry on believing that just having a dream is enough to get us out there where we want to be. Personally, no matter how cheesy or cliche it is, I believe stuff eventually works out. But even so, we must still try to slow down and think long-term. Those “Where do you see yourself in five years?” questions are asked in interviews for a reason.

We joked around for a bit and wrapped up the interview around 8 PM. We said our goodbyes and went on with our evenings. I ate dinner and fixed the transcript of the interview, then checked with the team. I ended the night feeling fulfilled with what I have just accomplished. I’m writing this feature the day after, the warmth in my heart is still here. It’s people like Glendy that keep the future of art burning bright and brilliant. It’s them who strive to become the best versions of themselves, honing their craft ceaselessly, their passion unyielding.

Dear readers, I hope Glendy’s story inspired you as much as it did me. And Glendy, you rockstar, I’m honored to be the one to tell your story.

Check her stuff out! She makes really cool art:

Instagram: glendy_bluebird https://www.instagram.com/ glendy_bluebird/ artby_glendy https://www.instagram.com/ artby_glendy/

Twitter: @GlendyBluebird https://twitter.com/Glendy Bluebird

Deviant Art: GlendyBlueBird https://www.deviantart.com/ glendybluephoenix

Artwork by:glendy_bluebird

Artwork by:glendy_bluebird

John Melvin Mallari

https://www.instagram.com/ kurayzeee/

- Uhhh, one word? Weird. Kasi nung Grade 11 and 12 ko, galing ako sa stem tapos bigla akong nag face sa art career ko. ‘Di ko alam kung bakit, kaya nga sobrang weird. Ayun lang. (“WEIRD”, because I studied STEM during senior high, then suddenly I chose an art career. I don’t know why, that’s why it’s

so weird to me. That’s all.)

Do you face challenges or struggles in pursuing graphic design?

- Parang na out of place ako. Kasi yung mga kasamahan ko sobrang gagaling. Tas ako, wala pa akong halos sobrang alam sa ano, sa art. Uhh, parang pinagaaralan ko pa ulit kasi simula bata pa ako, mahilig na ako sa

How would you describe yourself in one word?

art, nahinto lang nung highschool, bumalik lang uli nung college.

(I felt out of place. My peers were so good at making art, whereas I still don’t know much of it. As of now, I’m trying to learn it again because ever since I was a kid, I loved doing art then stopped it during my high school days, and I just recently got back at art during college.)

- Parang napwepwersa akong mag shift ng course. Yung sa BSEMC, yung sa coding? Kasi parang yun lang. Gusto kong gawin sa buhay mag code nang hanggang hatinggabi.

(It’s like forcing me to shift to a different course. I think BSEMC, that course about coding? Because all I want to do with my life is to code until midnight.)

How do you cope with the struggles?

- Pinagsasama ko yung mga interests ko. Example, meron akong isang paboritong video game, pinapalitan ko yung mga UI/UX tapos ayun, nag-eenjoy naman ako.

(I tried to mix my interests. For example, I have this favorite game. I tried to change its UX/UI design interface, and I’m actually enjoying it.)

What can you say to your fellow students who are facing the same struggles and challenges you have?

- Practice lang talaga. Ayun lang, kasi kung hindi ka magpapractice, hindi gaganda, hindi lalawak yung alam mo sa art.

(Practice. That’s all. Because if you don’t practice, your art won’t be good, and your knowledge on art won’t broaden.)

https://www.behance.net/gallery/141579761/Eyes-of-a-Leader-Leni-Robredo/ modules/799887471

How would you describe your feelings in pursuing graphic design?

- I find it fun. As what is my passion in graphic design I do logo design, poster design, I find it very fun, I find it very interesting because I researched about it a lot, and I get more things and Knowledge. What challenges are you facing right now?

- I usually struggle on coping up with, like, thinking or decid ing on what design I should use or how should I do this in the long run, because when you are a graphic designer, it’s not only a fast thing or a fast decision, you still have to think about “How do you do this?”, “What are the processes?”, and “How do you make it attractive to your client or for your audi ence?”

And to solve that problem, what I do, in a way, in Graphic design, I try to give myself a

John Gabriel Calvara

https://www.behance.net/ gabcalvara

minute and think about my life or look at your reflection. Like try to kamusta yourself: “Hey, Gab, are you okay?” or “Are you doing well?”, “Should you give yourself a break?”. Take your time to really understand yourself before you do understand, because if you can’t do a design, there’s a problem that you might not really succeed on your final output. And once you don’t succeed, you might dislike it and your audience might hate your design.

So basically, just try to under stand yourself and once you understand yourself I think you’ll do good with your design.

Do you have any advice or any inspirational messages you want to tell fellow students who are pursuing graphic de sign?

- My advice for aspiring graphic designers, or designers in general, is that just understand yourself. Give yourself time and your ideas and creativity will come to you. So give your self a coffee, give yourself a break.

How would you describe your feelings right now in pursuing video and film production?

- As whole taking yung Multimedia arts na course, ang masasabi ko is discouraged, kasi bago pa ako mag enter ng art school dati, feel ko magaling na ako as long as I enter yung art school. Dun ko nalaman na madaming magagaling, yun mas magaling sa akin, tapos na realize ko na yung hindi pa pala ako ganun kagaling.

What struggles or challenges are you facing right now?

- Challenges and struggles, sabihin ko nalang na sarili ko, kasi I’m expecting something better from myself, something unique, ganun. And time management, because even though you love what you are doing, if it’s a lot, you can’t handle it all, you’ll just struggle. Kasi of course, yung time management kasi, kahit gusto mo yung mga ginagawa

Justin Mark Garcia

mo, kung sobrang dami niyan, tapos ‘di mo mahandle, mahihirapan ka rin. Ganun.

(I would say myself, because I’m expecting something better from myself, like something unique. And time management, because, of course, without time management, even if you like what you’re doing, if it’s a lot and you can’t handle them all, you’ll just give yourself a bad time. That’s all.)

How did you overcome or cope with those struggles?

- Sinusubukan kong pigilan yung insecurities ko, ganon. Pagdating naman sa activities/ gawain, sinusubukan kong i-list yung mga gawain from harder to easier. Kasi, parang gusto kong inuuna yung mahirap, tapos hinuhuli ko yung madali, kasi parang comfortable kapag yung mahuhuli mong gawin is yung madali. Para mas mapapadali mo na silang gawin lahat pag uunahin mo yung mahirap, ganon.

(I tried to hold off my insecurities. When it comes to my school activities/ tasks, I tried to list them from the hardest to the easiest. I like doing the hard tasks first since it’s more comfortable doing the easier tasks last. Everything’s easier If you do that.)

Do you have any advice or anything else you want to tell other students who are pursuing a career in art?

- Ang inspirational quote ko is “We are unique to each other, we have different styles and we are reaching different directions” Ganun. Yun lang.

(My inspirational quote is “We are unique to each other, we have different styles and we are reaching different directions”. That’s all.)

Multimedia Arts, specializa tion in Film and Video Pro duction

Artwork by Ria Agustine Arcilla

Artwork by Allen Joshua Trinidad

STATISTICAL SURVEY DATA

To give more light into the issue at hand, we had a quick survey to collect data on the Stigma in Art Careers. The survey asked about the current or completed course, current position or job, the thought of shifting courses, problems that the respondents faced, what are their motivations and inspiration to keep creating art, and if they are being supported by their parents with their previous endeavors or courses.

Based on the quick survey with a total of 25 respondents, 44% of the respondents are students, another 44% are others such as workers and freelancers while 12% are working students and teachers, 4% and 8% respectively. Among the students, 45% of them are taking art related courses while the latter are not. Regarding the question on parent’s support in the pursuit of art careers 32% of the answers were no.

On the question of encountering problems and struggle in pursuing art, 80% of the respondents said that it is a struggle.

44% of the respondents said that they have thought of shifting their chosen course because they wanted to pursue their passions, may it be art or other matters.

Seeing from the results, we can see that only 32% of the respondents said that their parents do not support art as a career.

One of the reasons was that Art is Impractical: it is not a stable job and source of income. So, it is not worth the effort of the parents and it is a waste of money because it is also an expensive course. In the end, the parents wanted a different course. On the other hand, respondents who are pursuing art may it be in a course, job or hobby are also encountering problems and struggles

and this made up 80% of the responses. This time it is the hard truth and struggles that art may have. One of the biggest challenges that they responded to was going through art burnouts. Some answered they have issues of self-loathing and motivation when creating art. While others said that it was their lack of skill and talent that made pursuing art a struggle. Others said

44% of the respondents said that they were from a different course and strand before pursuing art, while some already have graduated with different degrees, and now are taking art careers or making art on the sideline.

that one of the challenges was getting the approval of their parents to support them, and some did not. While for the respondents that were working, it was a struggle for them in finding a job, opportunities, dealing with unclear clients and being financially stable. One even said that pursuing art felt like a high risk and high reward kind of job. Lastly, on a social media

aspect, it was a challenge to grow an audience.

The survey received responses from people from various demographics and backgrounds. Most of the respondents are either students or professionals. Some have day jobs or are pursuing careers in fields outside of art while some consider art a hobby. There are a handful of freel ancers, a housewife, a singer and host, and a production manager. Some have been pursuing art from the getgo, while some are just beginning to pursue art. These are all sorts of people. Through the diversity of the respondents with their unique circumstances, the survey also showed the varying degrees of tribulations they face in their pursuit of art. It showed that there are struggles in finding a job among the respondents, which somehow confirms the lack and hesitancy of support from the parents.

However, some parents are willing to support their children despite the many challenges and struggles. At the end of the day, everyone, regardless if they’re an artist or not, is just trying to express themselves while being able to make a living in this world, so as fellow artists, let us support each other. Especially bring opportunities for everyone to enjoy and support this beauty we call art.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT!

4. Haninichuu ig & twt:@ haninichuu 5. Sweep ig: @sweep_69

3. Lukemoondoe ig: @lukemoon doe |artstation: Joshua Aquino

Let’s set the scene.

A person would be listening to Die For You by Joji on a jeepney ride home after a long day at work, something trivial but charmingly candid like that. And then another person would have the same song on repeat as they lie awake at night, thinking yearningly of someone else, and who knows, maybe that someone else is listening to that song as well. Living in the fourth industrial revolution, we’d most likely encounter the same kinds of media as everyone else. But although we’ve seen the same movie, listened to the same music, or read the same book as the next guy, our individual experiences with these can be significantly unique. And the sentiments that these experiences hold, albeit shared, are personal to each of us.

We started off with glimpses of the past and the pioneers that came before us. There was a time when art wasn’t as accessible as it is now, nor were people as privy to it given the often stifling nature of Ye Olden Art. As generations of technological and societal progress pass, little by little, we learn to embrace art in all mediums and disciplines. We discovered ways to make art less restricted and more available to the masses. Paintings once exclusive to the oligarchy and defined history as we know it are now just

one nonchalant Google search away. Art no longer abides by a set of arbitrary rules and is a transactional tool in the way it traditionally once was.

And then we arrive at the now.

There is no better time than now to create and keep creating. We thank you for sharing this journey with us and wish you the best of luck in all of your creative and ever-wonderful endeavors.

Artwork by Allen Joshua Trinidad

ADVOCACY Description

• We want to empower artists who are affected by stigmas surrounding art careers. we want to acknowledge artists’ intangible contributions to today’s society. We also want to tell other art students that these things (stigmas) can happen. We both can have the same struggles and its okay. we also want to encourage our society to put of equal importance for both sciences and art in a way that both can progress and improve one another

•

Meet the Team

CLAR ALLEN

SHEKAINAH

AMIHAN

RUSS

RIA

Artwork by Clar Lopez