Original from an interview of Majalah Metro, Friday 29 November

1. Sejak bila menulis blog dan bagaimana ia bermula?
Mula menulis blog pada tahun 2006, bagi merekodkan perkara penting dan sekadar mencuba. Mungkin juga kerana tren menulis blog mula rancak diperkenalkan. Komitmen keatas kerja menyebabkan entri sangat sedikit pada masa itu.

2. Adakah ia sekadar suka-suka atau untuk perniagaan?
Saya mencuba untuk berniaga di bazar pada tahun yang sama, jadi blog turut dijadikan sebagai tempat mempromosi aktiviti dan penglibatan dalam bazaar. Boleh dikatakan saya penulis yang pasif dan saya lebih menumpukan kepada applikasi flickr yang mana gambar di paparkan tanpa perlu penulisan yang panjang.

3. Berapa blog yang Syam ada dan ia mengenai apa?
Saya menumpukan kepada satu blog sahaja iaitu little-syam.blogspot.com.

4. Siapa yang membaca blog dan berapa jumlah pengunjung?
Kebanyakan pembaca blog dari kalangan peminat kraf atau sesiapa yang mengikuti perkembangan aktiviti saya atau yang berminat mengikuti bengkel yang saya anjurkan. Purata pengunjung sebulan sekitar 5000 orang.

5. Blog penceritaan mengenai apa?
Saya menjadikan blog saya untuk menceritakan tentang proses yang saya lalui, bengkel yang telah saya jalankan, berkongsi gambar-gambar yang memberi inspirasi, tips dan tempat-tempat yang saya lawati. Saya berharap apa yang saya paparkan  turut memberi inspirasi kepada pengunjung.

6. Bagaimana penulisan adakah menggunakan bahasa pasar atau sebaliknya?
Saya menggunakan bahasa Inggeris, dengan bahasa yang kedengaran sedikit kasual.

7. Adakah Syam mengadakan kelas kraftangan. Jika ya boleh ceritakan bagaimana ia bermula?
Kelas kraftangan bermula secara serius  pada tahun 2010, apabila saya tekad berhenti kerja. Selain dari menambah pendapatan bengkel saya juga adalah tempat untuk saya berkongsi kemahiran dengan individu yang berminat.

8. Bila kelas diadakan dan dimana?
Kelas yang di anjurkan di lokasi yang berbeza setiap kali terpulang kepada jemputan. Selain dari bengkel yang saya anjurkan sendiri ada juga pihak korporat menjemput saya untuk menganjurkan kelas pembuatan kad hari lahir sebagai salah satu aktiviti dari jabatan sumber tenaga & manusia. Saya turut di jemput beberapa kali ke PETRONAS Galeri bagi Program Cuti Sekolah yang dianjurkan untuk kanak-kanak. Beberapa kolej tempatan turut mengundang saya untuk bengkel pembuatan buku.

9. Adakah peserta di kalangan mereka yang membaca blog?
Ada peserta yang mengikuti kelas setelah melihat info yang dipaparkan dari blog entri.

10. Gambar dalam blog sangat menarik adakah hasil kreativiti sendiri?
Saya berminat dalam bidang fotografi, dan ianya banyak membantu dalam menghasilkan gambar yang menarik. Pada pendapat saya setiap gambar mampu mencerita dan meluah kan maksud tanpa memerlukan penulisan yang meleret-leret.

11. Adakah anda mengambil kelas kraftangan atau belajar sendiri?
Saya telah membuat kerja-kerja kraf dari zaman persekolahan lagi sehinggalah melanjutkan pelajaran keperingkat ijazah di New Zealand dalam bidang Grafik Berkomputer. Kursus yang ditawarkan menggunakan komputer untuk kerja-kerja rekaan tetapi saya sering mengabungkan elemen kraf disetiap rekaan. Saya sempat mengambil  kursus jangka pendek dalam seni tembikar pada cuti musim panas, mengikuti kelas illustrasi, pembuatan kertas dan kelas membuat buku secara manual. Walaupun setelah bekerja disetiap kelapangan yang ada, saya masih meneruskan aktiviti membuat buku dan kraf  dan menjualnya kepada kedai dan individu yang berminat. Saya juga suka mencuba dan belajar sendiri seperti kemahiran menjahit dan percetakan silkscreen.

12. Daripada mana idea mendapat kreativiti menghasilkan produk kraf? 
Sebagai pembuat kraf saya suka melihat penghasilan kraf melalui pengamatan semasa melancong, budaya orang lain, blog-blog dari pereka lain, alam semula jadi dan itulah inspirasi utama saya. Secara peribadinya saya lebih suka mencipta produk kraf  yang lain dari yang lain. Mempelopori kemahiran dan mengabungkan pelbagai elemen untuk mencipta sesuatu yang unik dari mengikut saja apa yang orang lain buat dan suka. Apabila saya berhenti bekerja, saya bertekad untuk membuktikan bukan kepada sesiapa tetapi kepada diri sendiri yang saya mampu berdiri diatas kaki sendiri dengan bekerja dari rumah. Bekerja makan gaji bukan lagi keutamaan tetapi melakukan sesuatu mengikut minat dan naluri.

13. Apakah kepuasan yang diperolehi daripada blog anda?
Saya tidak meletakkan apa-apa sasaran, tetapi melihat balik perjalanan yang saya lalui dan setiap progres yang direkodkan didalam blog menjadikan saya lebih bersemangat dan sentiasa menjadi lebih baik dari masa-masa yang lepas.

14. Pekerjaan anda atau full time blogger? 
Keutamaan saya adalah kerja-kerja yang saya hasilkan, blog adalah tempat untuk saya mencatatkan perjalanan karier saya sebagai pembuat kraf, saya tidak mensasarkan yang saya perlu membuat entri setiap masa.

15. Blog yang menjadi inspirasi anda dan keistimewaannya? 
Tidak ada secara spesifik tetapi saya lebih tertarik terhadap blog-blog yang memberi inspirasi dan tenaga positif. Anehnya kita tidak mengenal antara satu sama lain tetapi luahan rasa, gambar mampu memberi motovasi, terutamanya mereka yang menempuh perjalanan yang hampir serupa.

Bla bla bla bla

I used to know Irina many years back during her internship in Bates. She contacted me recently asking if I am interested to share my craft journey with audience for her organisation called thinklab. 

Whoaaa, I dont think I am the right candidate, and it's been 3 years since I've done any public speaking. And it makes me realise that I've been living in my own shell since then. Maybe I just need to overcome the situation, and the talk does make me looking back, and it felt like connecting the dot. With not much preparation, YES I agreed to share my humble journey. Here are my speech for last night:

Craft is not the dirty word.

“Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art.” ~Tom Stoppard~

“He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”
~St. Francis of Assisi~

So, what the hell is craft? 
Being a crafter doesn’t sounds as glam as designer. Perception of craft is a dirty word doesn’t apply to me at all. Craft for me just a terminology. Deep inside it has a deeper meaning than just doing craft as a hobby. Making craft is not a syok sendiri business, crafter have to be expert and sensitive of current trend, what’s on demands. It was like putting the touch of your personal style in the right place and make it relevant.

Can you earn a living as a crafter?
Basic principle are very simple, first question you should ask yourself is are you making craft for hobby or for business. What the hell are you doing this if you could not even earn a living out of it?

Here are my simple formula:
Of course it involving a skill in making things by hand but the sexy part is you got to blend your instinct & imagination mix it with passion add on a bit love:) taaadaaa

In bigger perspective nowadays people start to use the word craft to define almost anything related to fine skill. We do have handcrafted music; 8tracks, or have you heard about the “Fine Handcrafted Beers” as an advertising headline? 

Craft’ is a dirty word is no longer relevance. The word craft are becoming hip. Consumer are hungry for personal touch craft could offer, something local, something unique, something independently-made, more like buying because the story behind it. 

Here I would like to share my story, how it begins, what make me jump from earning a comfortable salary to become a crafter. Am I crazy? Am I crazy enough?

Looking back, I always enjoy making art & craft at the very young age. When I got offer to further my study to New Zealand, when all my friends, more excited about exploring into multimedia or animation, I was going to opposite direction, took packaging or illustration class, book binding or paper making. I remember when one of the summer holiday I had applied for a grant to attend a pottery workshop. When there are event like Malaysian day I will busy making craft so I can sell to earn a pocket money.

When I came back I landed into a job in advertising agency in Bates. I am more thrill designing something when I could craft the design and having my personal style in it. That job lasted me for 8 years and I felt it is time for me to move, before I become part of furniture.

In 2006 I joined Aquaria as their Creative Designer. My task are taking care of company branding, advertisement, directional signages, everything just name it. One of the task was to help out retail shop with souvenir products, that’s for me was quite interesting, to realise your design until it became the end products.

After 2 years in Aquaria KLCC, I joined PETRONAS as a creative executive under Corporate Communications Department. I was in charge of taking care the design team with all design job related.

In 2008 I had another job offer as a design manager at Design Development Centre, to manage a design team. The function of DDEC is to assist a local entreprenuer to build up a brand & product design.

In between this 4 jobs I never stop crafting either making book, selling it in some shop or join craft bazaar whenever possible. Not for money but for my own satifaction, persuing my passion. It kind of help balancing my life, that has to deal with computer all the time.

At one point in my career path I realized I had to make a decision whether  this is what I want; working in corporate world or should I just quit and follow my passion. Working for people doesn’t excite me anymore. I believe there are a better mechanisme, where I can taking care of my family and at the same time earn a living doing something out of what I passionate about which is craft.

I know I have something to offer. I have skill, I love the creating process, and obviously I have bit of experience.... not much but good enough for a start.

The Roller Coaster Ride begins 
I quit my job on May 2010. It such a coincidence when I quit my job, KL Design Week 2010, are calling for participant. With less than 2 weeks time I get myself ready exhibiting my craft product and introduce my brand Little Syam to public for the first time.

It's been such a beautiful struggle since then. It is not always a smooth transition at the very beginning, I might facing bit of hic-up thinking how could I earning the same amount of money like before and also crawling learning to penetrate my product into craft market.

I know I wont be able to depends 100% from craft income, not yet. For a started I hop in from one craft bazaar to another. At the same time I am running my book binding workshop in smaller scale. I don't have many students like I had now.. and sometimes, I organise it from home where I could save cost of renting a space. I am so lucky through my workshop I get to know few wonderful clients that interested to collaborate either by doing some design job for them or hiring me as an illustrator.

I also got a job offer as a guest lecturer in Dasein Academy of Art, teaching Applied Design subject once a week which I felt is so relevant with what I am doing. I need to guide the student to explore a different possible craft method to solve a design problem.

By doing all this I am enjoying the freedom to do something without being dictate by anyone, not following the rigidness of working hour or endless meeting. Every single penny seems worth, because I really work and sweat earning each of it. I am glad that I am not the type of person who need luxuries to make myself happy. What matter as long as I do not have outstanding bill, then I am OK.

It's going to be my third year this month. Looking back it seems the hard work are all pay off. I don't have problem getting jobs. There are always something interesting that I work on, small tiny job without much hassle. So far I have more than 500 students from various background. Sharing the skill with others is the only way to give back.

The only obstacle when crafting probably the time constrain and speed because every single craft was produced by my two hands. The only way to keep the passion spark is by open up myself trying out new skill, keep creating new stuff, hungry for knowledge. It was like the more I know, the more I know I don't know.

LAPAN 
Last 5 months ago I quit my lecturing job, reduce number of workshop and bazaar, because I had an opportunity to open up a shop at Art Row Publika.

Together with another 7 local crafters; Gigi Gee, Lina, Oh&Ah (five of them in the group) I decided to join Art Row, Publika on Dec 15, 2012. We are bunch of home grown crafter trying to penetrate into the craft market. We are there to fill up the gap, offerring for more contemporary feel kind of craft rather than conventional.

People evolve, and I personally think the craft should be evolved too. To be in Art Row for almost 6 months we create the sense of belonging like one community. As for LAPAN we help each other, to be amongst LAPAN is such a valuable experience. We support each other in so many ways. Art Row such a good platform for a local crafter or artist to show case and sale. For that I feel so grateful, blessed and thankful.


So what's next? 
Eventhough our products proven to have a very good feedback from local, expat and tourist, imagining the amount of time and hardwork to create everything manually to cover the monthly expenses for a retail shop make it almost impossible to join commercial market.

It was pretty sad, going commercial meaning I will lose all the handmade essense. The only logic is sending our product under consignment basis to a potential shops or tourist attraction. Other possibilities is selling it online through fb, blog or shopping online engine.

It is the time we start to look at craft more seriously. Here are 2 facts I would like to share:
When ETSY was launched in 2005, sales reportedly posted around 100 million. in 2008 the ETSY company generating over $1 million per month in revenue. So tell me if craft even being considered as a dirty word anymore?

Malaysia Scenario
Looking at how our craft product, competing tightly with our neighbour country in our own airport souvenir shop show how pathetic the scenario of craft in Malaysia. Total of tourist on 2012 was around 25.03 million. Huge potential as all of us can see.

Can someone answer me how many design graduate we are producing every year? Where are they? Does our local designer or crafter not good enough? Don't they are being equipped by all design knowledge by so called our sophisticated education system so that they can give back, utilise what they had learn for betterment.

Honestly I don't have any answer for this scenario, but something for all of us to think about.

Terima Kasih

Hello All:)

Someone throw me question recently, I think I would like to share with all of you here:)

1) What inspired you to start?
The desire to create something and making my own creation also to earn a living out of what I passionate about.

2) Was it a hobby that turned into a small business enterprise?
It is more to skill than hobby. I am looking at it as a serious business. The different is I am having fun by making something that I feel I am good and expert at and luckily it could be marketable and there are potential buyer that could relate to it.

3) Did you learn making these books and crafts by yourself or did you happen to attend some course that stirred your interest?
For book binding, it was one of my elective subject that I attended during my final year while study in New Zealand. I never stop binding and explore ever since, till I confident enough to share the skill and having my own book binding workshop under my brand Little Syam.

As for other craft, quite number are self taught; like silkscreen, sewing my own doll. I suppose the desire to create something push me to explore certain techniques.

4) What is your motto?
I do not have specific motto but what keep me going is the more I know, the more I know I don't know. Trying something new and explore something I didn't know existed. That's the only way to challenge myself and discover my own potential.

5) How old were you when you 1st started up?
It was quite long time ago when I am still a student. I remember I used to sell craft during summer holiday for a pocket money. I always love art since a very young age...

6) Do you see yourself as a mentor to young people who wanna be as successful as you?
I am hoping I could inspire someone, not sure if I qualify as a mentor or successful enough. That was not an intention at the first place, but I always like to be a trend setter than follower. Being true to what I am doing, hopefully people could see and relate and feel the passion and love I put into my art & craft.