The topic for today at the LOH contest made me reminisce about my childhood. I had a colorful childhood because of the toys I discovered I could be passionate about. While most of my playmates have their own gun toys, barbie dolls, dolls, and plastic toys, I have my own paper dolls. This will be my first favorite toy and it is also connected to my second favorite toy.
First Toy: Paper Dolls
For sure not only me, but also you can relate to this. I know that it is part of your childhood too. When I was in grade school, I discovered paper dolls in a store near our school. I saw lots of girls buying it and being a young girl who loves different colors, I got influenced to buy one. I buy one doll that includes three dresses for change, then I found myself buying every time I go home. I had lots of paper dolls that I play in the afternoon after school. I met different girls at school that shares the same interest as me. We became playmates during break time and during recess. We put out our dolls, which we call our "baby" and then we will do a fashion show of them in the school backyard. After a while, due to the different beautiful dolls I had, I just discovered one day that I can draw. I know my parents cannot afford to buy me Barbie dolls, so I made my own Barbie dolls.
I draw my dolls and color them as well. That is the time I discovered my other talents. In the family, my father is the one that has a talent for drawing and sketching. At the age of 8, I discovered I can draw too.
Second Toy: Drawing Equipment
I started with the drawing below, because everyone drew mountains, sun, ricefield, and houses too. We started to draw that way.
Then when we went to a beach in Batangas, I saw this mountain in the sea and I drew it. I saw this drawing inserted in one of my journal.
It looks ugly but for me being able to draw is such a talent during my time. My love for different colors gives me courage and strength that I belong to people who are smart because they have talents like this. Excuse my ignorance at that time, even my parents told me that I am smart too for having an imaginative mind and being creative.
This one is inserted also in one of my journals. I don't remember the story behind this but for sure I was putting a design on a shirt for this one. It is either a project at school or just a design for future t-shirt printing.
While some of my classmates has their own toys, I was busy coloring my sketches. I don't know the meaning of "stress" during that time, but I can say that sketching and coloring is my stress reliever because whenever I decided to study, I will do some sketches first before studying and after creating a colorful drawing, I will study and I feel happy.
I even draw or make sketches when I am sad. At the young age of 10, it became my escape to face my own problem or my delaying tactic to know what would be the solution to my little problems. I get used to doing that even when I become a teenager. It became a habit up until I graduated from college. As I grow older, not only do I have my drawings but I also do paintings. Then I stop doing coloring, I continue doing sketches. I always buy a sketchpad so that when I need to release my stress, I will sketch whatever it is in my mind.
Just last year, we have a Christmas decoration at work and I initiated the drawing and painting part. After work, I will draw the characters in the Disney movie Inside Out. I know I already shared it here last year but I would love to share the drawings I did, again.
I used these colorful paints to create the masterpiece above.
I know it is not as perfect but being a colorful one makes me find peace. I don't know what kind of problems I have but when I am seeing colors, it makes me feel happy or calm. Maybe because of the stress I am experiencing almost every day.
This is where we put all of my creations. I even helped in designing the boxes in the background.
I think I enjoy the creative side. My dream course in college is either Fine Arts or Architecture, but due to scholarship issues, I got Chemistry as my major. Anyway, I can always go back to creating colorful drawings and paintings anytime I want so it is a win-win for me.
I also want to share my paintings. This is when I am working already.
This is me. I painted myself and below is the painting of RM or Kim Namjoon of BTS which I sell to my co-Army who is a Namjoon bias.
I don't know what kind of artwork is, but it comes from my imagination so I am very very happy with the results. It became my additional income too because I paint other BTS members and sell them to their stan. I guess this is something that I dream to be as a job, you get paid for doing what you love.
That is the reason why I said I have a colorful childhood. My childhood is not that perfect. My family had been through a lot during that time, but being creative and a person that loves making art, saved me from feeling sorry for myself. At a young age, I was able to find the perfect outlet that became useful for my life as I grow older. For me it is more than a gift, it is quite a blessing!
All images credit to @grecyg and all original content of @grecyg