Tap into your creative side

I don’t exactly remember when I began my love for creating, crafting. I have always loved fashion and would draw fashion illustrations dreaming of beautiful clothing that I only saw but would never wear, or own. But when a friend saw my drawings and quickly commented how my illustrated figures had “no shape”. Boy, that made a 12-year old Saran lose confidence quite quickly😳

Fast forward to a few years after, I began making my own jewellery and accessories using bits and bobs my mum had lying around. It was only when I went to university when I began to take it more seriously and experimenting. Friends were supportive and would order custom-made jewellery and it helped with having a side-income living in England.

I then discovered leather craft. And I LOVED it. Aside from YouTube and books, I was always eager to learn more about this skill. I began learning from different leather artisans in London, Bangkok, and Seoul.

To spread this love of DIY, I co-founded this side-hustle DIYKL (Do-It-Yourself Kuala Lumpur) in 2014. It opened up many opportunities (like my TEDx talk) and gave me so much experience in running a small creative business on the weekends – while juggling a full-time humanitarian job in the United Nations.

DO-IT-YOURSELF PROJECTS will be a compilation of my DIY projects, including inspiration, tips, and guides!