by Kara Pangilinan | Aug 17, 2018 | Personal Blog
Spending time offline makes you realize lot of things. I truly recommend it and hope it’s okay to share some of those things with you… Throwback to my first mural project ever. It was one of my happiest days… My art evolves and changes as I do. And recently, I realized that… the reason I struggle so much presenting it online as a brand and sustaining it as such, is because… well, I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to see it as just a brand. Seven years ago, all of this started as a form of self expression. An outlet. A way to get by… there were no rules or expectations – only freedom, curiosity and pure joy. When it comes to art, I work with my heart, think with my gut, and rely on my instincts. But as a grownup artist in this grownup world, you’re required to define things. Measure things. Schedule things. Know things. Answer things like: describe your style or what is your artist philosophy or where do you see yourself in five years… And then there’s the topic of personal branding which I can’t even… how do you… even… I really admire those who don’t struggle with these things but I don’t know… I find it very difficult to share a piece of your heart and soul to the world, and then make it sound like it isn’t personal. Because it is. (except of course, for the projects you take on because you need to survive haha) So, I’d like to step away from all the pressure that I’ve been putting...
by Kara Pangilinan | Jul 31, 2018 | Personal Blog
And just like that, my second solo exhibit has come to an end. In my last entry, I was filled with both excitement and fear – and now I am filled with joy and fulfillment. However, one of the things I learned over the years, is that whenever you have sweet moments of victory after having successfully completed any sort of endeavor – be it a performance, a college degree, a project or in this case, an exhibit – you have to bask in the moment. Feel it completely. Be grateful. Breathe it all in. Get a good night’s sleep. And then let it go. Get your head out of the cloud its in and then proceed with life. Of course it’s okay to take a vacation and rest for a while. That goes without saying. Rest is important! But, the point is to keep creating. The point is to always go back to the work of creating – no matter what. As they say, design never ends. The first weeks of July, I was at the gallery often, talking to clients and exhibit-goers about my work while making sketches for another project. The month was quite packed with shows, meetings, events and work – including a training for my new ambassadorship (to be announced later this month) and a denim jacket collaboration with the clothing brand GUESS. I loved every bit of it but, introvert that I am, all that engagement took quite a toll on me. Which is why I feel that my hibernation period has come at the perfect time. Like I said in one previous blog, I spent the first four months...
by Kara Pangilinan | Jun 30, 2018 | Personal Blog
In a few hours, we’re gonna be setting up for my second solo exhibit. All 29 pieces are packed up and ready to be moved and I don’t think I will ever be able to part from my works without feeling a strain of sadness. My heart is feeling all sorts of things right now but, I think for the most part, I feel grateful. If there’s one thing I want people to remember from this exhibit, it’s the story behind it. I know it isn’t until tomorrow night – but you see, my work is already finished. I poured my heart into this project and in turn, it has changed me – as the act of creating always seems to do. Anyway, allow me to rewind and share the backstory. I will try not to ramble hehe. Two years ago, I had my first solo exhibit called What’s Stopping You, where I kind of just released years worth of anxiety and frustration, and personal reflection – in the form of 21 canvas works. At that point, it was already the 5th anniversary of Details Ink but, it was the first time I was ever going to share to the world the kind of art I made solely for the purpose of self expression. And it was scary. Super scary. Cause normally, with murals or commissions, I try my very best to make someone else’s vision come to life – with my style, yes but for those projects, I’m an instrument. I stop when they’re happy with it. But for that exhibit? My heart, mind and soul were literally on...
by Kara Pangilinan | Jan 2, 2018 | Personal Blog
Hello! It’s been over a year since I last updated this website. And if you follow Details Ink on Instagram, you may have also noticed that I only made 21 posts throughout the entire 2017. Which is kind of a sin in the online business world I think haha but it’s partly because, well, I got so busy with my architectural thesis, mural projects and events… and I just couldn’t seem to make time to sit and write about the things that were happening everyday. Those who know me have probably witnessed the numerous mental breakdowns caused by having to write captions for Instagram posts or deciding whether or not to publish the post at all. There has been so much unnecessary stress caused by the mere fact that… I am basically a cave woman. And and introvert. 🙁 Apart from that, another reason is that I spent most of the year on Airplane Mode, inside my new little studio at Teacher’s Village where I discovered how lovely (and how important) it is to have time to do the work that you love, away from public eye. It is there that I have rediscovered my love for this craft. And for creating in itself. Trust me, it’s the only thing I can do with joy and lightness – everything else (like posting/marketing/replying to people/pricing/selling/accounting), I do with anxiety and struggle haha. I am a textbook over-thinker but, when I create those intricate black and white patterns, my mind is at peace. And this year, I would very much like to have more of that peace haha. I would like...
by Kara Pangilinan | May 21, 2016 | Personal Blog
People say that the College of Architecture is the college that never sleeps. Whether it be at UST or UP Diliman or wherever… I think that holds true. Architecture students are always swamped with work. During plates season, we know no time, destroy our body clocks and forget to eat regularly. For those particular reasons, deadlines also serve as markers of freedom. Right after dropping off our deliverables at school, it seems as though the whole universe gets a little and brighter, instantly making it a lot easier for us to breathe. Suddenly, we can do whatever we want to do – and more often than not, we end up doing… nothing. However, I’ve come to realize that nothing means different things to different people. For some, it means lying in bed all day, watching movies or a TV series. For others, it means sleeping in. What people do during their free time really says a lot about them. I find that kind of interesting. 🙂 Anyway. Last night, I realized that for the first time in forever, I had a free weekend. No plans, no murals, no events marked on my calendar. Of course, there’s still quite a lot to catch up on, in terms of school and Details Ink projects but, I decided to see how things would pan out. So, hooray to my first Do Nothing Day in a billion years. Although, that for me means a whole day of thinking and dreaming and planning. I call that my life mode… or an FML session. (Fix My Life Session hihi) That means an entire day of coffee and notebooks and pens...
