I've been drawing ever since I can remember: started at the age of 3 or 4 and joined my first art contest and won it at the age of 5. Since then, I've set my mind on taking up fine arts in college but while working my way through grade school, I became active in art contests in and out of school.
Most memorable were winning the VITA (famous soy-based drink in the 80s) drawing contest at the age of 8 (as representative of Stella Maris College) and was interviewed on TV at The Children's Hour show hosted by June Keithley (wife to broadcaster Angelo Castro and mother to former teen actor Diego Castro) and winning the Easter Sunday art contest at the former Philippine Plaza hotel (now known as Sofitel) and using the prize gift certificate for my first taste of hotel dining. In school, I also became a young entrepreneur and started selling my drawings (of various anime and super hero characters) to classmates.
Then one day, while shopping with mom at a bazaar, I found this gray shirt with royal blue piping bearing the word 'ARTISTIC' smack in the center. Hey! Is this serendipity or what? So I grabbed it from the clothes rack and asked my mom to buy it for me. I wore it to school programs, especially on Career Week, and also on weekends when we go to church and then to the mall. I felt so good wearing it, proud even, as the shirt "announced" to everyone that I am 'artistic.'
Then came the opportunity for more "public exposure" when I was tapped to be featured on the "Junior MOD" section of then famous women's magazine MOD at the age of 12. I was asked to prepare several outfits for the pictorial but I really chose to wear my fave 'artistic' shirt over a crisp white polo shirt and jeans. I don't have the actual photo taken by the magazine photographer but I was able to save the actual magazine page, which is proudly display at home in a simple frame.
Apart from my artistic ventures, I was a diligent honor student who tried to be every one's friend. I really didn't think that my creativity made a huge impact in school apart from being in charge of classroom and stage decorations, and winning art contests. This continued well into college where I took fine arts and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts, major in Advertising Arts. I started my career as a graphic artist but climbed my way up into the world of marketing communications. Nowadays, I no longer do the creative stuff for work but in my personal time, I use my artistic juices in creating fashion accessories that I sell online and in bazaars.
It was only recently, maybe a year ago, when I joined some former high school classmates for dinner and found out that my artistry made a real impact to one of them. She told me that I inspired her to be more creative and she even chose to become a graphic artist herself. That revelation just blew me away. I mean, I am just a simple person compared to others, and yet I was able to inspire another person in my own little way.
When I learned about the MY SHIRT STORY blogging contest, only one shirt popped out of my mind -- the only one I've kept all these years even if I couldn't wear it anymore -- my 'ARTISTIC' shirt. I love this shirt! Now I want someone else to love it, too! I support the Electrolux Wash-athon Clothes Donation Advocacy.
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