Sam (33) & His Good Kind of Crazy
Sam & His Workspace
Sam sees both the good and bad of being an artist and decides to walk the tightrope anyway (and does so skilfully too). I’ve come to think that this resilience of his has to do with the sheer vastness of his imagination, which doesn’t just help with the fantastical worlds he creates in his work but also the possibilities he sees in the everyday most of us can’t nearly fathom.
Always whirling with ideas, the photographer has helped in dreaming up scenescapes for brands and creative studios like Beyond the Vines, Foreign Policy Design Group and Practice Theory amongst others. I’m thankful to have reconnected with someone to whom creating is a constant itch begging to be scratched.
Personal Project — Pool Day
“I think what I do in general is overthink… lol. The question of what I do is a complicated one for me. In title, I work as a commercial product photographer @thegentlestudio but I do think my skill set extends beyond this to other disciplines like styling and art direction. Outside of that, I am an avid artbook (particularly Japanese illustrators) and toy (pop-culture/art toys) collector over on @superminidrivethru (miniature cars) and another—soon to be revealed—account.”
Sneaks for the upcoming account
“I say it is a complicated question because there isn’t a strong delineation between work and leisure for me. I am a creative because I have to be and I strongly believe that a creative’s output is greatly influenced by what is within. The more I absorb, the more my work becomes distinct and effective.”
Foreign Policy — figment
“I don’t have formal art education – I have a diploma in Information Technology (Software Engineering) from Ngee Ann Poly and a Bachelor's Degree in Computing (Service Science) from NUS.”
“Since I was a teen, I’ve had the desire to pursue the arts but those closest to me were not particularly excited for me to do so. We settled for computing as a middle-ground, because… you know… I was into computer gaming.”
“I think studying computing made my logical reasoning side more apparent with frameworks and thinking methodologies. But I am also an emotional person so for the longest time, I’ve viewed myself as a struggle of extreme ends. I am often under tremendous analytical stress, struggling to find the satisfactory middle between logic and emotion when approaching my work. I believe that strong creative work can be both felt and explained.”
RJ Paper X Outer Edit — Good Intentions Calendar
“To say that the journey to where I am now has been serendipitous would be an understatement. I am very fortunate that my first job out of school has been the only job so far, and one I didn’t even have to apply to. It certainly was not smooth sailing; took a lot of stumbling, crying, complaining and getting back up again, but one step at a time. I have a long ways to go still.”
“Whilst still in school, I started off thinking I would be a wedding photographer so I rounded up some couples I knew and photographed them for free. A wedding planner stumbled upon them and offered me my first solemnisation. After a few weddings, I realised it wasn’t the genre for me, I didn’t enjoy it.”
“After researching and looking at works out there, I decided to give products a go and completely dedicated myself to learning the craft through workshop after workshop. It was a struggle – I worked myself into an exhausted depressed state (do not recommend). It was a low point.”
The Candidate — Fleurapy
“One day, I was offered a job at an upcoming fashion label. The owners and I connected through a mutual friend I had initially lost contact with. They asked if I wanted to shoot for them after seeing some travel pictures I had framed at my home. Having no fashion background, the first shoot I ever did for them was the first time I shot in a studio, first time I shot a model, first time I shot a campaign, and the list could go on. But the shoot happened. And shoots kept happening thereafter till this day.”
“So if I were to give 3 factors as to how I somehow am where I am,
I decided on a heading and started walking (whether it was weddings or later products).
Time and chance happen to everyone, but your preparation for that moment decides whether you walk through the door successfully or not.
Every job that I landed, I gave my everything. To be true to my being and the fruits of my hands.”
Foreign Policy — Design Pasar
“I feel fear and doubt all the time. From before I started and now still. I am a worrywart. I think both emotions are necessary parts of our being and give us perspective. They keep us humble which is key to growing as humans, creatives or whatever field(s) we are in. Whether we let them overcome us or not, I think is a choice we make constantly. Not every battle is a growing one, but taking part in no battles will bring no tempering for growth.”
“To have even embarked on this journey was a great fear for me to overcome. I had to rebel against the wishes of my loved ones with no guarantee of any security but I decided I rather risk becoming crazy epic at something I loved than to be mediocre at something I was okay doing.”
“I am not okay with mediocrity. I’d rather be known as weird or crazy.”
Collabtive — JBL
“I don’t have a very fixed framework or creative process, but with any project there are certain criteria that have to be fulfilled. Questions like ‘what are we trying to solve for’ and ‘what does the work need to meet it’ are the base for the cake we’re baking. The flavouring and decoration come from experiences and perspectives acquired through the years and collaboration with others (creatives/clients). These could be sampled from tradition, culture or concepts and questions I have stored up. Something as simple as, “why are stop signs red?”, and then maybe later, “what if stop signs were green? Would the world operate differently if the meanings of red and green were switched?”. I think it’s important to question and ponder.”
“As cliché as it may be, I don’t have a favourite project. It could be a little manic, but I might enjoy a result for a while and then it’s time to grow again. As I go through the process of each project, I often realise what I am lacking and it’s infuriating to be reminded. What drives my work is an insatiable need to find out what is next or what is possible.”
“Photography to me is not an end in itself. It has always been a medium in my creative journey, and I am excited to see how this career will evolve.”
Foreign Policy — Tiger Bao
“I don’t like to think about what I could have done differently for myself, but maybe some practical advice to young creatives would be to think about what value you can bring to the world / potential clients / etc. Also, while the paymaster can ultimately decide the final product, do not let your imagination, curiosity and conviction be murdered by someone else. With enough time and practice, I believe that we start to see things unique to us. This in turn allows us to create works like no one else. It can get lonely and you may think you’re crazy but don’t give up. That being said, discern and learn when to take criticism as well.”
“As of Oct 2022, some things I’m enjoying at the moment are Cyberpunk, the latest Gundam franchise, Star Wars: Andor and art by Hiroshi Nagai.”
Officine Paladino
