KEJJ Co.

The Artists' Collective

  • Home
  • Artists
  • Shop
  • Recycle
  • Blog
  • FAQ & Contact
  • My Account
    • Register
    • Cart
    • Checkout

Get them before they’re gone!

08.06.2018 by Kristen Kiong //

We just realized we’ve been running dangerously low on stock. In fact, two of our A4 posters have been sold out and we’re not reprinting! – They’re “Never lose your wonder” and “Laundry & Grace”.

So we thought it’d be very useful just to put up a link so you can shop the prints that are running out of stock on our end, and we won’t be reprinting them because there are new and better designs coming up!

Categories // Calligraphy

The heart behind the creations

07.13.2018 by Kristen Kiong //

Those who have followed through my creations for a significant amount of time would realize that they always reflect a season I’m going through, or something that hit me during the course of the week.

I was listening to this song from youtube yesterday, as part of a playlist. And it’s strange the lyrics haven’t caught me earlier on.

A part of the song says:

They say it only takes a little faith
To move a mountain
Well good thing
A little faith is all I have, right now
But God, when You choose
To leave mountains unmovable
Oh give me the strength to be able to sing
It is well with my soul

I remember when I first met my now-husband (over beers), one of the things I said was “We don’t pray for God to answer prayers of what we want. We pray for His will to be done.” Yes. I said that over beers. I’m only really starting to understand what this means though.

I was reading Daniel 3 recently, which talks about the King making all his people bow down to a gold idol of himself. Verse 16-18 says: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us  from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Even if he does not. It literally means none of my agenda, but all God’s. It’s constant surrender to the plans that He has for me. And the human in me wants to say “But no, God, I want leh.” Daily surrender. It can sometimes be so tough when some of these things are close to your heart. But you know, God is so faithful. So faithful. He sends people alongside me, with similar struggles to encourage me. He sends his word to me, not through one but multiple people.

Lamentations 3: 22-24

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”

This, ladies and gentlemen, is where and in whom we find hope.

Categories // Behind the Scenes, Calligraphy Tags // bible, calligraphy, instagram, lettering God's love

Multitasking

02.09.2018 by Kristen Kiong //

I always get questions about “how do you cope with having a full time job, being a Wife, a Friend, a Daughter, church, and still have the energy to think about how to grow your hobby cum business?”

Sometimes I say I don’t know. Other times it involves sacrificing on sleep. But most of the time it involves prioritising. Here are 5 tips to keep your head above the water:

  1. Focus on your craft. We crafty hands are a bunch of itchy fingers. We want to try painting, sewing, pottery, wood craft, leather craft and the list goes on. Focus! If you spent an hour on 5 different crafts, focusing would mean spending those 5 hours on your chosen craft. That would give you time to strategize at growing your own business. Sometimes this might even mean streamlining what you do within your craft – I’ve prioritise illustrating my book and growing my portfolio of designs over doing regular calligraphy classes.
  2. You don’t have to be good at everything! We artists try to do everything themselves just because we can (and because it saves money). That could mean a DIY bouquet + DIY hand painted card + hand painted and hand sewn pouch. But think about it this way. If you did it yourself you need to pay yourself for the man hours. Is it worth it? Sometimes it’s better to get someone else to do it, who might be able to do it more quickly and professionally than you might just because they’re more familiar with the other mediums. This is something I learnt from my Friend at HelloFlowers! I don’t have to be good at everything, I just need to be good at my primary craft – I would focus then on just doing the card and getting the bouquet elsewhere.
  3. Get enough sleep. I know I said sometimes I lose sleep over these but most of the time I don’t. It’s important to be fresh because if you’re exhausted then the ideas won’t come as quickly, as well, nor will they be as creative and exciting.
  4. Plan on the go. I spend a good amount on public transport. Taking the bus over driving means I have an hour to think or draft depending whether I get a seat or not. It also means I can check emails, propose ideas, the list goes on. Of course if you’re already sleep deprived this would be your time to catch up on your winks. But yes that’s 2 extra hours for me on public transport everyday to be drawing. The picture above was taken this morning on my train ride to work.
  5. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Ha ha ha. Tough. This is tough. Because every art piece you do pays you and we always are very optimistic. But you need time to refresh your own Creative mind. And as if I haven’t emphasised this enough, you need to rest.

With these I always set aside time for family and Husband. And if we work more efficiently and smartly, then it means more time for other things! I hope this helps, and let me know how it goes with you!

 

Categories // Calligraphy Tags // Business tips, focus, growing your business, managing time

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • New Collaborator: Jym & Craft
  • All you need to know about the new frames
  • Get them before they’re gone!
  • The heart behind the creations
  • Small and fun projects

Categories

  • Behind the Scenes
  • Calligraphy
  • Freebies
  • Hand lettering
  • KEJJ news
  • The Necessary Good
  • Tools
  • Uncategorized
  • Wedding

Search

Copyright © 2021 · Kejjco