2020: A year of blessings or a disaster?

This year marks the 15th Anniversary of my dedication towards art and kendylife as a doodle and comic artist. While it may seem like I have not been as consistent and active in pursuing my art, I would like to confirm that I am not on hiatus and very much still invested in capturing stories and memories through my art.

It’s been a rather time-consuming process managing all my different ventures over the past few years and while kendylife may have slightly taken a backseat, rest assured it has not come to an end and this year itself has been particularly chaotic with the pandemic shifting everything that we knew and plunging us into what we now know as the ‘new norm’.

“I am distressed, almost discouraged, and fatigued to the point of feeling slightly ill. What I am doing is no good, and in spite of your confidence I am very much afraid that my efforts will all lead to nothing.”
 — Claude Monet

The COVID-19 pandemic has led me to resonate deeply with this quote as I’m surrounded by almost every adjective there is to describe a state of emotion — from fear and anxiety to anger and sadness. With that being said, managing my company and ensuring everything runs as smoothly as possible has become my utmost priority.

Coping with stress

The first few months were especially tough with the added stress of what to expect (or not to expect), it was difficult trying to manage the team remotely due to it being completely uncharted territory for us all.

It became crucial that I spend as much time as possible providing support to the team and ensuring they knew they were not alone and that we were still a team  because I believe that teamwork matters and adapting to the situation took a while but alas we have managed so far and will continue to strive towards doing so.

Alongside managing Social Grooves I have also been actively thinking up doodle comic ideas for my personal venture; Kendylife. Despite not being able to participate in several activities especially Inktober this year with it proving rather challenging to balance both Social Grooves and Kendylife, I still try to make time for my passion for comic doodles.

In retrospect, this pandemic has provided me with a lot to reflect on, shifting my perspective in some crucial aspects of life. It has made me realise the importance of managing my ‘me-time’ and shifting my priorities to things that inspires me.

To me, being clear on your goals helps you gain control of your thoughts and actions. Since implementing me-time in my schedule, managing kendylife’s client expectations and ensuring they get the best quality of work has boosted significantly.

Gratitude

With that being said, I would like to extend my utmost gratitude with a special thanks to Sakura Color Japan (Malaysia) for acknowledging my work and honoring me as their Brand Ambassador, your unwavering support of my ideas are the fuel to my work.

Last but not least, I am humbled and truly grateful for all those that have supported my art and (The folks at AniManGaki, ServerDNA, my friends, and family) believe in my journey over the years and those that still carry on to do so.