How To Have Fun As A Designer In Your Spare Time!
All work and no play makes John a dull boy. Here at Isshoku, we make sure our creativity and imagination continue even out of working hours. But how does one achieve such a feat with the hustle and bustle of city life in Singapore? Turns out that there are solutions to having fun as a designer in one’s spare time. Here’s some of our go-to hobbies for some good rest & relaxation while keeping our brains working!
Maketh Project
This quaint establishment (located at 68B Race Course Road) not only sports a newfound enthusiasm for crafting in Singapore, but makes DIY projects that much more memorable for everyone that participates. Be it making a personalized travel wallet or a classic tote bag, this gives us designers a chance to keep our colour acuity and hand-eye coordination active while giving ourselves something to flaunt when we’re done!
They also provide leather marbling for some products, and are now featuring a shoe making workshop with fellow workshop shoeartistry.
Baking Classes
Ranging from the simple, icing routines to full baking courses, places like Grá Baking, Pâtisserie Glacé, Artistiq Sugarcraft (just to name a few) offer a wide variety of options for everyone – but designers get an extra kick to make sure the end product comes out as good as we picture it to be in our head! Be it grey ombre rosette icing cakes or baking macarons, this was definitely a very therapeutic way to relax while still using one’s imagination.
Art Jam Sessions
With the growing art scene in Singapore, art jam sessions have been gaining popularity over the past few years where you get to create a freestyle painting on a 60x80cm canvas, with paint brushes, acrylic paints and sponges being provided. Usually, the session comes with a bonus beverage that is either a soothing tea or a relaxing booze. Either way, all of this sounds like a win-win situation for me. I get to express myself on a blank slate and get to have a sip of deliciousness! Just… make sure you don’t dip your paint in your own drink. (I’m not saying I’ve done that before… cough)
Off the top of my head, I can name the more popular venues like Arteastiq, Art Jam Studio, Heartroom Gallery, and ArtHAUS Singapore. But there are so much more available – do check which galleries suit what you’re looking for.
With all of these in mind, remember that it’s not just the above that a designer has to do in their spare time. A lot of us are technologically-inclined in this day and age, and enjoy a good Netflix session, or shooting zombies after office hours. Exercising is also important for the mind and body, but should you ever be stumped on what to do for the weekend and require a mental workout, we hope that these options help you out.
