Reflecting on the Process Behind 100 Days of Childhood Memories

I am over a quarter of the way through the 100 Days of Childhood Memories (also on Instagram here), and people keep asking me about my process for making these posts, so here it is! A behind the scenes peek.

The first thing to get out of the way is: yes, I actually draw the illustrations on every single post. Quite a few people have told me, “I didn’t realize you were drawing them!” To which, I always think, “Where did you think I found these sketches that happen to match every single topic I write about?” So yes, I actually draw these.

Drawing in Public

I have to admit that when I dreamed up the project, it did not occur to me that I would be posting my drawings in public. I mean, I knew I would be drawing and posting. But it wasn’t until Day 1 that it occurred to me that I would be displaying my amateur drawings for all of the internet to see. Yikes. Nobody in my current life (prior to Day 1) thinks of me as someone who can draw, including myself. I was quite intimidated. It’s a bit like being asked to sing in public.

So the process!

Pre-Planning

Because I am a planner, before I started, I wanted some reassurance that I might have 100 childhood memories in my head. When I was on a plane ride going across the country, I took out my sketchbook and wrote down notes for all the childhood memories I could think of. I got to 50 memories, which isn’t 100 but was enough to reassure me that I wouldn’t run out of ideas in the first week.

Each day, I either draw something from that list of memories or I draw something new. The concept comes first, then the drawing, then the writing.

Drawing with Research

To do the drawing, some are entirely from my memory and imagination, but more and more of them are based on some research. For instance, to draw the elephant (Day 25), I went to Google Images to look for elephant images. Then I modified it to the look I wanted. I added the child sitting on top of the elephant stool for good measure. I was so excited when I thought of that! A little stroke of inspiration that just popped into my head. To draw Jalan Pacheli (Day 26), I looked up my old address on Google Maps, pitched the street view angle to look down the hill to match the vision I had in my mind. Then I made the drawing. A very loose interpretation of the actual street view.

The drawings used to take less than 5 minutes when they were practically stick figures (Day 4 Art Class). These days, as my drawings fill more of the page and get more complex, they take closer to 15–20 minutes (Day 17 Middle Seat). On most days, I make one drawing and publish. If you had to draw every day, you, too, would just draw once and publish. Who has time for drafts!

My Disney Animator Phase

Some people have asked where my drawing skills come from. Between the ages of about 11 to 15, I really really wanted to be a Disney animator. I drew A LOT. I got really good at copying Disney characters. When The Lion King came out, I made drawings of the characters and sold them to my classmates for $2–5. I made enough money to buy a limited edition Lion King watch with a gorgeous braided leather strap. The animals march around the sun in the great Circle of Life. I still have it somewhere at home.

Confidence = Curiosity — Intimidation

I stopped drawing after that period of my life, so I can’t really say that is where the drawing skills come from. I suppose I’ve retained a little bit of that confidence that drawing is something I can figure out, the way bike riding or swimming is something I can pick up again. With each day’s drawing, I feel a little like the drawing skills are coming back, but mostly I feel that it’s the confidence that’s growing. Initially, I would shy away from certain concepts because I felt I wasn’t up to the drawing skills required. But now, I feel like, “Let’s just try it out, and maybe it will bomb, but I want to see what comes out.” Which is how I get to the point where I think I can draw “girl sitting pensively in a classroom” and be able to execute a vaguely “pensive” mood (Day 19 Learning). My curiosity exceeds my intimidation.

Writing Mini Stories

After the drawing comes the writing. That part is quick. It’s like blogging but much easier because it’s so short. I’ve tried to push for some range in the storytelling. Some come out naturally as stories (Day 1 Rickshaw). There are some ideas I don’t know what to do with. For instance, I have a memory of the ixoras that used to line our garden. I don’t know how you turn that into a mini story.

Then I take a photo of my sketchbook, post to Instagram, add on the writing, cross post to Tumblr, then share on FB and Twitter.

The People This Project Is About

My cousins who follow this project on FB and Instagram have been the most wonderful supporters. It is so much fun to make these posts knowing that they share these memories. I love when they tell me that something I thought was gone forever is in fact still there (Day 14 Stationery and Day 20 Comfort Food). I also love when they correct my memory or add to it or give me a memory idea that I had forgotten about.

My father, who has no interest in blogs, told me that he checks in every couple of days to look at the drawings. (Hi Pap!) I can only imagine how fascinating this project must be from a parent’s perspective.

What’s Next? I Have No Idea

I’m at the point where I’ve been trying to figure out what to make of the project. How do I make it something bigger? Do I want it as an art exhibit? Do I want it shared in a different forum? Do I want to publish it as a book (that nobody will buy)? I am especially grateful to a friend who reached out to chat with me about her thoughts on cultural preservation and bombard me with ideas. Thank you so much for taking an interest in my work. It was incredibly encouraging.

If you have ideas for what more I could do with this project, please reach out. I am all ears.

I feel like I am forever trying to make something of my projects. I am also forever just doing things just because I want to experience what it’s like to put it out there in the world.

Things I Have Learned

Since starting this project, I have had a million thoughts about the nature of memory. It has made me look at my childhood in a different light. I am surprised by how much I remember of holidays and how much I remember of happy routines with family, but how little I remember of being in a school classroom, even though so much of my life was spent in one. It has made rethink the kind of parent I want to be one day. Note to self: video games make for awesome childhood memories. It has made me realize how I accept that drastic change is simply a part of Singaporean life, how I accept that most of these things and places that used to be no longer are. And most of all, in ways that I can’t express in words, it has taught me how love is remembered.

Originally published at ailiangan.com on May 3, 2015.