Darel Seow's Life as a Visual Storyteller in Singapore
Some people tell stories through words, others through pictures. Darel Seow is one such visual storyteller who uses masterful strokes to bring tales of the natural world to life in the bustling city of Singapore. After graduating from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and finding his calling in illustration and design, Seow worked with museums such as the British Museum, National Museum of Singapore, and Asian Civilisations Museum, and other cultural institutions on various projects that encourage learning through the power of imagination and play.
Working in a creative job in Singapore is never easy and Seow shares about his struggles as an illustrator in the local scene, and his belief in the power of a collective effort to help the art scene in Singapore be recognised both internationally as well as at home.
In a time of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than ever, Seow emphasises on the importance of art to give meaning and purpose to those weary from fighting this ongoing war and advises aspiring creatives on the work they wish to achieve and how to do so sustainably.
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Why did you choose illustration as your medium of storytelling?
I might be an illustrator but the thing I love doing the most is talking and telling stories, except that people might not always want to listen! Growing up, I realised how intrigued others are when I started drawing, whether observing silently or excitedly giving suggestions. Illustration is a great way to connect with people of all backgrounds through the universal language of storytelling. I picked something that combined my interests and strengths in creating images, solving problems, and sharing stories, and it's worked well so far!
When did you know that you wanted to be an illustrator?
I've been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. Despite reading too many books for my own good while growing up, it never quite crossed my mind that one could make pictures for a living! My time in NS was pivotal, since it reminded me that I had to do something I found both meaningful and fulfilling if I'm going to spend the rest of my life on it. I stole pockets of time during the day, sketching out ideas that explored the world beyond my camp, and used my time on weekends to develop a portfolio to start me off on my journey.
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What is your daily routine like? Can you walk me through a day in your life?
I'm always excited by new projects so I'm constantly jumping from one project to the next, all of which are at different stages. I tend to start the day off with some intense thinking—my favourite part of any project—because anything can happen and I just love the endless possibilities! After which, I move on to the less creative but more physically intense stage of executing the artwork. Meetings, random admin, and personal development happens later in the day when things quieten down a little. It's a mix between juggling short-term deadlines and longer-term objectives like developing more skills and content. I grab a few moments in the middle of the day to read or relax while tending to my plants, though I pretty much spend most of my waking hours at my work desk!
Can you tell me about your creative process? How do you come up with your illustrations and stories?
I think my best ideas come quite randomly, when I'm just toying with concepts and trying to make as many connections as possible. This often means I get lots ofeurekamoments when my mind wanders freely, like in the shower! For example, I could re-imagine how an interesting encounter during the day might possibly play out in multiple alternative ways, then use that as a starting point of an illustration. I jot these down as soon as I'm towelled dry and then the hard work begins—going through many iterative sketches to allow the idea to develop as it slowly finds its feet. It's basically filling my brain up with as much as I can, before letting it all stew and congeal into early working ideas, and then continually developing these until the right opportunity to use them comes up.
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Many of your art pieces focus on the natural world. What about the natural world captivates you?
I grew up with pets of all forms, including newts, lobsters, birds, a chinchilla, and lots of fish. I would spend hours observing how they went about their day. I love the wondrous forms of living things and how bizarre their behaviours are—I'm fascinated by nature as a whole and the relationship we as humans share with our natural environment. Additionally, many narratives already exist in nature, from perceived friendships like that of a clownfish and a sea anemone to rivalries between sharks and dolphins. I enjoy combining these intriguing aspects of nature with concepts I'm keen to explore and weaving these into a visual story!
What do you do when you find yourself stuck in a creative rut? How do you get out of it?
I need to follow this advice more but don't be shy with asking for help! The life of an illustrator is often solitary and when work starts to pile up, it's easy to go into hermit mode and keep chugging along. What's been most helpful is to speak to friends about the problem, and in the process of articulating the challenges, I've found that solutions often unfurl on their own. Friends offer unique insights that help link all the scattered pieces together in a way that someone who is too close to the problem would often overlook. Plus, just chatting with someone is great to take my mind off work, which is probably just what I need after hours of constantly banging my head against the wall.
What challenges have you faced as a designer in Singapore?
A huge problem is that our work is often under-valued, as with many other creative professions. The pandemic has been a wonderful reminder of how essential the arts are as we seek escapism, meaning, and purpose during this worldwide challenge. Tackling this could mean educating the partners we work with or knowing the value of our work through what it brings to a project and charging a commensurate amount. It's not a hobby or talent—we've spent many years working to get to where we are and like every other profession, we deserve to be paid for it. I must add that things are getting better and it's wonderful to see awesome work produced when clients respect, appreciate, and value what creatives bring to the table!
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How do you define success as a designer?
Design is a wonderful tool that can solve problems, connect, and transform lives, and I believe it should be open to all! I've asked this question many times, both to others and myself, and while the answer keeps changing, I'm quite content with my current definition of making the world a bit better because of the connections I build through my craft.
What are your hopes and wishes for Singapore's design scene?
I'm a firm believer in the power of communities and I hope that as we see the lines being blurred between the various pillars of design, we'd also see more of an overlapping of circles. I love the idea of a rising tide lifting all boats and I hope our collective effort to be great designers will raise the profile of Singaporean design internationally, while also being better recognised and appreciated at home. I hope this means that design becomes something that's open to all as we witness first-hand how it improves our lives.
Any words of wisdom you would like to share with aspiring illustrators and storytellers in Singapore?
Go for sustainability, and I mean this in all facets of what you do—whether it's making prudent choices that provide financial stability, balancing commercial work with projects that feed the soul, or building up the business side of your creative practice. It's so easy to dive right in and burn out before you've even had the chance to figure out what kind of work you'd actually want to create. It's a long and slow journey filled with challenges you might not even know about, so give yourself the time to learn and grow as you'd want to still be on your two feet at the end!
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