While 2020 has been a crazy ride for all of us, some people definitely had it worse than others. From the ongoing pandemic to the recent onslaught of typhoons Rolly and Ulysses, many found themselves having to deal with more struggles than they could handle. This is why we’re happy to see more people taking the time to lend a helping hand to those in need.
Take for example these Instagram artists who’ve been keeping themselves busy with outreach projects since November last year. Realizing the need to offer help to those devastated by natural calamities, they chose to go the extra mile by trading their artworks for charity funds instead of profit. Interestingly, most of them are students like you! Keep reading to see who they are and how you can show them your support:
Ayessa Gomez (@yeshifalala_)
After seeing the damage caused by typhoons Rolly and Ulysses, 19-year-old Ayessa made a call for commissions as a way to help the victims. But as a college student juggling midterm requirements and personal projects, it had been difficult for her to reach her goals at first. It was thanks to the unyielding support of her friends, family, and clients that she was ultimately able to pursue her goals: Drawing cat portraits for donation money.
“It was surprising to meet people on the internet who were more than willing to support the cause and paid me to draw their beloved cats. Never did I think that my cat drawings would motivate people to donate,” she shares.
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She adds that social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter played an important role in generating buzz about her work. “At first, it felt very discouraging to do commissions as an artist with only a small reach and a few supporters. It seemed impossible for me to reach out to larger audiences until a good friend came up with the idea of sharing my art commission poster in the multiple cat groups that I’m in on Facebook.” This was how she was able to reach most of her clients, she points out.
As a bonus, Ayessa says that this experience only strengthened her sense of professionalism and taught her to become more persistent with her art.
Ye Serrano (@vladiyel)
For 21-year-old Ye, helping others in need is easy as long as it’s done willingly and wholeheartedly. This is why she immediately called for art commissions to raise funds and help the typhoon-ravaged communities last November.
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“I really wanted to help but I couldn’t leave the house. I realized that I could still help by creating illustrations for other people and then donate the sales to those who were affected by the recent typhoons. I felt happy knowing that I was able to help in my own little way,” she explains.
Despite not being able to step out, Ye had social media on her side. “In one click of a button, you can reach the people who want to help and those who need help. Sharing posts can also help get a wider reach.”
Mikaela Arcangel (@co.ton.tail)
Unlike others who knew their passion from an early age, Mikaela shares that she only realized her passion for art when she got into Senior High School. After seeing her best friend’s digital drawings, she decided to give it a try, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, the young artist has more than 36k followers on her IG account, where she posts colored digital illustrations following a stylized anime aesthetic. This reach helped her raise P30,000 in less than a week after announcing that she was doing commissions for a cause.
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“P30,000 was way more than I expected to raise in less than a week. With that much money, I managed to help out three organizations. By the end of it all, I just felt incredibly happy and proud of both myself and my community,” she says.
When asked how she thought of trading her art for charity funds, she says, “It just felt like it was the right thing to do at that moment.” And with more people staying at home and being active on social media, Miki (as her friends call her) understands that it’s a valuable tool to get her message out there and help out more people in need.
Erika Castaneda (@ekaa.art)
Despite her pile of schoolwork, 18-year-old Erika made a call for commissions to help the communities in Cagayan affected by the typhoons.
“When I found out in the news the devastating tragedy brought by typhoon Ulysses, my heart broke for our fellow Filipinos, especially those who were severely affected in Cagayan. I badly wanted to help but as a student, my resources were limited,” she says.
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But having little to no budget didn’t stop her from helping others. Given the overwhelming support her artworks received, she was able to donate the proceeds to the victims of the typhoon in Cagayan.
“In this time of the pandemic, social media has been of great help especially in terms of communicating with others. It was through this channel as well that I was able to share my simple project where people, friends and strangers alike, supported me because of their willingness to share their blessings,” she adds.
Joseph Capino, Jr. (@beibeidoodles)
Joseph may not be in the same age bracket as the rest of the artists in our list, but this 28-year-old professional also felt the need to use his skills to contribute what he could into helping others. “I thought to myself that if I can't physically help, maybe I could use my digital art platform to help raise funds and donate to different organizations that would cater to the needs of the victims,” he says.
Since November, @beibeidoodles has churned out more than 70 digital portraits, commissioned work bartered for charity funds that would go into helping victims of typhoons Rolly and Ulysses.
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How hard was it to raise funds in the middle of quarantine? Joseph says, “This pandemic has been really difficult for all of us. We are still faced with the rising amount of COVID-19 cases as each month passes. I, myself, wanted to join relief operations that my friends are organizing but I have to consider the safety of my family too because my parents and godchildren are very vulnerable to the virus.”
Luckily, Joseph was able to harness the power of social media to pursue his passion while helping others in need. “As an ‘unknown artist,’ social media has become a powerful tool for me to promote my art and share others’ content. I'm very thankful that we are recognized through this medium.”
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Just like our featured IG artists, you too can pursue your passions while supporting the causes that matter even as you stay at home, regardless of age or location. After all, doing what you love while making a positive impact is easy enough when you’re in touch with everyone via a reliable internet connection.
In this regard, Smart Prepaid aims to empower you to be the change you want to see in the world. With affordable and relevant promos that will help you access and engage all your passions through a fast internet experience, you can #LiveGiga, go out there, and spark the difference you aim to make, all with just a few taps on your phone.
#LiveGiga with Smart Prepaid! Visit this website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about how you can discover more of your voice, your passions, and your purpose.
