Lost for words? Pressed for time? Try stickers!

“I Can’t Even” sticker from the Coconuts x Eugenia Clara collaboration
“I Can’t Even” sticker from the Coconuts x Eugenia Clara collaboration

Are stickers just quirky and trivial thingamajigs that float around cyberspace, or do they have a positive effect on our happiness and mental health?

When we are at a loss for words, some of us flail, some of us squeal, some of us open another bag of snacks. Contemporary artist Eugenia Clara (@eugeniaclara) proffers that stickers, physical or virtual, can provide quick, cathartic solutions to these urgent needs for self-expression.

Currently based in Indonesia, this art director has worked with clients like Adidas, Netflix, Spotify and Volkswagen. She feels that designing, doodling and animating are her vocation, and incessantly creates engaging and thought-provoking multimedia art.

She reveals that she is currently obsessed with making moving art on Giphy and on her personal Instagram profile. She likes taking photos, contributes to Unsplash, and tries to elaborate her thoughts and feelings in the format of a comic. In 2018, her limited edition socks made in collaboration with Talking Toes went unexpectedly viral. Eugenia also enjoys helping individuals and small businesses with their branding during these tough times.

 

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A post shared by Eugenia Clara (@eugeniaclara)

Coconuts recently collaborated with Eugenia to create an eye-catching pack of physical and digital stickers, which encapsulate moods that all of us experience. You might have already noticed the I Can’t Even sticker and other stickers by Eugenia being used by your friends on Instagram and Facebook.

The next time you meet an adorable animal, get catfished, when your taxi driver takes another wrong turn or when you catch your parents watering an artificial plant, Eugenia invites you to stamp your social media post with her animated I Can’t Even sticker. Eugenia uses her work to encourage others to express themselves, and reckons that we shouldn’t question our own artistic abilities when we communicate.

Look out for more stickers that she’ll be debuting in the coming weeks and months!

 

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A post shared by Eugenia Clara (@eugeniaclara)

Stickers as a language

Eugenia: “I love stickers, whether they are literal stickers that you can stick everywhere, or digital stickers. I love gifs too. There’s something magical about that small time window of a few seconds, during which we are able to invoke any feelings and thoughts imaginable. A gif sticker is like a super short film that its viewer processes instantly. These Coconuts x Eugenia Clara stickers are basically that. There are too many expressions and emotions in this life that a static image or a word cannot fully convey. Sometimes you need movement, sometimes you need a sparkle, sometimes you just need (*gestures in the air*) something to make a point. Sometimes you have a lot to say, but don’t have enough time. This is when gif stickers can help you to say what you’re trying say. They are an effective way of communicating when emojis aren’t good enough.”

 

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A post shared by Eugenia Clara (@eugeniaclara)

A lifelong artist

“I’ve been creating various forms of art since I was a little kid, and I just never stopped. And I don’t limit myself. I always think about different things, words and feelings, what they mean, how we can convey them better or express them differently. I’m a major homebody and grew up in a tiny town in Sumatra, where not much happened and there wasn’t much to do, so I spent most of my time thinking and expressing. I would think about how seemingly mundane and overlooked everyday things can be portrayed differently. That habit, I carried with me forever until today. Most of my inspirations are the things around me, especially things and people that make me go ‘hmm’. I observe a lot. I make mental notes and literal notes of things all the time.”

 

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A post shared by Eugenia Clara (@eugeniaclara)

Expressing yourself is important

“In terms of personal art, I make things to express what’s going on in my head and my heart. What I want to achieve is to not bottle things up inside, especially if I have lots of thoughts and emotions going on inside me. I often feel so alone with no one to connect and talk deeply with, so I let these feelings out. I don’t expect anyone to hear or respond. If someone replies, that’s a blessing. And I hope for other people in similar situations to be lent listening ears too. When you create personal works and passion projects, do it for you, regardless of what you create. You don’t have to be a pixel-perfect artist or a creative with top-tier tools. You don’t need to take extra steps when you express yourself, to make your creations look ‘professional’ or artsy. You don’t have to have a large following on social media to feel validated either or to feel legitimately heard. The beauty of making personal art and creative passion projects is that you can do it your way. Sometimes it’s sad and effortless, and that’s the current reality. Sometimes it’s so cool that you want others to see it too. Sometimes it’s small, yet honest and raw. They are all art, nonetheless. You do it for you first, before anything else.”



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