Limited edition naturally dyed Snakes and Ladders Bali game

We’ve been excited to work (slowly but surely!) on a range of naturally dyed Snakes and Ladders Bali games over the past year with Threads of Life dye studio.

We now have three colors- jackfruit yellow, Ceriops rust and indigo blue.

Threads of Life makes natural dyes with colourfast traditional Indonesian dye recipes using sustainably sourced dye plants and plant mordants, and without synthetic modifiers. All the work is by hand, from the scouring, through the dyeing and finishing.

A Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) 100% sustainably certified forest concession in Papua supplies the Ceriops tagal bark extract used to achieve rich red-brown earth tones. Instead of using industrial alum, this Ceriops dye is fixed with a plant-mordant of fallen Symplocos cochinchinensis leaves collected by community harvester groups we have established in Flores.

Get to know: Mariko Sugimoto, ceramic artist (and Slanker)

Mariko Sugimoto is a Japanese ceramic artist based in Ubud. She was born and raised in Tokyo until she was 12 years old before moving to Nagoya with her family. To date, she has two ceramic studios. One in Ubud (Setia Ceramics) and one in Nagoya where young people learn how to make ceramics.

Elami and Co. worked together with Ibu Mariko last year for our Elami Box series.

When did you start making ceramics?

When I finished my college, I became a kindergarten teacher for 4 years in Nagoya. Then after that, I began my ceramic journey.

It started from our program back in school. In Japan, we have kyushoku, it’s when all the students and teachers make and have lunch together at school. Usually, it comes with a glass of milk. Before graduation, the school organized this event where the teachers made ceramics for their students as a gift. So we made mugs for the children to drink milk. Kyushoku is also an event where the school invites the parents to watch what kind of activity we hold for their children. Parents take a lot of photos of this event usually.

What was your background in college?

I was in college for kindergarten teacher education.

So did you always want to be a kindergarten teacher?

Not really, hahaha, back then I only thought that it’s better for me to earn the certification. It would be easier for me to apply for a job. I got the kindergarten teacher license and a cooking license. These two license exams were easy for me. It’s a normal thing in Japan. People earn specific licenses and work based on the needed expertise. For example, men choose to take mechanics licenses for vehicles. Besides being easy to get a job, the salary is also higher because we have the licenses. Because of that, many of the kindergarten teachers don’t just teach. Some of them are also professional pianists or musicians.

Back to the story of how I found ceramics, I decided to continue learning how to make ceramics. I lived in one of the ceramic maestro’s studios in Seto. It was 20 minutes from Nagoya by car. Nagoya is a city famous for ceramics. There are a lot of ceramic artists, handcrafts, and studios. Seto is also a famous place where many people from other countries come to learn how to make ceramics. Including 8 other people who lived in the studio before me. They came from France, Australia, Germany… They all keep coming from abroad… Mostly learning how to make ceramics in a traditional way, such as Japanese tea ceremony ceramics.

Did you still teach in kindergarten when you started your ceramics practice?

No, I quit to make ceramics. I was just like a tukang (craftsman) who helps the wood artisans in Jalan Raya Mas. We had our small rooms like a kos-kosan (boarding house) and we got free meals but no salary. I lived in the maestro’s studio for 5 years. It’s not long compared to one ceramicist who stayed there for 20 years.

What is your maestro’s name? And why did you choose him if there are a lot of maestros in Seto and Nagoya?

Kato… Kato Motoo… He has already passed away. Well, no reason, in particular, just a coincidence.

Why do you have many ceramic designs for sake and arak?

I receive orders from restaurants and shops. So the ceramic designs for sake and arak are one of the popular orders. They might order here because I have the Japanese style they require. It brings back memories of when I arrived in Bali. I wanted to open a ceramic studio but I didn’t know what the customers needed and wanted. Eventually, I found out that they like the Japanese style. In Japan, there are enough ceramic artists to make Japanese-style ceramic for sure but here there aren’t many.

What is your favorite thing to make from clay?

Hmmm… the thing I like the most is interior furniture. Lamp bodies, vases, candlesticks, and other small pieces we usually like to keep in the room.

How did you come to Ubud and how long ago?

I was a tourist, traveling to Bali around 1998 or 2000, I don’t remember. One of my friends has a shop in Bali and I came along with her, so did my friends. I came to Bali once a year. Eventually, I came to Ubud and my respect towards the people has only grown since then. I feel at peace, so I started to follow rituals like going to the temple and joining the ceremonies.

At that time, I worked in Japan and Bali, staying in each place for 6 months. Until I found it difficult to manage my production timeline. So I needed to decide, which one of the countries should I live in. At first, I decided to live in Japan. I was too afraid to live in Bali alone. Yes, I love the culture, but I was not familiar enough with it. Back in Japan, I had my network and I had contracts with some of the art galleries already. Everything was easier and manageable. Also, professional ceramicists have their career paths in Japan. In Indonesia, I need to compete with the market. Also, every time I mentioned that I am a ceramicist here, many people would think I make ceramic tiles.

However, when I addressed this, my uncle, who was 98 years old at that time, was the one who encouraged me to move to Bali. He was the oldest of 8 children from my mom’s line and I was close to him. My uncle was an ambitious type of person. The only ambition he didn’t achieve was living abroad. So, I guess that’s the reason behind his strong suggestion. He said that since I have my ceramic studio already in Bali, I should start to take care of it. I thought, well my ceramic studio was actually a prep studio for my artworks in Japan. Oftentimes I would buy material from Bali such as traditional baskets, woven fabric, and metal to combine them with my ceramic artworks. Some of the commissioned works came from this ‘assimilation’ as well.

Long story short, I listened to my uncle and I gave myself a chance to move to Bali for good. This then brought me a big surprise, because not long after I moved to Bali, there was a huge tsunami in Tohoku (2011). The economy in Japan collapsed and a lot of art galleries were closed. I felt lucky but also devastated because I saw how distressing it was when I went to Japan once it was safe again. I came back to Bali and continued what I started. It’s difficult, yes, but I have made a strong commitment and work hard. So here I am, 10 years later.

Will you move back to Japan someday?

I guess when I’m really old there might be a chance.

Who are your favorite Indonesian and Japanese artists?

Nara Yoshitomo! He is a painter.

And Kuncir too, I respect his work… oh and Rio Simatupang.

I like them.

Do you have a favorite place that makes you miss being in Japan?

Hotspring! Onsen! There are so many onsens in the Japanese villages. The one that I like is in Takayama, a few hours from Nagoya. There are a lot of heritage buildings and traditional food there. The village view is literally as beautiful as anime in real life. We keep our cities, towns, and villages from over-building. The Japanese government makes strict policies to regulate this.

What is the most important event in your life?

Finding a ceramic practice… That was the best moment of my life. I have been working 20 years working and never ever have I been bored. That is my happiness.

We know you’re a huge fan of the music scene in Java and Bali, who is your favorite musician and why?

Slank. We became good friends and those friendships became my reason to stay in Indonesia, in Bali.

I used to watch their performances on TV and liked their music a lot. I collected their cassettes and CDs, listened to them even when I was in Japan, and learned what they were talking about in the lyrics. There wasn’t info about them in Japan, or online of course, so I thought I would register my contact in their fanbase to have their concert info. One time I need to go to Jakarta to manage my visa. I stayed at my friend’s place in Kemang, which is close to Gang Potlot, where the Slank fanbase is based.

I just went there and my idea was it’s just a registration office. I remember I paid Rp5.000,- for registration. Later I learned that the Slank members and Bunda Iffet were living there as well [Bunda Iffet is Bimbim’s mother, one of the Slank founders and members. She is also the band manager]. When I was there, hundreds of Slankers were hanging out, playing music and singing together. So I joined in. One of them asked me whether I could sing Slank’s songs. I was so proud. They were surprised, maybe thinking who is this Japanese girl singing a Slank song. That, the registration officer came to me saying Bunda Iffet wanted to see me. I was shy at first but then I met her and the band members. They are a lovely family, humble people, and I felt welcomed straight away. She invited me to join their backstage team along with the band to go to Sukabumi, West Java. So I stayed with them for two days before their concert. That was a wow moment for me. I went there just as a fan wanting to know their upcoming concert schedule, wondering if they would have a concert in Bali.

With a backstage pass, I learned so many things with them. They have a solid backstage team. I never saw a crew’s stamina like theirs. Also, the team was built from the people who like to listen to Slank as well. When I was in university, I took an arubaito (part-time job) at a music concert event company. They managed concerts from international musicians such as Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie. I worked there so I could watch the music concerts for free. I love rock music and I gained a lot of experience from being a part of that huge team. There, we were divided into certain roles and divisions. But I saw what this solid team did for Slank. They worked differently. It looks like no one was the supervisor. I have huge respect for how they have trust in each other.

I have good relationships with the Slank members and Bunda until now. Sometimes they order ceramics for the band merchandise and I stay at their place whenever I go to Jakarta. The Slank members are rebellious, but only for a good cause and they all are kind-hearted. Two years ago, if I’m not mistaken, I went to Hongkong and Sumba for their concerts. They are my family in Indonesia.

What is the best advice you have ever had?

I have taken this away from Osamu Tezuka’s works:

“If you see this world we live in is beautiful, then your world will be.”

I honor his mangas. For me, manga teaches me more rather than reading a complex book. Tezuka is a manga artist, one of the manga pioneers originally from Japan. He likes to write philosophically and historically. He wrote Atom (Astro Boy), one of my favorite mangas.

What is your typical morning routine as an artist?

Wake up, coffee, work, sleep that’s it.

Do you have a favorite anime and favorite show from Indonesia?

Akira… and Bajaj Bajuri!

[Akira is a Japanese cyberpunk manga series written and illustrated by Katsuhiro Otomo; Bajaj Bajuri is an Indonesian sitcom that aired on Trans TV from 2002 - 2007, it told the story of a humble Betawi family in Kampung Betawi in Jakarta]

Behind the design: Ring of Fire + Island of the Dogs

The project: The digital launch of two important documentaries about Indonesia for media company SavEarth.

We’ve been fortunate to collaborate with the team at SavEarth Media as we worked towards the digital launch of the Ring of Fire series on iTunes (UK/Aus/USA/Can). Amazing to think that nearly 50 years have passed since filming began. If you'd like to watch it again here's the link.

The Ring of Fire is an epic. 5 individual journeys around Indonesia, from Sulawesi to Papua and Kalimantan. So many people have told us how it inspired them to travel to Indonesia or become filmmakers.

The Blair Brothers sailed with pirates aboard their black-sailed schooners in search of the Bird of Paradise, struggled through rapids and deep jungles searching for elusive nomadic tribes, witnessed veiled forms of human sacrifice and found themselves drawn into ten years of danger and discovery in a magical land where ancient myths still flourish.

Their intimate encounters with the vanishing masters of tribal wisdom were to lead them from a physical adventure, into a deeper, more personal quest of self-discovery. Originally cut from 80 hours of 16mm film in co-production with WGBH, Boston, RING OF FIRE was produced, directed and photographed by Lorne Blair and co-produced and written by Lawrence Blair.

For Ring of Fire, we were very excited to dive into a trove of slide photography from the film’s shoot. Some warped by time or heat (victim of a house fire) and showing the scars of the years that have gone by.

The team at Potato Head hosted a small screening to help celebrate the iTunes launch. Lawrence spoke before the first episode was shown and charmed the audience completely with his stories of Richard Attenborough wanting to buy the footage and how Ringo Starr helped make the shoot possible with his funding. Story below in the audio.

The second of Lawrence’s films has also been digitally remastered for its iTunes launch. Bali: Island of the Dogs is a film about the ancient dogs of Bali and their complicated relationships with humans.

The world’s experts on genetics, at UC Davis, California, pointed out that the dogs of Bali are the richest gene pool of genetic diversity in all of dogdom, and can trace their ancestry right back to the proto-dogs, whereas all our ‘breed’ dogs are barely a couple of centuries old.

The film’s locations include Bali, Australia, and the United States, and features interviews with Balinese high priests on the ancient roles of dogs and man, current world experts on dog genetics, ecology and rabies control, and owners of the remarkable dogs which, largely unrecognized, have such high scientific value and yet face imminent extinction. We ask the question: if we can’t get on with the dog, our closest of natural companions, what hope have we with nature herself?

Get to know: Budhita Kismadi, creative community activist & facilitator

We got a chance to have an interesting conversation over the phone with Budhita “Budhsi” Kismadi. Budhsi is a creative community activist engaged in various issues such as the environment, education, human rights, culture and well-being in Indonesia. Budhsi is the co-founder of Inspirit, a group of trail-blazing facilitators who work in the non-profit and government sector in Indonesia.

Elami and Co has collaborated with Budhsi, especially during TEDxUbud, where she has hosted sessions with her incredible grace and compassion. Budhsi is an expert storyteller and incredibly good at helping people find their words and be comfortable in front of an audience. We talked to her about the power of events, how virtual events changed the game, and how facilitating can uncover what’s inside.

Hi Budhsi! How are you? Can you share what you are currently up to?

I’m good! I started my new routine back in April. I go to the office once a week. Currently, I am assisting a project development program. My team and I designed a closing event for a social inclusion program. The program is made to create space for the unseen and the unheard. Including the children of migrant laborers, children who are sexually exploited, and children in conflict with the law. We work with local institutions to provide rehabilitation, involving their family in the process. In this context, we built a safe space for the children to undergo a rehabilitation process with their families. We have 1965 survivors, indigenous people, and people from religious minorities joining the program.

I learned many things that I might not have known about. Some issues that were only on the news suddenly become the main things I studied. My team and I feel strongly about empowering people to tell their stories. When they are comfortable with telling the story, I am able to understand and empathize with them. Some are funny, heartwarming, or shocking.

There was one transwomen’s group that encounters a lot of discrimination. Our event facilitated bringing a group together with other community groups. One time we paired the trans group with a Kiai (religious leader) who had never talked to a trans person before. Unexpectedly, he was fully interested and listened to all the discrimination they had faced. We were nervous as one group blended in different ways. From that experience, we learned that they were actually creating their safe space in their own way. They went beyond economic and education status, allowing them to just be human beings, sharing in an equal interactive space. Another thing we learned was encountering inner or self discrimination is no less powerful than discrimination inflicted by others.

I like your nickname, how did you get it?

Budhsi comes from Budhita, my name. My mother is a Catholic Phillipina and my late father was a Muslim Indonesian. I was raised in a pluralistic family. In the Philippines, nicknames are common. When I was 2 years old, I was bald, big, and like to sit cross-legged like a smiling Budha statue. My grandmother said I was like a little Buddha. Because the Philippines was formerly colonized by Spain, she called me Budhita. It means little Buddha in Spanish. Then it became Budhsi for short.

What is your background?

Cultural Anthropology undergraduate in Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. Anthropology in my university was specifically divided into physical and cultural. That was the best place for me at that time, knowing that Japan’s cultural life was so strong. I lived there for 7 years and worked in an archeological site. In Japan, if there’s an artifact found in the middle of the building site, an excavation process is a must. I love what I did. Once I found a beautiful cremation jar in an excavation area and we made a ceremony for it.

When I went home to Indonesia, I was thinking about continuing my study/career either in archeology or ethnomusicology. But then I asked myself, do I want to be a researcher? What do I want to be? In my family, community service is really important. I remember my dad asked me,” What is your task in life? Have you found it?”. A lot of my relatives work in NGOs. My father used to be the Minister of Environment in Indonesia. Climate change and sustainability have been ingrained in my head from the start. So I worked for an NGO that has donor projects with environmental NGOs. That’s where I got my connection to environmental NGOs and movements in Indonesia.

Then I applied for a scholarship for a Public Policy Master Degree in NTU. That was a program between NTU and Harvard Kennedy School. So I passed with a diploma from both universities. After I graduated, I continued to work for an organization that takes care of Canadian volunteers in Indonesia.

I have acquaintances from several environmental NGOs from that time and started to assist some of their events in my after-hours. Eventually, I got an offer to join facilitations. That’s how everything started.

Because of my working circle, I was exposed to various issues. I decided to not go deep into certain issues. My friend, Dani, and I built an organization where we are facilitating and improving facilitators in Indonesia. Inspirit is an umbrella organization where we offer services- the main one is vibrant facilitation. So now I am a vibrant facilitator.

What does a vibrant facilitator mean? And how do you as the vibrant facilitator create a meaningful event?

Vibrant Facilitation is a way of facilitation. Inspirit exists to design and create space and programs that allow participants to continue to grow and develop and have the competence to manage the changes they are facing. So we are not aiming to inspire, but to move people to inspire themselves. We are not motivators.

The alumnus of our courses are the ones who embody, bring life into a meeting, event, workshop, or any form of interaction by transmitting energy that enlivens the spaces with several values.

People who join our facilitation training have to be really interested in facilitating events, have empathy, and unconditionally respect others. We know that everyone has assumptions but to be aware of that and be present and non-judgemental needs practice.

Speaking of assumptions, some people associate vibrant facilitation with inciting activity. It’s because we often play music while facilitating. So they often just take away the idea of incorporating fun in the process. If we look deeper, we bring out the character and the feelings that are restored in the participants. Another thing a vibrant facilitator does is to awaken the senses. Our programs activate participants holistically, emotionally, rationally, and physically. All the senses are awakened by the Inspirit process. Full of life, in spirit, to give life.

How has the world of events changed for Inspirit now when we can’t do face to face anymore?

We entered the virtual event world when the pandemic hit. It is a new challenge for us because we need to transfer what we do at the venue to an online presence. So we tried, it took us 3 months but turned out to be really good. We experimented with spaces, aromatherapy, and colors. I also applied what I learned from a 3-day online facilitator intensive course— I decided to take the class last year in the quarantine period and I got so much from there. In the session, my facilitator trainer used mindfulness exercises.

“Relax, make sure you have water close to you, sit comfortably, think about where you are, and expand your imagination. Imagine we are sitting in the same space together. Shake out your arms, feel your feet, raise your arms. If anything comes in between, just remember we are under the same sky, on the same land. For the next 1 hour and 30 minutes we are in this space together.”

It completely changed the atmosphere. So I adapted it to our facilitation practice. Inspirit invests in the introduction. “Look around you… what do you see that you can show to the camera… what is your favorite color?”.

We started to have to lower our expectations and outputs. Meaning that we can’t do it as we did before. The longest we can do is 3 hours per day, with a long break. Yes, that’s risky. People tend to change their mood after the break. But that situation requires us to educate the clients. For example, we encourage them to create a surprise during the event, or host a podcast before the event. So it’s not just designing the process and how it is delivered, it activates our 5 senses. Now we have invested in the lighting, microphone, and any audiovisual equipment that is supporting what we do. Our office turned into a studio.

This vibrant facilitator dream started with our being tired of really bad meetings. Also, many meetings only give opportunities to certain people to talk. They cast out introverts. What we do is to shine a light on them but not in a way that forces them to be under the spotlight.

Many of the alumni experienced change within themselves after the facilitation training. On how they treat other people, rediscovering something about themselves, or even falling in love again with their spouses. I guess because the reflection session at the end of our facilitation has always been an important part of training.

What makes you interested in what you do? Is there a favorite thing that you’re always looking to get out of a person when you are facilitating?

Hmmm, I find my calling through books actually. I say to myself every time before I start doing an event, change the way you see everything, change the way you see yourself and your situation. I see every person who comes into facilitating, hoping that they will find something that is usually already within them.

What I do requires listening and sharing stories of where my roots are. When I told you my name, I shared the story behind it so you change the way you see me. When I did it, I remembered it again and so on. In the facilitation process, we allow everyone to share what they want to share instead of what we want them to share.

From there, we can learn once again, to hear and respond. We will find similarities and differences. Those small changes that we look for on a personal level. I like to hear what they learn on a deeper level too. Interestingly, we often get deep reflections. One that I remember dearly is an answer from a kid. He was a volunteer in an organization that is active in social inclusion issues. He said that he turned out to be great (as a person). I was so moved.

I think that’s why we resonate with what Elami and Co does. Everybody who walks out from TEDxUbud experienced everything in 5 senses. And you do it in everything you do.

Is there a remarkable experience you want to share with us?

Our vision is Inspirit Indonesia Keren 2045. We work to build the vision by assisting participants to create their vision boards -so to get Indonesians dreaming about Indonesia. We ask them to make personal vision boards, but also think about what kind of Indonesia they want to have. Inspirit did this once with a women’s group in eastern Indonesia. Fast forward to 4 years later, we did a women’s leadership workshop there. So we also visited alumni on our trip. There was one lady who chased me showing her vision board to me. She said almost everything is achieved. She wanted to go to school and she did it. So now she wants to make a vision board together with her family.

What are the hobbies you use to recharge? Can you share what you hold onto to keep you sane these days?

To recharge and keep me sane, I play with my pets! They are my source of energy to keep me grounded. I am a rescuer, so I live with 20 cats, 5 dogs, 2 birds, 1 turtle. Some of the cats live in my neighbor’s house. The turtle is so special to me, it’s over 20 years old and it likes to stay in the garden. So I have an official guardian of the garden. I live with my mom and 2 staff members to help me take care of my animal friends.

Other than that, I started journaling again after the pandemic. Somehow a lot of things I started in the early year faded away because I went back to facilitating.

Behind the design: custom boxes for Nusa Cana

Sea voyages, far-off islands, spices, and more gave us the inspiration to create 50 (each completely different) custom packaging for Nusa Caña’s VIP gifts, all telling the story of the journey of Indonesian rum across the seas.

We created a series of collages (under the watchful eye of collage artist Dayu Ajeng) with different monoprints—all based on the Nusa Caña palette that morphed into underwater animals, corals & reefs, sailing ships, birds wheeling through the sky, full moons lighting the way, and clouds over smoking volcanic islands.

We were also excited to use a honeycomb paper replacement for bubble wrap to cradle the bottles, even more so when we realized it looked like fishing nets.

A few of the test runs for the different shapes and ideas for the stories we told on each box.

Behind the design: Room4Dessert Academy

Excited to be supporting Room4Dessert once again in the development of their new learning experience: Room4Dessert Academy:

Room4Dessert proudly presents R4D Academy, our first class series, designed for professionals and amateurs alike.

Join us for a month-long (or weekly) hands-on class, led by Chef Will Goldfarb, and unfold the secrets behind the most talked-about desserts in the world. From 3 May until 29 May, each week we dive into different decadent delights.

We designed the promotional material for this experience for use on social media platforms primarily:

We also developed standing recipe binders for students to use during each week, with a different color folder for each module.

Enter the Year of the Ox

Welcome to February 2021 and a sense of renewal with the coming of the Lunar New Year.

In the Chinese Zodiac, the Ox is very hardworking and methodical. 2021 is going to be a year when work will get rewarded. In the Year of the Rat, the force was the fast, hard, active yang, while the element was water. The Ox’s earthly branch, is associated with yin, which is slow, soft and passive. Its element is earth, representing stability and nourishment. Since this is a Metal year, the color of 2021 is going to be white/silver. Besides white, the lucky colors of the Ox are yellow and green, colors that attract prosperity and success. To increase your luck, wear metal accessories.

We embarked on a journey of traditional Balinese wooden cow bells, woven bamboo horn sculptures, Indonesian buffalo cultures and their textiles, handmade angpao and more for events at John Hardy Seminyak.

We worked with Threads of Life to bring textiles and stories of cloth from around Indonesia to John Hardy in Seminyak. Guests (safely) gathered to listen to a talk while enjoying morning tea or coffee in the open air space.

The Year of the Ox was also celebrated with a special farmer to table dinner by Nusantara. We created ox wayang for the tables based on a custom illustration by Maya Kerthyasa.

Get to know: Ajeng Anggrahita

Can we introduce you to Ajeng? Ajeng came to Elami in a blissful moment of serendipity- she spotted our job advert within seconds of it being posted and was the first applicant. It was meant to be. Ajeng can always be counted on to know someone in every corner of every institution and organization in Bali’s art scene, make an incredible playlist, and quietly follow up every last thing on her to-do list.

We asked her a few out-of-left-field questions in honor of her endless ability to surprise.

What’s the best thing about being an only child?

A master of alone time and enjoying it.

What’s your favorite word in the Indonesian language and why?

Oh a lot!

But I’ll pick the classic one: “nanti besok”

I grew up in a mixed culture between Bali and Java.

In some contexts, besok (tomorrow) is whenever after today, while nanti (later) could be in a second or 6 hours or whenever or even a way of passive-aggressively avoiding something.

Scenario 1: You bump into your friend and talk. She/ he is casually saying ‘let’s have a proper catch up someday’. But you are not sure when or whether you like the idea, or you both know that it will be once in a blue moon. Then you just say ‘ok besok ya’. Your friend knows that she/ he isn't supposed to expect tomorrow is the day.

Scenario 2: One day I asked my landlord’s nephew to prune one of the trees in our garden. My neighbor usually needs branches for his shed. So I recommended him to give them all to my neighbor. He then said that he wanted to make sure of it. After a while, my housemate went to our rooftop and said that the branches are there. I had a lot of ‘nanti’ when I reminded him to put them away.

Though Java and Bali use those two words in a similar context, I found myself learning the “nanti besok” concept in Bali. In Java, sometimes you will find people say “besok nanti”.

nanti besok/ besok nanti doubles the vague concept of time. In reverse, you can only know when it’s literally nanti besok/ besok nanti by the mix of gesture, experience, and gut feeling :’D

What was the proudest moment in your professional life so far?

Now.

If you had to pick 5 artists only to listen to for the rest of your life who would they be?

Soko, Haim, Khruangbin, Susso, … Bjork.

When was the first time you made a collage? Can you describe the end result?

I can’t remember, but I started seriously 2 years ago. I use A4/ A5 plain paper as the base or tweak from the one page of the magazine. I do them manually. I cut magazine papers and/or use the byproduct of my previous cut/collages. Sometimes I add used/found things like bubble gum wrap, chocolate wrap, shell, bottle cap, dried flower, calendar, etc. I always compose most of the pieces before pasting. Even though, often, I stack additional material after all. Sometimes (very rare), I make collages in GIF format.

They tend to look like a scene in the film or story. A lot of them are representing certain feelings too. I think it’s easy to imagine single and broad interpretations from my collages. They either have main characters conditioned in certain ambience/ situations or ambience itself. I often play around with myths and body politics. Through this question, I thought about my collages and I think they are mystic.

You’re known for your sense of style and elegance. How do you curate your look?

Mood based.

Analyze your coworkers based on their astrological signs.

What a coincidence that our team has 2 Libra suns and 2 Taurus suns, which are ruled by Venus. When Libra is all dreamy and imaginary, the Taureans make them grounded and thinking practically. They are known for their sense of aesthetics too.

Get to know: Michellina Suminto

Let us introduce to our very own Michi, the multi-talented, perfectly right-brain and left-brain balanced member of our team. Michellina not only balances a budget and schedule beautifully but is an incredible photographer and hand-lettering enthusiast. We asked her a few questions.

You are so talented! Tell us one thing you are secretly bad at.

Thank you!! Doing the Asian squat 🙃

Why do you love illustration and typography?

It started back in elementary school when we were asked to copy one sentence in cursive and fill the whole page to practice. I simply love the act of writing and drawing, also the feel when a pen/pencil touches a paper/board. Those strokes… bliss!

How did your practice change over time?

The first time you get into something, it’s all about learning basic techniques and rules.

For me these days and most of the time, it’s kind of a quantity-over-quality situation. I want to perfect a style I’ve studied before (I want to achieve that “font” look) or explore the variations and looking back into your practice book shows a lot.

Sometimes I also dissect structure, look up the history (yes, am that geek. But you’ll be surprised with how much the term actually says about something, the meaning can be quite literal), and try to analyze the practice of the day.

I LOVE picking apart every little element that built up a style. It makes my brain process information better!

Oh, and NEVER, EVER, skip warm-ups. Have to maintain muscle memory.

Why do you love doing events?

Simply being surprised with how one event pushes the team’s and my limits, like you are being stretched to every possible end in a good way. And every time we are doing a new event, it feels like I get to know and “conquer” a new planet of resources, knowledge, and possibilities; things you never knew you could make happen.

With that said, I have always been a planner person. To see months of preparation come into life in a day is something that never fails to delight me. There is a very distinct satisfaction that comes from it.

Seeing people having a great time and being blown away by unexpected elements is a sweet bonus!

How do you keep endurance during events and tight timelines?

Big breakfast, vitamin, and good footwear on the day of the event are a must.

Oh and Proud Mary and Great Balls of Fire (kinda on repeat) on my way to the event!

I think the rest comes from adrenaline and good energy rush.

During events, my brain shifts to “is everything/everybody alright?”, “does anything need fixing?”, “what’s happening on stage next?”, “is the team doing good or does somebody need help?”, and so on. And before I know it, we are already tearing down the venue again.

What things bother you in general?

Quite a lot actually because I tend to overthink the overthink.

How do you manage it?

Always be open for a “slap”; may it be a good hard smack on your face or a nice gentle tap on your shoulder. It’s always a good reminder to ground yourself.

And not to panic or when I reach the panic state, panic inside first before projecting it outside.

One breath at a time :)

What brings you joy working in the Elami team?

MOUNTAIN OF SNACKS! Just kidding.

The amount of non-generic things that we need/have to do for a project is pretty amusing sometimes. We keep discovering alternatives and exceeding our limitations. It is very rewarding in a certain way.

It literally has been and still is an endless learning experience.

2 years (and counting) with Elami team, I am still constantly amazed with how Dani’s brain works when she’s doing her wiz on designs or how brilliant (which is an understatement) Mila is at storytelling (spoken and written) or how Ajeng put together a killer playlist.

((Thank you for letting me pick (and peek at) your brains, ladies!))

At the end of the day, we do make a killer team!! HA! 😎👊

The Launch of Snakes and Ladders by Made Griyawan

For our second reimagining of Balinese Snakes and Ladders we commissioned Made Griyawan to create an original artwork with his vision for the game.

He created this incredible underworld inspired by his relationship with the sea and also his desire to see a marine ecosystem free of plastic for the next generation of Bali children.

Made Griyawan is a master of translating local tales of his culture into paintings that continue the long legacy of Batuan style. He created this original gameboard as a standalone piece of art which was then reproduced digitally on canvas. The game comes with animal tokens and dice made from bone, hand-carved by Bali artisans.

Made Griyawan’s interpretation of Snakes and Ladders takes us into an underwater world filled with denizens of the deep, including sea snakes, sunfish, turtles and more. Roll the dice and travel up to the surface towards Bali’s magical volcanoes.

Details:

Original drawing by I Made Griyawan and reproduced with permission by Elami in Bali, 2020. Digital print on canvas. Handcarved bone tokens and dice.

Size 65 x 65 cm / 25.5 x 25.5 in

Our online shop is live!

You can now choose from 5 different curated gift boxes, shop our little monoprint boxes (great as smaller gifts), and our popular Snakes & Ladders board game. We're shipping worldwide, and it's free in Indonesia!

Gifts that people actually want. We are now offering 5 distinct gift boxes, all crafted with the goal of bringing the unboxer a big burst of joy.

1 »» HOME GEOMETRY (our best seller)

2 »» THE CHILD WITHIN

3 »» LOVE FROM BALI

4 »» DREAMDUST

5 »» TEA QUIERO BOX

We're biased, but we believe Elami Boxes make perfect gifts. Each box is filled with beautiful and sustainable products—products that people actually want. Cherish your family, friends, and clients with a gift they will remember. Customize your box with the message you want.

Little—but mighty—Monoprint Boxes

The story behind these boxes is quite special.

We tried to digitally print our iconic monoprints to streamline the production, but when we saw the result, we realized the only way to translate the textures and uniqueness of each print, would be to create one by one, by hand. And so we did! Mila got busy and created 100 unique artworks. Each one is literally one-of-a-kind! And the quality is to die for. Imagine when we saw them all together!

» Available empty (IDR 150k)

» or with a little gift inside (IDR 250k), choose from:

OPTION 1: add a set of five greeting cards,

OPTION 2: add a set of incense with a custom-made ceramic holder.

All come with a free cotton reusable pouch.

As always, you can WhatsApp us to order via bank transfer or pay with your credit card directly on the site.

Please feel free to contact us if you have questions.

Get to know: Made Griyawan, artist

We’ve been honored to work with Made Griyawan over the last year. Pak Made is part of a long lineage of Batuan artists and brings a fresh style to the tradition. We got to know him when worked with him for an exhibition of his work at John Hardy Jewelry in Seminyak and find ourselves captivated by his world view, how he sees his art, and how he’s working to pass his knowledge down to the next generation. We’ve also worked with him to create the second edition of our reimagined Bali Snakes and Ladders- launching in late 2020.

We sat down with him to ask him a few questions and, as always, felt grateful that we are able to sit and listen to his thoughts on art, life and 2020.

All photo credits to Suki Zoe.

When did you start drawing? What was your first one?

I started when I was 7 years old. I used to like to watch Bapak (Note: Made Griyawan’s father is I Wayan Taweng, part of the renowned first generation of Batuan artists) paint. At that time, I took the rest of the paper and drew my first sketch, a leaf, with pencil. I was persistent so Bapak started to give me the whole piece of paper. He said to me, ”Draw whatever you can without copying me.” He was my only reference, so that was hard for me. But I followed what he said and tried to draw anything that came across my mind or that surrounded me.

When I was a child, we used a palm stick dipped in the ink as a paintbrush. Actual paintbrushes were so special. I was happy when Bapak allowed me to use a paintbrush when I was in junior high school. Before that, I was just practicing my sketching and drawing. Although my siblings and I sometimes secretly picked up a brush (if we were lucky) and used it- I still remember how Bapak was mad if he found out.

So I began to paint. Bapak paid attention to my patterns when I was painting. I tended to not finish a painting and start a new one. So he said to me, ”de kutang-kutangan megae, selesaikan apapun hasilnya. Mau nanti tidak suka, terima saja dulu” - don’t stop work halfway. Always finish what you do and accept whatever the result will be. I kept painting even though I never dreamt to be a painter.

Back then, I was an active member of the volleyball team. I made it into the top high school through my volleyball accomplishments. I was so persistent and I got to represent Bali in the national tournament. However, I always painted. Even though I never thought about wanting to be a painter.

After I graduated from high school in 1997, I worked as a driver based in Monkey Forest. In the downtime between tours, I made time to paint. I still competed in the volleyball tournaments.

10 years later, after my marriage, I quit volleyball and focused on working as a transportation service provider. Still, I was painting for my own pleasure.

Then we had Gangga, my daughter, the following year. My wife and I were working and we thought one of us should quit our job to take care of her. I knew that my wife was happy with what she does. With the system we have, I didn’t think it would be easy for her to return to the job if she took the time off. I saw so many women lose that opportunity, either after they gave birth or resigning for some time. So I quit my job and managed the household. In those times, I painted to pass the time. I never had the idea to sell my paintings. Until one day, a foundation from Singapore came to Batuan to run an art program preserving Batuan paintings. They came and curated some of Batuan paintings from our villages. My painting was one of the chosen. Since then, the universe works the way it works.

What is your inspiration? What kind of conditions/situations inspire you?

My father's collection, always.

Back in 2009, I had a question. What should I paint so they can live long like the Mahabharata legend? I think I started painting my wondering on canvas. Be it questions, reflections, or current wisdom. Because then people who look at my paintings said that my paintings are philosophical. They project life purpose, self-development, and selfhood.

I also paint every morning, right after I get up from bed. From 6AM to 11AM, I can bear to sit and paint the whole time. After is my free time. Sometimes, I also paint at night. But often only for making sketches.

I always remember the concept of Tri Murti: Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa, who are responsible for creating, taking care of, and destroying. When I am painting, I am the Brahma. When it’s done, I take the role of Wisnu. I learn to not become attached to my paintings even though part of myself is always in my paintings. So when they’re gone, that is the time when I’m ready to make the new ones.

So, before the painting knows its next journey, I take care of it.

Do you know where the most inspirational place is?

Toilet! (excitedly spoken like an eureka moment).

Beneran (really).

Toilets are sacred!

What is your favorite fable?

Dongeng Tantri or Tantri’s tales.

Naughty monkeys, stories about nature, fishes, elephants, water… I really like them.

Tantri is a daughter of Patih who was married to a King. The king likes to sleep around with women everyday. Putri Diah Tantri doesn’t like his character. So she always tells the king different stories every night before intercourse. The king enjoys the stories and is too tired after to sleep with her. That continues to 1001 stories, until the day the king died.

What does your down time look like?

Going to the beach alone. I really like Pantai Pabean in Ketewel. I go there almost every afternoon. I always feel like I have a connection with that beach. Later, I found out that it holds a lot of Balinese history. It is the place where the Gajahmada expedition started. Perhaps - in the seventh century, I’m not sure - the beach also used to be a major trading port in Bali.

Can you tell us about the children learning painting in Batuan?

Since the pandemic, this program has been stopped. We used to have 2 sessions on Sundays with a maximum of 25 children per class. But then we reorganized around 2 months ago and applied the social distancing protocol. Now, we only allow a maximum of 10 children and only organize one session on Sundays. I’m glad to know that they miss painting together and enthusiastically return to the class.

I remember we built this community back in 2018 to introduce painting tradition across generations. We want them to see and know. If some wanted to practice more, we are here to teach. If some didn’t enjoy the class, we don’t force them. It is their will. This community has grown and not just in my Banjar now. There are some children from other villages too like Ketewel, Saba and Ubud. I love to be with them and see their spirit.

Why do you paint? And we also know that you like to paint on different media as well.

To paint is a calling. I really enjoy the painting process.

I also enjoy experimenting. I paint on dried maja (a type of fruit which belongs to the rutaceae family. It is known for its bitterness and inspired the naming of Majapahit), unique shapes of wood I found on the beach, plant pots. I like the challenge of finding a way for the paint to stay on certain surfaces. I think we artists should not limit ourselves since our achievement is freedom itself. Some people say that my experiments are not Batuan style. It’s ok with me. I don’t need to secure a prestigious label. I like doing it. I play with a lot of natural dye lately.

How do you see the development of Batuan style?

I see it is harmoniously growing. The Batuan artwork from the 1930s tended to have dark shades. A lot of them are one object exposed in the middle with the black color blocking the background. I think this certain style was affected by that time’s perspective and rare painting materials- we used to paint with self-made charcoal.

Talking about Batuan as the community and style, in my opinion, it is actually Bali tradition that lives in Batuan. But we call it Batuan style. Now, for me, we can call it contemporary. The objects and materials are shifting. For me, tradition should follow the age. There’s an expression in Balinese called Desa Kalapatra: Desa is area, Kala is time, and Patra is material. It means humans need to adjust to what's served/available here and now. Value is not measured from the material or the theme, but in our sense of the work process itself.

When I am painting, I always look at it as yadnya or an offering to God who lives inside me. Do what you can and give the best.

Have faith in the process. I believe every artwork will have its own destiny. They have their own journeys.

In the future, I want to see the Batuan community be sustainable. The painting process of the Batuan tradition contains ethics and character development that should be maintained. I find my self-discovery through painting. I also see some children who were unmanageable become more relaxed, aware, and calm. I think the painting process is really important for identity development.

What question do you think people should ask? That people won’t know to ask, but need to know the answer to.

How can I survive?

Many people ask me that question and are curious about how I face the pandemic. Especially because many people have financial difficulties. In this reality, I keep working without thinking about how it will turn out. I see the pandemic teaches us about crises. Even I haven’t found a way to make peace with myself in this condition. So that’s why I think we need to create our own harmony. For me, I have been working from home for years, so there’s no significant change in my daily habit. Instead, I use this time to stop, breathe, and look inward.

My wife works as a nurse at Bali Royal Hospital, Denpasar. Luckily it is not the main referral hospital for COVID-19 patients. Although we will never know what will happen. My wife and I just do what we can to keep ourselves healthy, mind and body. So in the meantime, dwelling in frustration too much is a waste of time. Instead, calm is necessary and we keep doing what we can do according to our respective roles.

I have been asking to hold online workshops, but I don’t have good devices to support it. I don’t want to force it. Actually, I feel so grateful I can spend more time with my family. This pandemic situation makes me think about the father and mother definitions as well. For me now, a mother is someone who loves and a father is someone who protects. Regardless of gender. These masculine and feminine energies are complementary.

Gelatin plate printing and monotypes

In 2020 you may have noticed some a new style coming through Elami’s designs. We’ve been exploring and developing monotype techniques using gelatin plates.

The gelatin plate technique was developed by Fran Merritt (1913-2000), a printmaker who wanted a portable printing method. There’s a great overview here of the practice.

Using actual gelatin lets you pick up incredible detail from Balinese materials like canang offerings, and tropical botanical textures from flowers and leaves.

Get to know: Tassa Agustriana, foodie and entrepreneur

We had the pleasure of working with Tassa Agustriana when she was still with Big Tree Farms and we’ve been following her story ever since, from her search for the island’s best negronis, to her love for Indonesia’s best edible treasures.

Tassa has a brand new project that we’re excited to watch: Re-Publik is a social enterprise concept dedicated to team members who lost their work during the pandemic. A place to collaborate and help the artisan maker showcase their product. A place to meet over coffee, brunch, work online and reconnect with loved ones. Check it out next time you’re in Berawa. She’s also part of the Archipel Coffee team: Born in Bali, they bring Indonesian coffee to the next level. A blend of Kintamani coffee with Indonesian spices from Maluku. The islands were known as the Spice Islands because of the nutmeg, mace, and cloves that were exclusively found there, the presence of which sparked colonial interest from Europe in the sixteenth century.

We asked her a few questions so you can get to know her too.

Please share your story… Why coffee? Why Bali?

I studied Food Technology and graduated from Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java. I grew up in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, until I was 17 years old. Back then in Banjarmasin, a lot of my friends took medicine, or engineer, architect, planology, legal studies … They are the majors that symbolize the success of parents who send their children to school. However, I can’t draw so I can’t be an architect, also I can’t take medical studies, I can’t even bear to look at the blood. So I was looking for the best fit for me. I thought food is essential, but I don’t like gardening. So I was interested in learning post-harvesting and processing technology. I used to think to work at Nestle, Indofood, or other big manufacturing companies. Quality management systems and regulations for the international food trade have always fascinated me. So I took them for my program studies.

After I graduated, I had to come back home just like other Indonesian children after being sent away to school. At that time, I was accepted for an internship at Nestle. But my mom didn’t allow me to go because I had been away from home for 5 years. She wanted me to come home and assist my uncle. He was in the process of building his company and needed me as part of the main team. So I promised her to come back home only for a maximum of 3 years. We agreed. Turns out that was my learning point in the professional world. He built a drinking water company and wanted me to take care of the initial stage. I didn’t have any experience but he just gave me general information about what he expected, the timeline, and the budget. I was just around 21-22 years old. I asked my seniors in the professional field a lot and just did what I could.

After the second year, I still wanted to go outside of my safe zone. I think my uncle understood me. He knew that I was at that age where I still needed to prove and acknowledge to myself that I can use my skills for something more, without help from family. So I applied for jobs. I found Big Tree Farm through that. Never had I ever thought about Bali. My family always goes to Java for holiday and mostly Jogja. In the following 2 months, Big Tree Farms called me to schedule an interview. Within 10 days, I moved to Bali. I immediately handed over to my uncle; what departments he needed to recruit for and what other things in detail he needed to follow up. Fortunately, I did most of the work earlier, to set all the systems, ready for the upcoming opening. So here I am, many years later.

With coffee, I have another story. I met Dee-Ann, Archipel’s founder, who is based in the United States. She is the product inspirator. I am one of the shareholders and I handle the management. We used to like to hang out at Seniman Coffee and by coincidence at Ubud Food Festival. She has a child who studied in New York and another who used to be a Green School student. So from those circles, she noticed beverage trends. At that time it was pumpkin spice latte. She knows that many brands use food sweeteners and artificial flavors. So we thought why don’t we make the original version.

In Bali, Kintamani is the best source of coffee. Maluku in the 16th century used to be colonized because of its spices. Dian and I then started to develop Archipel. Drinking coffee has become part of our daily life as well. We experimented and sold small batches. It took us almost a year to finalize the product. We went on many trips to Maluku for sourcing. We went to Banda, Seram, Tidore, Ternate, Minahasa, and Halmahera too. Also, I have a friend who grew up in Holland but his family is from Maluku. My friend has a good relationship with Maluku farmers so we use the spices from the farmers’ families.

When we did the formulation, we were just so overwhelmed with how good the spices are. They are just so fresh and have good qualities. Wait until you try nutmegs from Banda too, the native land. We only need to use a small portion of nutmeg and the taste is so rich.

Back then, Dee Ann was in the middle of the process to move to the United States. It was after my resignation and I was wanting to just be an independent consultant. But then she asked me to run the company. If it’s happening, she will handle the US market. She is a marketing person. She enjoys doing that. So I guess if I am asked to articulate what I am doing, it is connecting the dots. Suppliers, ideation, product development to operation.

How would you describe your project?

I have #ThriveFoodConsulting, it’s my very first independent project.

Let me share with you how it began.

From 2011 to 2017, I worked for Big Tree Farms. I developed their quality department. The last one year I was in the team, I supervised Big Tree Farm’s big facilities in Solo and Jogja. Back then I was overseeing Bali, Jogja, and Solo. After a while, I decided to just step back and rest.

Right after my resignation, I was actually in the state of looking for a new position. But then I happened to get a project. I was asked to make research on technology for an alternative sweetener. We used sugarcane juice. Before that, many of my colleagues asked me whether I want to hold a consultation session. For example, to consult about the food legality management, or an overview of the food industry in Indonesia. They said I should use my background and experience in quality and food safety. I was used to dealing with the audit process, especially for organic and natural products.

So that is how I had the idea to offer my services. I enjoy it so much. I think it's because the process is close to the product development process, where my creativity takes place. There was a moment when the project finished, I asked myself why I left such a secure life when I was in Big Tree Farms. To be honest, after 7 years, it’s not easy to let go. Moreover, this is my very first attempt to offer my own service by freelancing. But I am excited.

Can you share about the fair trade practices that are the fundamental values of the brand?

I source from the sourcing suppliers who get the spices directly from the farmers. Some of the suppliers that we met are closely connected to the farmers. So we can extend our networking with the farmers and ask them about prices. I compared the prices myself to other suppliers and traders. They are more expensive. But again, we are committed, so it’s better for us to buy more expensive spices but the money goes directly to the farmers. We think about the small stuff we can do now.

I do really think that people, the consumers, have learned in the past 7 years about which products are just sustainability tagged. Always look at how far the company and the brand are giving you information about their supply chains.

We are so used to mass production that gives us good prices in the big market. I know it’s working. I don’t say that they are doing something worthless. I understand they make a big effort. I also learned in Big Tree Farm how a company’s vision focuses on the sustainability of the people. Because so many big companies focus on the product, but forget about the person behind the product.

Archipel’s vision is towards the sustainability industry. Where the whole concept - from the very small parts - is a very high quality product. It means how you treat the people working with you. Even though we are still only a year old, I believe we have good intentions and we will always find a way. We care so much about sustainability and not just abusing the word.

We visited the farmers again after a while to check their stocks and trace the beans so we know the origins. It is such an amazing experience. From that I know the price. It is so saddening that a lot of farmers use the old prices. I know how much things cost once they are in the international market. The gap is crazy.

The farmers grow all the spices naturally and harvest from their backyard. Many families do this. They sell household batches with cheap prices to collectors, then the collectors sell the selected and bigger batches to traders. The most shocking thing I found out is there is no involvement from the government to facilitate an integrated system for drying. Every time I am in Banda, I feel like I go back to the past decade. Also, the cooperative system is not popular there. I only found one farmer in Tidore and one farmer in Ambon who are in a cooperative. Can you imagine the journey of imported spices? From Ambon to Surabaya port, before being exported, or from Halmahera to Sulawesi before going out from Indonesia. Everything is so expensive there because according to logistics, we know they have difficulty with physical access and delivery routes. So when you buy a coffee, the money doesn't go to the farmers.

Since then I contacted some of my colleagues in the Food and Beverages Industry in Indonesia to share my experience and thoughts. Some of them are sourcing in Sulawesi, Papua, or Maluku. They told me the same stories. Farmers are the very bottom of the chain. Archipel cares so much about this and we ask ourselves, What can we do? What do we hope for? So through this project, we aim to grow bigger and stronger so we can give impact sustainably and invest in those things. We don’t know yet what exactly it’s going to be. But we always approach the farmers to get insights and ask them directly how we can help. One of the things that I do is to keep in touch with my colleagues in the Food and Beverage Industry who are linked to the government. I keep up with their projects to know if there’s something Archipel could participate in. We are also aware that Archipel is still very small now.

How do you maintain the relationship with the coffee farmers and what is your takeaway from the journey?

I’m so happy I have such a very broad point of view now from the farmers. When I talked to them, it reshaped what I thought a real problem was. They also talk in a simpler way. But their questions are challenging. They just open my mind to things I didn’t know. I used to be a homebody. From the experiences I had in my work, I went to several remote areas. I think that’s what we should do if we work in an agricultural community, especially if it’s organic.

We need to explore the hills, mountains and forests. The experience really led me to appreciate artisanal work, which is done by all the local farmers themselves. I used to take food on my table for granted but when I saw how long and complicated it was to make a handful of coconut sugar, it shifted how I define a simple product.

Also, I appreciate how the family plays a role hand in hand in harvesting. You can see they are the most modest people you have ever met but they are actually ruling what they do. And that has been going on for generations.

What’s been your experience running a business during this period?

Crazy, definitely hard. I am lucky because there are still some clients using my service. It is essential for their business to have me to assist and run. But the hardest thing is of course you have to be… well, controlling the budget is always the thing you have to do, but you are finally at the point where you decide after 4 months as much as we want to give you full hours and full salary, we come to realize that we need to adjust. That’s the hardest part. To talk to your team that there are no orders in the future for us to keep running. Production cost, we can control it, supply is going to be hard, but again we can not close our eyes to the fact the demand is also decreasing. It might go to 20-30% while the operation cost keeps running. Thankfully, my current projects are the projects I have worked on since last year. Our budgets are allocated to certain times of our working capital. I can not imagine how big companies deal with the previous profit and current loss.

A market targeting foreigners at first is actually very volatile. Things like this happen, so I really think we have to be open-minded now. Maybe this has opened my eyes too. In the artisan organic natural product world, most of the targets are foreigners and/or travelers from other countries. Because they are the ones who probably have the buying power. They also understand the product. Now, what I see is with the pandemic, who else is going to buy? At least, we can depend on the local market that understands the product and can also afford the product.

I often feel funny about it because I make something local but we can not sell it to locals. Many companies don’t realize this fact.

The ones who support you always are your closest community. We need to build something from the community and for the community. Yes, we might source locally but often we forget that it also has to be for the community, not just the supply side but also to who consumes it.

The quality must be good and enjoyed by everyone. At Archipel, we use coffee from Kintamani. Recently we also source spices from the same area like red ginger. Also vanilla from different parts of Bali, or long pepper from Jogja and Sulawesi. We are always looking for the closest we can reach so supply isn’t disturbed. Always trying to make something from the raw materials grows near where we live.

It’s been hard to search for suppliers. Yes, we still have some inventory. But we still need to refill and we can’t do that from where we source in Maluku. Then we thought, Indonesia is large, we can always try to get them from other sources. Also, the Food and Beverage manufacturing circle allows us to exchange information, so that’s the other way to avoid big trader chains.

What’s next for you?

For me, I am focusing on Thrive Food. I want to make a one-stop boutique consulting company that focuses on organic natural artisan food. We have space we can do anything from legal, ideation, product development, packaging development, to make things like a pilot production to commercial production. Now, I’m by myself but I still work with other parties for product or packaging development. But I really want to have a solid company. Through that, I want to help more artisans and restaurants like Room4Dessert or Locavore or anyone who wants to source anything from Indonesia. Create something using Indonesia ingredients, so they can export them but also target their products for the locals. There are so many talented people in Indonesia who just become unseen but I want to place them at the forefront.