Your friendly

artist neighbor.

Welcome to my journey!

Join me in the world of art and storytelling.

OH, YOU'RE NEW HERE!

PLEASE ALLOW ME INTRODUCE MYSELF.

Hello! I'm Karlalily, a Filipina artist who always finds fuel in art and video games. I love to draw cute artwork with warm colors. Journalist by profession, artist by passion.

You can support my art journey by following me on social media platforms or buying art pieces at my shop.

written by: karla angela p. banzuelo

The New Normal:

Be Brave. Take Risks.

"Dapat maghahanap ako ng trabaho ngayong bakasyon. Nakakainis naman itong pandemic!"

(I will looking for a job this vacation. This pandemic is very stressful!)

It was just one of the things that I said during the lockdown. We have a financial crisis and I need to get a job to support myself. I don't know what to do now this pandemic because every move is limited due to the threat of virus. The impacts of the virus scare have made a huge change on our everyday lives. These changes are regularly happening quickly. Life changes frequently and it affects the entire horizon of our experiences and feelings.

I found myself in survival mode just like in video games. I'm struggling at online classes, communication and relationship with others due to limited interactions with people, and mental health problems. Trying to cope and attempt to settle into a new routines and hobbies, even I feel drained.

At first, I tried to learn digital art and made art commissions to earn some money to support myself. Then, started to make a gaming page on Facebook and play online video games. I always wanted to play video games since high school, but I focused on my studies instead. I promised to myself that I will make videos and will play games someday.

These things helped me to keep sane and I'm in the healing process to cope this new normal.

Last August, I established my first online art shop in Shopee. At first, it's hard to sell since I'm the only one who works all – from conceptualizing ideas for art merchandise (stickers, art prints, etc.) to communicating shipping courier. This new routine helped me to boost self-esteem and learn how business works.

I received a job opportunity as a video editor in United States last November, and this opportunity changed my life.

It's really hard to manage academics, work, business, and commissions at the same time, but I need to earn money to support myself this college life, and help my family for their necessities. I experienced also breakdowns and other mental health issues. I always ask myself what if I will stop studying, but I need to finish my degree.

Some changes and opportunities are unexpected. I'm slowly healing in the adjustment process, and I learned a lot about myself that I can do these things and don't hesitate to take risks.

I keep doing art, not only for myself, but also to the people who keep supporting me. Also, I'm helping other people by donating some money, especially this pandemic and recent typhoons. Some of my income from commissions, online business, and some salary will go towards to the people who need help this time of crisis. I learned from my late father that if you have any extra money or food, share it to others who doesn't have it. He taught me how to be kind to others even we are struggling, don't forget to help others.

We are living in the situation that never happened before. I hope, we will find a peace of mind and success despite all challenges. We should be brave and take a risk. Don't forget to help other people, and forgive yourself.

written by: karla angela p. banzuelo

Four Things that I Learned from a Stranger Online

2019 was really different from other years. 2019 has been difficult. We don’t really know what we’ve got, so we must take a risks. How would we know how important things are if we don’t take risks? My circle is getting bigger than before. Meeting new strangers, meeting new people. I have an instant thought or reaction that these people are deceitful and they will take me for granted. It looks mean to what I think about a person when I see them for the first time.

I met a guy online last May 2019. I am the kind of person who remain guarded of my actions and the way I speak when I meet someone for the first time. It can take a while for us to be comfortable enough with each other to feel like we don’t have to be self-conscious anymore.

One night, he chatted me that he couldn’t sleep. He was very tired but he can’t even sleep. He was trying really hard to forget those thoughts but still haunts him. He don’t know why he talking to me about his past even he had never known me well.

We decided to meet in person. We talked at the mall rooftop while drinking lemon and strawberry with nata de coco juice, and eating chocolate bar. Luckily, this guy made totally change my negative thoughts about life. He was really active and humorous. Despite of his flaws, imperfections and past experiences, he had a high sense of responsibility. These things made me became more comfortable to talk with him, he was a good-hearted man. He taught me about self-love and changes.

1. In order to move on with life, things must change. Change can be simple as changing your daily routine or complicated as making life decisions. People take risks and make changes in their lives. Changes have brought into our lives, still give an opportunity to learn new things.

2. Romantic relationship is not a “band-aid” solution to make you happy. Protect and love yourself. You can only love someone as much as you love yourself. The more self-love you have, the better person you will be.

3. Forgive yourself. We can be so hard to our life that turns into punishing ourselves too much for mistakes from the past, a hindrance to learn and grow as human. We must accept our humanness – the fact that we are not perfect ones. We should practice to be less hard on ourselves when we make mistakes.

4. Holding grudges will caused us to lose good friends and opportunities too. It is hard to find a good companion who will stand behind you through thick and thin, and opportunities who will help us to grow and be independent. Whatever happened in our lives, we should live intentionally, in order to accept and love ourselves more. If we want a change, we should make decisions that support our intention, and feel good about ourselves.

After I sipped the last drop of my juice, I realized that I am lucky. I found a good companion who gave me a piece of advice. I am fortunate to experience good conversation and be able to remember those good memories with him. He taught me that we should love ourselves and embrace the changes for the best version of you.

written by: karla angela p. banzuelo

'FEWA kayo d'yan': Ate Virgin's story get broadcasted

I could still remember the first day that I met her. It was sometime in June of 2016, during the first week of my senior high school days in PUP. The gentle breeze of air surging through my face—a sweet kiss of sadness that adds up on feeling alone as I walked into the famed PUP lagoon to look for something to eat.

Then, there’s this one out of almost 30 food stalls which caught my attention. There's this vendor who attracts a lot of customers by shouting “FEWA kayo d’yan, mga ka-Virgin!”

I was immediately confused upon hearing that word since I wasn't familiar with the word FEWA. I stopped and thought for a while before feeding my curiosity and visited the stall that garnered a significant line of students who want a taste of the dish.

Upon a closer look, I was greeted by a person with a lovely smile paired with a beautiful long hair and friendly attitude—they call her "Ate Virgin."

As I watch Ate Virgin prepare the dish, I realized that it is a combination of egg and footlong that is wrapped around and placed in a breadstick. That’s FEWA – Footlong with Egg Wrapped Around.

I thought that it was nothing out of the ordinary; but I was dead wrong. When I bought a FEWA, I realized at that moment why it was famous among PUP students.

But something else hit me, the dish was comprised of ordinary ingridients but it tasted like something twice its price. I realized something, it was the cook that made the difference, it was Ate Virgin's preparation that made the difference.

As I continue my stay in PUP, the word FEWA is almost synonymous with the name Ate Virgin. It was like when you think of FEWA, you'll instantly also think about her.

However, beyond her famous FEWA is someone I never knew apart from her name Ate Virgin. Every time I see her prepare that food item, I can also see her as a woman who’s dedicated to her job to sustain the financial needs of her family.

Time travel to the rigid 2020.

Fast forward to June 21, 2020. I saw an advertisement saying that Ate Virgin will be featured on a Sunday noontime show called "ASAP." I tuned in on an online broadcast of ABS-CBN and watched the show just for that segment. That’s when I truly knew her more.

Jerol Rebamontan, known as “Ate Glaiza / Ate Virgin,” is a staple name in the community of PUP. Famous for her delicate preparation of two of her best-sellers: the FEWA and the Virgin Shake, she narrated her backstory to the people of the internet.

As she stated on the show, she decided to work as early as 11 years old to help her family with their finances. She was then working as a housekeeper in her hometown in Samar, earning only Php 800 per month. She gambled her luck to work in Manila to explore more opportunities. From then on, she became a vendor which became a big help for her family’s finances.

"10 or 11 years old ata ako non, kaya ako nagdecide na magtrabaho sa ganoong murang edad dahil sa dami naming magkakapatid. Nagkasambahay po ako sa bayan namin sa halagang 800 pesos lang po sa isang buwan. Hindi po siya naging sakto sa anim...kaya naisipan ko pong pumunta ng Manila at makipagsapalaran," said Rebamontan.

However, during the onslaught of Typhoon Ambo on May, in her hometown Samar, her family and loved ones were bereaved because their house was destroyed by the typhoon.

What adds to this is the fact that Ate Virgin was left unemployed as schools remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was stranded in Manila far from her family during the two-month lockdown.

Even though she was forced to work outside of PUP, since the university adminstration decided to push through with the lagoon's "rehabilitation" which caused displacement of the half of lagoon's original workforce, she is still PUP's Ate Virgin.

Fortunately, because of the generosity of PUPians and other concerned individuals, she was able to return home safe and sound.

Ate Virgin's story is a prime example of courage and persistence against the test of time. But similar to her story, we should also delve into other hardworking essential workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

Above all, Ate Virgin's inspiring story is not all about hardships and sweet success, her story is a story about labor rights abuses and the government's lack of support for other essential workers amid the pandemic.

Instead of sympathizing for people who have lost their livelihood, we should use our voice to echo the call for proper labor rights management and better compensation for our workers.

We should speak up, and let us be the voice of the voiceless, marginalized and the oppressed. We should be the Catalyst for change, we should be the change.

(Posted at The Communicator's Facebook Page, the Official Student Publication of PUP College of Communication - Sta. Mesa, Manila.)

ARTIST BEHIND Karlalily

Karla Angela P. Banzuelo

Artist and Journalist

Raised in Santa Cruz, Manila, Karla Angela P. Banzuelo also known as ​Karlalily, was born on May 6. She is currently living in Quezon City, ​Metro Manila.

She took her secondary education junior high level at Jose P. Laurel Sr. ​High School and senior high level at Polytechnic University of the ​Philippines – Sta. Mesa, Manila where she took Arts and Design Track ​and consistent honor student. Karla is not only academically inclined ​but is also good in other fields such as arts. In the four years she spent ​in junior high school, she became president of Art Club, and Senior ​Editorial Cartoonist of English Journalism. In 2018, she was admitted at ​the Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Sta. Mesa, Manila under ​Bachelor of Arts in Journalism program.

Aside from academics, she also engages in extra-curricular activities. ​She is a non-fungible token (NFT) Filipina independent artist and ​recently received few recognitions and speakership from international.

Collab us?

Journalist, Artist, & Content Creator

A journalism graduate with five years of experience as a ​freelance artist on different art commissions such as ​painting, paper origami, event styling, graphic design, ​and illustrations, and three years as a content creator.

Quezon City, Metro Manila

National Capital Region, Philippines

For inquiries, send an email to - karlalily.business@gmail.com