Stuck in the corporate sector, too afraid to pursue your passion? Draw inspiration from Bailu, a papercut artist based in Melbourne, Australia. While the rest of us are caught up with the rat race, Bailu decided to take a leap of faith. One wouldn’t expect a major in Finance to produce such enthralling works of art. She transforms the stuff we substitute for napkins into detailed intricate pieces of art using nothing but a blade.
I have always had the feeling that paper cutting art was what I really wanted to do. So, here I am, with the support and encouragement from my family, I have finally decided to open an Etsy shop and turn my hobby into a profession.
She was five years old when her great grandmother cut a little butterfly out of a candy wrapper for her. That was it, she was hooked. As a tribute to her beloved guru, she named her papercut store after the town her great grandmother spent her entire life in – Papertown.
She put this beautiful, lace-like butterfly in my hand, which was just a piece of paper moments before; it felt so magical and I fell in love with it immediately.
Today, Bailu finds felicity in her work. This is what she gives back to society; it’s her way of communicating with the world. Her designs are the outcome of her inner creative juices blended with zeal and patience.
To me, it is not just a piece of paper but the way I talk to the world. Each piece takes hours or days and even more patience to make, but I really enjoy every minute.
