From a young age itself, Alok Singh was drawn to the world of paper and craft. Not realising the potential of his talent then, he confined himself to making cards for friends during birthdays, farewells and so on.

As applause and appreciation started coming his way, Alok expanded the horizons of his vision. Festivals, marriages, Valentine’s day — everything was transformed into an artistic creation.

“The more I made, the more I became interested in what I was doing. Name boards, handmade cards, explosion boxes — I customised all of these according to the wishes of the people who approached me,” says the automotive engineer in Mahindra and Mahindra who now spends his time shuttling between Bengaluru and Chennai. 

It was a birthday card for a friend that exposed his skills which were somewhat latent after school days. “It had a boy holding a banner that said ‘happy birthday’. My friend was quite touched. People who saw it approached me for cards later on and then there was no looking back.”

Intent on finding out whether his cards were really as good as his friends proclaimed them to be, Alok took 10 of his creations to the Jayanagar 4th block market and asked shopkeepers if they would be interested in buying them. They were sold out in a matter of minutes.

His page on Instagram, ‘beingcreative247’, displays his eye for cartoons combined with a knack for quilling. The other place where his creations are displayed is his house, where his proud family has a collection of his posters and art pieces in the hall.

Despite busy work schedules, Alok makes sure to dedicate free time on weekends for his hobby. Saying that it gives him a chance to do what he loves and interact with more people, he says he has no intention of stopping in the near future.

“I do get orders but I only take up the ones I know I can fulfill. Since all creations are handmade, nothing is printed, I take up bulk orders only if I have a notice of a month or so. If there are just a few days, I tell them I can give them only 1-2 cards. At the end of the day, I have to do justice to myself and the recipient,” he says.