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You will feel the love in these quotes
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Diana Rikasari (right) and Dinda Puspitasari hope their books will inspire readers and give them a boost when things are looking down. (The Star/Asia News Network/Glenn Guan)
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s if the first neon-pink book cover wasn’t eye-catching enough, both author and illustrator had their hearts set on a full glitter version for their second book in the #88LoveLife series.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a viable option and they had to settle for silver text on fuchsia instead. But although the book did not end up being as fabulously sparkly as the duo had envisioned, it is undeniably noticeable enough to make heads turn just by sitting pretty on the shelf.
However, the real shine lies within the pages of the book, which, like the first one, are filled with 88 quotes written by Diana Rikasari, accompanied by colourful illustrations by Dinda Puspitasari.
Indonesian fashion blogger and entrepreneur Diana, 31, has a soft spot for inspirational quotes, and this shines through on her blog. While Vol. 01 is a compilation of the words of wisdom she has shared on her blog over the years, Vol. 02 is filled with quotes written exclusively for the book.
“When I was working on the second book, I was in a very different place in my life compared to when I wrote the quotes for the first book. I was a new mother and was juggling life and work and family, so in many ways, the quotes reflect how I felt at that time … it is a rediscovery of myself,” says Diana.
She and Dinda were in Kuala Lumpur for the launch of #88 Love Life Vol. 02 which took place at the opening of the Putrajaya Inter-national Book Fair on Tuesday. The fair, organised by MPH Bookstores Bhd for the third year at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, continues until Sunday.
This time around, it took Diana a month to complete the book.
“The second book is more mature and serious, it is deeper, and also more honest and raw. I challenged myself to open up more when writing this book,” she says.
Diana had never planned on publishing one book let alone two but was inspired to do the first one when she found out just how much her blog followers enjoyed reading what she wrote. As for the illustrations that are a big part of these books, well, even they were quite unplanned.
“One day in 2014, Dinda sent me a fashion book she published, I liked her illustrations, so on the same day itself, I contacted her and asked if she would be interested in collaborating on a book with me. It was all very spontaneous!” Diana shares.
Around 70,000 copies of #88LoveLife Vol. 01, which was published a little over a year ago, have been sold in Indonesia and Malaysia.
You would be forgiven for thinking that a book as pink and playful-looking as the #88LoveLife ones would appeal only to girls-just-wanna-have-fun types, but Diana and Dinda have noted that people from all walks of life come to their book events, from eight-year-old girls and elderly school teachers to men, even.
“Despite the colour of the book cover being very girly and maybe a bit young, it turns out that both the young and old like the content.
“The quotes are very universal, so I think many people can relate to them,” says Diana, who is convinced that quotes have the power to change one’s mood or mindset in the blink of an eye.
“I think quotes are very powerful, they can make you feel better. I often feel good after writing a quote, and I hope readers feel the same way after reading it,” she says.
The books are also filled with colourful illustrations by Dinda, 26, who used to work in advertising before striking out on her own as a freelance illustrator.
“We spent a lot of time figuring out the ‘character’ of the first book before I started on the illustrations,” says Dinda.
“Back then, I used lots of pastels and black and white. But in the second book, my designs are bolder and more striking.
“I feel that the quotes written by Diana have a more serious tone than in the earlier book, so I tried to balance that with making the illustrations bright and cheerful,” explains Dinda.
The book covers are pink not because of any intent to stereotypically cater to women but simply because these two women love the colour. If there is going to be a volume three in this #88LoveLive series, you can bet that it will be in yet another shade of pink.
And Dinda, who is a lifestyle blogger, has incorporated a lot of her likes into this project, which has became a very personal undertaking for her, as it has been from the beginning for Diana.
“The illustrations in this book reflect my personality and what I like. I like a lot of things, so I decided to put everything I like into the books.
“Which means you will see lots of flowers, houses, ice cream and food … all that is very ‘me’, but at the same time, it is also very Diana,” Dinda says.
(Aside from Diana’s quotes, there are a number of illustrations in the books that feature Diana with her trademark hairstyle, huge glasses, and quirky fashion sense.)
Dinda has also upped the number of illustrations in #88LoveLife Vol. 02 that feature her handwriting, as readers have expressed a liking for it, saying that it adds a personal touch.
The illustrations for the 140-page hardcover book took Dinda only two weeks to complete, which is partly due to her successfully finding a working formula for her creative process.
“I start with looking for a keyword in the quote that jumps out at me, and then I come up with an idea or a concept that revolves around it,” she explains.
And that just so happens to be her favourite part of the process.
“I really love that I have to create so many illustrations for the book, but I have to say this is also the challenge,” she laughs.
When we ask what they want to achieve with this book, Diana ponders the meaning of happiness and life. With her bubbly personality, she says, people often ask her how she seemingly manages to be happy all the time.
“They ask me, ‘Don’t you have any problems?’ And of course I do! Having a happy life doesn’t mean you don’t have any problems,” she says, stressing that overcoming problems builds character.
No matter how hard life gets, she adds, don’t forget to be grateful and take away lessons from it.
She says of the books: “I would like readers to feel like they have a friend, especially when they are feeling down. So when you are feeling bored or upset, just flip a page or two of the book and feel better.”
Because everyone needs a friend, and who’s to say that it can’t be pink, profound and playful? Or perhaps one day – if Diana and Dinda have their way – even covered in glitter.
