Filipino girl uses leaf art to make ends meet in pandemic

This pandemic seems to be never ending, and there is no nearby possible date of when will things get back to normal, or whether things will ever get back to normal.

From deaths to job losses, empty cities and closed borders, in the last six months, we have seen it all. We have seen scenes that we never imagined we would.

We have stayed at home for a stretch so long, we never thought we could, but we did and many people have lost jobs that they never thought they would. Many have lost their loved ones.

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Life deals you cruel surprises but what matters is our response to these life events. It is how we react to a crisis that determines whether a crisis can make or break us.

So as we enter into yet another pandemic-striken weekend, we have an inspiring story for you. The story is of a 23-year-old woman from the Philippines.

Her name is Mary Mae Dacanay. She lost her factory job to the coronavirus pandemic but Mary did not let the job loss bulldoze her life. She leaned on her favourite passtime — art — but the stores were closed and sourcing canvas and other art supplies was tough.

So, Mary started picking leaves from a jackfruit tree near her home and started turning them into pieces of art — leaf art.

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Before she knew it, her artwork went viral. Her Facebook page began attracting new followers and somewhere in middle of the pandemic, Mary started receiving orders for her leaf art.

Today, Mary is selling her art for upto $8 a piece (400 pesos).

This pandemic helped her monetise her hobby by turning her art into a venture and this endeavour helped her stay sane through the job loss and the pandemic.