An Interview With Tiffany Lim

Title: Artist Interview: Tiffany Lim

Writer: Matthew Bates

Date: Monday, 2nd July 2018

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Introduction

In order to learn more about Singapore’s budding talent, Cartoons Underground dives behind the scenes with Tiffany Lim, an artist who has garnered an impressive resume at the age of 24.

Having worked with several notable organizations in Southeast Asia, such as Marshall Cavendish, Mediacorp, the National Library Board, Tiffany shares more about her interests, as well as aspects that have inspired her work.

What do you enjoy most about the process of creation?

Working with all sorts of talented people. For instance, Gate Seekers, an original animated project that was guided by the Executive Director of Hubmedia Group (Singapore), was created by a talented team of talented artists, actors, writers, editors, and creative practitioners. The April Fool’s Apprentice, a trilogy of books that I have published with Marshall Cavendish, was supported by an experienced editor, designer and sales team. The Secrets of the Swamp (2016), a Mediacorp-broadcasted project, was produced by veterans who translated the script that I wrote into a full-length telemovie.

What inspired you to start creating?

I’ve been a storyteller most of my life, and most of my stories have been created for young audiences. Over the years, I’ve realized that many of these kids aren’t just enticed by exciting plots, they’re also searching for characters who may inspire them to believe in themselves. As such, I strive to create characters that would serve as role models for these kids, and stories that would stimulate their imagination.

What sparks your creative juices?

I’m very inspired by culture and mythology, and I try to integrate these components into each of my stories. For instance, Gate Seekers is heavily inspired by legends and folklore, and The April Fool’s Apprentice is heavily inspired by international festivals.

How does your mood affect your craft if it does?

Oh, it does! To be honest, I’m grateful that I’m such an emotional person because I’m able to instill these feelings in my characters. For example, I’ve given Kei (Gate Seekers) my somber attitude, Avril (The April Fool’s Apprentice) my hyperactivity, and Icarus (Gate Seekers) hints of my insecurity. I strive to make these characters relatable by giving them universal emotions.

What’s your fondest memory as an artist?

Seeing my characters come to life. I loved watching my drawings evolve from sketches on a napkin to fully-animated characters. For instance, the characters from the Gate Seekers started out as four scribbled heads on my best friend’s notepad. Seeing them translated into fully-colored drawings, and into 2D-animated Flash puppets, was a magical experience.

What are you working on at the moment? Anything in the pipeline?

Aside from the new stories that I’m creating, I’m leading a series of multimedia workshops and talks that teach young audiences about scriptwriting and production. These workshops have been conducted in schools across Singapore (Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic). I’ve also held interactive sessions to introduce my stories to young audiences, which have been organized by literary organizations (National Library Board, All In! 2018). You may find out more on my website (www.story-sight.com).

Artist Bio

Tiffany Lim (www.story-sight.com) is the author and illustrator of the Marshall Cavendish-published series, The April Fool’s Apprentice. She was an assistant producer and lead writer for Secrets of the Swamp (2016), a Mediacorp-broadcasted telemovie. She was an Executive Producer of the animated project, Gate Seekers, and is a freelance writer for the media news portal, MediaConnex.