Drawing pains
When Dayang Norhidayah Ngah was diagnosed with a kidney problem, she put pen to paper and discovered an unexpected therapy. She shares with the story of her journey
Working on a wall mural.
“The drawing was displayed on the wall’s ward in 2000. I am not sure if it is still there,” she says with a chuckle.
Dayang has to undergo Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) four times a day, every day. “It’s very tiring. When I don’t have the energy left to draw, I while away the time by reading books.”
DOODLE ARTIST
Despite her health problems, Dayang has done well in her studies. She graduated with a Diploma in Accountancy from Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus Kuala Terengganu in 2013.
“Those were hard times for me, juggling studies and treatments. However, I managed to complete my studies, even though I had to forgo plans to continue studying for a degree because of my health.”
Upon graduation, however, Dayang found it hard to secure a job. “Prospective employers were reluctant to offer me a place in their organisation. Without a full-time job and spending long hours at the hospital, I had a lot of time to kill. That’s when I started to dabble deeper into doodle art. Dayang wants remembered a artist and SLE
“I’ve received much encouragement from family and friends to pursue my passion. Even the doctors and hospital staff were supportive, which makes me determined to succeed in this field.”
WHY DOODLE?
Dayang says she started to develop an interest in doodle art while browsing social media. “I liked what I saw, the works of famous doodle artists from all over the world.
“In 2014, I joined the Doodle Malaysia group on Facebook, where many local doodlers gather and share their work. I received a lot of advice and encouragement from the experts to pursue the art. I would like to say a big thank you to them, especially Doodle Malaysia founder Faizzal Fah’d.
According to Dayang, most of her doodles are inspired by nature, and this is reflected in the floral elements in many of her sketches. “I really love the natural surroundings and the beauty inside it. We tend to forget that nature speaks. Through doodle art, I want to be the voice of nature.”
Apart from flora and fauna, she is also fond of cute doodle cartoon characters.