What Bangkok Taught Us About Creativity
- AICREATIVV
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
First Impressions:
A City That Creates Without Hesitation
Everyone experienced their first spark differently.
According to Aaqilull Qhaeer, Bangkok felt “fresh and alive,” as if creativity lived in every small decision. To put it into words, he reminisces on how a shop arranged its shelves, how a café lit its corners, how locals dressed with intention rather than trend-chasing. Iman Shamsuddin saw duality: traditional craft around Wat Pho, then bold Western-influenced street style in Siam Square and Warehouse 30. Stephanie Yong felt like creativity wasn’t something people “did,” but something that was simply sewn into everyday life.
While Amal Osmera noticed art in places no one would think to look such as patterns on umbrellas, random installations on sidewalks, textures that turned mundane objects into canvas.
And then there was AICREATIVV's resident fashionista Ampuan Hafiz, who walked into a boutique, saw one pair of pants, and suddenly imagined ten outfits in his head. Creativity, he said, was just different here — louder, braver, more certain of itself.
The Creative Energy:
Unfiltered, Fearless, Honest
What united everyone’s experiences was the energy of the local creatives — a kind of fearless authenticity. They weren’t creating to please anyone; they were creating because it was who they were.
Store owners proudly said, “Made in Thailand,” not as a marketing tactic, but as personal truth. Artists at the Bangkok Illustration Fair spoke openly about their process, their struggles, their growth. Stephanie Yong described it as a “don’t overthink, just do it” vibe, something we at AICREATIVV need to implement more of.
Furthermore, Alimin Affendi saw spontaneity everywhere; the kind of instinctive creativity that doesn’t wait for a brief, approval, or perfect conditions. What Imamull Qhaeer saw instead, was the honesty and the lack of sugar-coating that made Bangkok’s artwork so expressive. For Ampuan Hafiz, it was the refusal to stay inside the box.
Bangkok didn’t tell artists to be bold; Bangkok made boldness feel normal.
When Inspiration Hits:
Tiny Moments With Big Impact
Each member had a personal moment where Bangkok’s creativity stopped being something they observed and became something they felt. For some, it was architectural — like Iman Shamsuddin, who fell in love with the structure and intention behind the Jim Thompson House.
For others, it was experiential — like Stephanie Yong, surrounded by hundreds of artists at BKKIF, or Alimin Affendi who was caught in the middle of a floating market pop-up with a live mural unfolding right beside food stalls. For Aaqilull Qhaeer, it was the quiet depth of Song Wat. Whereas for Ampuan Hafiz, it was a clothing shop in Siam Square that opened a floodgate of ideas.
Finally, for Imamull Qhaaer, it was a simple walk between BTS stations, where every pillar, wall, and floor seemed to carry a piece of someone’s imagination.
These weren’t grand encounters they were just small sparks. But each one left a mark.
Creative & Cultural Takeaways:
Lessons From a City That Dares
Bangkok’s design and storytelling didn’t just inspire, it challenged.
Brands blended culture with modernity boldly and effortlessly, something Stephanie Yong admired and wished we could see more of back home.
Brunei often polishes; Bangkok lets things breathe.
AICREATIVV saw how:
Ideas were expressed without filtering
Niche brands fully leaned into their personality
Creatives trusted their identity
Imperfection could be intentional and powerful
For many, the trip became a reminder to experiment more, worry less, and let ideas live between structured planning and spontaneous instinct.
One of the most memorable lessons came from Iman Shamsuddin: your favourite object can become a universe. She saw an oyster-themed store in Song Wat — a whole identity built from one simple idea. Creativity, she realised, doesn’t have to start big.
Personal Reflections
Growth in the Unexpected
This trip pushed everyone in different ways. Some stepped out of their comfort zones by talking to strangers. While some navigated new streets alone. Others took midnight motorcycle rides, confronting old fears. Yet some stayed still, quietly absorbing new perspectives with every step.
Regardless, all of them came home with something different. Such as a newfound intention to be bold, a desire to experiment without overthinking, a craving for more ideas, more references and risks. Not only that, they’ve set a reminder to let creativity wander and a realisation that there’s still so much to learn.
Iman Shamsuddin said visiting BKKIF made her feel like she had “been living under a rock,” not out of shame, but out of excitement — the kind that tells you you’ve only scratched the surface of your potential.
What This Means for AICREATIVV:
A Toddler Ready to Run
Seeing each other in a different environment opened new layers of understanding. It started with Ampuan Hafiz noticed how everyone had different artistic tastes. Then, Stephanie Yong saw new sides of her teammates; the sides that are fun, personal, expressive. Whereas, Aaqilull Qhaeer saw hunger and potential. Others like Alimin Affendi felt inspired by how much could happen when they broke routine.
Even Imamull Qhaeer said it himself: “We’re only getting started.”
If Bangkok held up a mirror, it reflected a team that’s still young “a curious toddler,” as Iman Shamsuddin joked, but one that’s malleable, brave, and ready to grow into new shapes.
The spark everyone brought home is simple. They have learnt that they need to be bold, curious, to experiment more and trust their creative instincts. Because at the end of the day, creativity isn’t just found in a workspace. It’s in the streets, the conversations, in the most unfamiliar and unconventional places and it’ll always be in the willingness to look twice.
And now that spark belongs to all of AICREATIVV — even those who stayed home.
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