Welcome to Stay Kreatif with Siti!
Thank you so much for tuning into this special trailer episode. It’s good to come back with something fresh, interesting, and deeply meaningful—a new show right here on Siti Nuriati Studio.
Now, if this is your first time here, let me briefly introduce myself. My name is Siti Nuriati Husin, I’m a realist painter and founder of Siti Nuriati Studio. I started my art journey in Malaysia as a portrait artist and moved to Los Angeles 20 years ago. Fun facts about me: My Princess Diana portraits were published in a coffee table book in the UK, I was featured in magazines and newspapers in Malaysia and the United States.
I then left my portrait painting business and transitioned from being a portrait artist to a still life and floral artist. With over two decades of fine art experience spanning from Malaysia to the United States, I have a lot of things to share with you. Hopefully, you’ll take away something that you can implement in your own creative journey. I’ve also been a homeschool mom for over a decade and I work from my home studio. Additionally, I’m a cat mom and a history geek.
Now, Why did I name it “Stay Kreatif with Siti“?
The phrase “Stay Kreatif with Siti.” is something I’ve been using for almost a decade. It’s the sign-off for every one of my newsletters and videos. If you are not yet a member please subscribe to my newsletter today.
As a creative person, my mission is to encourage you to always stay creative in whatever you do. And here’s a point I want to make clear: creativity is not just for artists. Whether you’re a painter like me, you’re a baker, or whatever profession you are in, you need to strengthen your creative muscles. We are all gifted with creativity; it just expresses itself differently.
I want to tell you a story about the spelling of the word kreatif. A few years ago, I was coaching a group of children from my home. They admired a beautiful poster that I had created. But then they pointed out that I spelled Kreatif wrong and it should be C-R-E-A-T-I-V-E. I told them I did that on purpose!
I spell it K-R-E-A-T-I-F because that is how we spell it in Malay, my native language. It’s a deliberate blend of English and Malay in the phrase, and it’s a way to be different.
This brand new series is a space where I’m going to talk about everything that matters to me. For the first time, I’ll be sharing my personal journey in great length. I’ve been on social media a long time, but I’ve never properly introduced myself—my background, where I come from, or how I got into art. I ‘ve decided it’s time to change that by creating a series called “Siti’s Story: Finding My Way to America.”
Honestly, this whole idea about creating a new series was actually sparked by my work on my project, World’s National Flowers, which I’ll reveal in a future episode. One day, as I was preparing for prayer, a thought went through my head: “What’s your immigrant story?” That powerful question became the catalyst for this entire series.
This series is a reboot of everything. It’s my official introduction. I’ll be talking about my parents and schools, and recalling other experiences that eventually led me to call the United States home. It’s about how someone from Malaysia had a big dream of going to America and eventually made that dream come true.
You want to know what’s interesting? My story’s twofold: My life in Malaysia and my life in the United States. It’s going to be exciting because I have so many stories to uncover, some that I don’t even remember all the time.
I’ll also be revealing my latest and greatest projects, my art including how you can work with me. A core theme of mine is encouraging you to tell your own story.
Stories are fascinating, especially for immigrants to the U.S. We have so many stories to tell, but we often don’t take the time to record them.
I realized that if I wanted to encourage other immigrants to start telling their stories, I had to tell mine first. I’ve never really shared my journey, my childhood, or what made me Siti Nuriati Husin, the artist, and how I ended up in America.
Although I’ve already written about my background on my website, Siti Nuriati Studio which you should check out, I want to share more through videos. I’ve been digging through my past these past months, and it’s been an emotional rollercoaster looking through old photos. I believe that when you listen to other people’s journeys, you find that some experiences are similar to your own.
I want to share my journey and encourage you to start crafting your story.
Before I go, I’d like to invite you to subscribe to my Email Newsletter – World’s National Flowers Club. It’s the only place where you get insider updates on everything I do.
Come and join the newsletter today—the link is in the description below! And while you’re there, let me know where you are from. I’d love to connect!
Stay kreatif,
Siti
