Believing that a trash is not just trash, when there is trash, there is always a cash.
I am Jc Enon, a 24-year-old Palaweño, and I am a moto-in-can artist.
“Moto-in-can” means vehicles or motorcycle in can because I make tin cans into mini motorcycle, jeeps, bikes and other more.
Tin cans are not just soda cans that you’ll put on a bin after getting it emptied. For me, my upcycled tin cans, upcycled my life.
TIN CAN TO THIN CASH
JD Iccoheim, my one and only son, when born, for some reasons had to be in the ICU and I needed more money for it. I was sipping a drink when I saw a can of soda.
My neurons stinged my brain cells until I come up in an idea of doing artwork through tin cans.
I posted it online, and the next day, it was sold for P500. From that day on, I learned to value a trash and it’s called upcycling.
AN UPCYCLED TRASH UPCYCLED MY LIFE
I graduated AB Political Science in Palawan State University, I always wanted take the line of Fine Arts but there are no universities that offer this course.
Yet, I still practiced my passion in arts. I paint, and I am a skater.
Until one day, I discovered moto in cans, I practiced making artworks through tin cans and I formed them into mini bikes, tricycles and jeeps.
I learned the art of “Upcycling” with this, giving higher value to something through newer designs and innovations.
The greatest thing about my passion with making tin cans into an “obra” is that I get to inspire and convince people to do the same. Pick up a trash and turn into something even more valuable.
Once you put that can in a trash can, it becomes a trash, but if you turn them into an artwork, it will be your legacy.
Amazed by the fact that my passion inspired people to be an artist not for themselves but also for the environment, for the next generation to come, and to be an eco-artist.
Restaurants, stalls and other more contacts me whenever they have tin cans that I could upcycle, this way, I encourage them to segregate and appreciate a piece of can.
It’s a cloud nine how I get to touch lives and help save nature through my artwork.
I may not clean all the trashes around me, but at least I help lessen it. At least, I did something.
I am so much inspired by doing this because, first, I love what I am doing. Next thing is that I help conserve the environment through upcycling. Third one is that when there is no money in art, there is money with trash.
I can also express my love for the nation through this. Most of my artworks are turned to miniature tricycle, motorcycles, bikes and jeeps, which is the basic mode of transportation in the province.
Lastly, I don’t want my son to grow up in a pile of trash, I want him to see a clean and green city, that is why I am doing this.
For me, upcycling trashes upcycled my life, too.
GAIN RISK TO GAIN IN LIFE
I worked as a full time employee in a bank back then, the salary was great but I chose to be a full time eco-artist.
It was a risk. It’s taking a dark journey but I chose to light it my journey. I worked hard for it, I worked hard for it because I love it, striven for it because this will not only help the environment, but it has become by bread and butter.
Minsan nga biniro ko ‘yung misis ko, habang nag-withdraw sya sa ATM, sabi ko yung latang nasa basurahan, mas mahal pa ‘yung gagawin ko dyan kaysa sa wini-withdraw niya.
Yes, I love my previous job and with all due respect to it, I could say that the risk is more than worth it.
I earn money from it so I could save for my family, I sell my artwork from P500 above and I have clients who order bulk of artworks while some are walk-in clients.
Most of my clients request to customize for trophies, displays and all.
I am planning to level up my “tin can gaming” soon, i dream to build myself an exhibit and hopes for more clients to come.
UPCYCLE YOUR LIFE TO HEIGHTEN ITS VALUE
Other than caring for the nature, upcycling taught me another thing in life; life is always a tin can, it would not be valuable if you don’t upcycle it, if you don’t work to be the best version of yourself.
Tin can also taught me how to appreciate small things. It taught me how to look at things from a different perspective. I’m not changing these cans. These cans changed me. I could say that I am a better person with this. I get to train myself to be innovative and productive.
I get to do something for the nature so my son could grow up in a clean city, with fresh air.
The key to this is to use your imagination, the highest form of research. The only limit is your imagination. Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
So, go grab your tin can, upcycle it and it will upcycle the value of your life.