At 31, Pau Javier is a recognized name in the film industry, having participated in productions recognized both locally and abroad. Among them are Etiquette for Mistresses, Resureksyon, The Entity and Baka Siguro Yata, to name a few.
Being a creative producer is practically in her DNA, she said, having been at it since her early 20s. But it came to a point when her body started rejecting what she used to find challenging and joyful. "My body just became so tired, I wanted to do something else."
That a-ha moment came at the start of the pandemic when the film industry itself reached a halt and independent filmmakers practically found themselves with no projects to work on.
It felt like the universe conspired for Pau who was already thinking of shifting gears.
Pau related, "It was really scary I made a major career move. People thought I was crazy. At that time, I really didn't care. I wanted my pause and play moment, I wanted to a put a pause to what I was doing. Production will always be part of my life; it's something that I really love. But pottery is something that I want to focus on right now because it really helped a lot with my well-being."
From tinkering with clay, Pau found her sanity saver in a world battling against the virus — and against isolation and loneliness. Soon, her creative form of therapy turned into a profitable passion called Wabi Sabi Studio. Quick to share the gift of finding bliss, the studio showcased Pau's works and gave classes as well. Not surprisingly, even A-listers like Kathryn Bernardo and Maine Mendoza would find relief at the studio, dirtying their hands to shape beautiful things like pots and vases.
'Press play' campaign
Of course, things may sound so chill to those who visit her studio and actually meet the pert film producer-turned-pottery artist.
"I know it sounds romantic. I left my day job. A great job at that; I was the youngest producer in my field. I got to work with a lot of huge projects, international and national. When I put up Wabi Sabi, I had a security blanket. I do a lot of mental accounting. I prepared my savings, and I made sure that if this becomes a passion project I should make sure it becomes profitable and I would still be comfortable. So, it's not at all a Cinderella story. Before I dropped everything, I prepared for this. I made sure I'm insured and everything was accounted for. I think that timing had to do a lot with it."
That calculated risk for Pau is the same message that FWD Life Insurance is shouting out nowadays especially through its "press play" campaign. In a world that's always moving in a rush, the brand encourages people to do otherwise and start living their dream.
The FWD Group campaign had a regional debut and has now kicked off in the Philippines across multiple media channels of FWD.
In the campaign are stories of six, real-life heroes and features real moments and experiences as they navigate common themes that impact the day-to-day lives of people across Asia.
Japanobjects.com describes the term wabi sabi as "the beauty of imperfect things. Of course, that would be an overly simplistic explanation for such a deep and profoundly rooted notion in the Japanese spirit. Something between an artistic concept, a philosophy of life and a personal feeling, wabi sabi is everywhere in Japanese culture."
Pau, now 32 and who founded Wabi Sabi Studio with her sister, is a role model for that sentiment. Through her honed skills in production, she was able to shift to another creative pursuit.
"Pau's experience is a good example of why we're encouraging every Filipino to 'press play' on their passions and dreams," said Roche Vandenberghe, chief marketing officer of FWD Life Insurance Philippines. "Through our brand campaign, we want people to know that they can shape their own life journey as they desire. At the end of the day, the goal is to celebrate living despite challenges. This is how we hope to transform the industry by changing the way people feel about insurance."
The campaign resonates with the "play" symbol in its logo that's also consistent with the FWD philosophy that insurance isn't always in preparation for worst-case scenarios but also for when it's time for wish lists to be turned into "life lists."
To view these videos and get inspiration on how you can press play on your own passions and dreams, visit fwd.com.ph/fwdpressplay.
