Mellow Work Trip

QuirkyQing is a creative brand inspired by cute characters and everyday life in sunny Malaysia. Through vibrant colours, playful charm, and meaningful storytelling, we explore the journey of adulting while embracing the whimsy of our inner child. Our art comes to life across wearables, stationery, campaigns, comics, and animation. Bringing joy, nostalgia, and connection to everyday moments.

I recalled that I’ve always wanted to bring my little arts brand abroad, since our brand has positive response from our home country, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and even China! One day when I was scrolling through Instagram, what caught my attention was this cute little marshmallow from explore feed, then I noticed its Mellow Art Market!!

I recalled it was May 2024, I recalled writing “Boothing in Australia” in my vision board and goal, the moment Mellow Art Market had an open call, I just tried my luck to submit my product photos and brand profile. 

Fast forward to June 2024, I can never forget that the moment we received our very first time going into Melbourne I was overjoyed then I called my sister who’s based in Melbourne whom I only meet once in a year. We were both super happy and my parents were so proud of me!!

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I boothed in Mellow Art Market 3 times, once in Sydney April 2025 and twice in Melbourne September 2024 and December 2025. Each time I get to exhibit in Australia, I keep telling myself what a privilege it is to show my art to more communities out of Asia. And here are some of my observations after trading in Australia for a few times

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The art scenes differences between Asia and Australia 

Note: This is just a personal observation based on my experiences‍

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My best sellers: 

1. Bag Charm with Shopping Bag: everyone loved this! They mentioned its a fun way to shop with a cute and functional eco bag
2. Puffy Pouch: Our quirky Australian Fans really loved our pouches
3. Sticker Sheets: Everywhere we go, sticker sheets are always the best sellers!
4. Laptop Bags: Our fans really loved this because they say its hard to find good and artsy creative laptop bags!

Products that didn’t sell well

1. A6 Art Print: its a bit shocking because usually people would support my art by buying prints! But that’s okay! 
2. Keychains: This was also a little culture shock for me, then again, I believe keychains are a bit saturated too!
3. Silicone Pins: it was a little slow too, again because I tried this event, now I know what works and what doesn’t work 

Everyone’s best sellers will be different, my suggestions are just based from my observation when I was in Melbourne! 

My core memories in Melbourne and Sydney‍

Of course, the absolute best part about boothing abroad is... remembering to actually have fun!

I feel incredibly privileged to have a loving family in Melbourne. It meant that after a long, exhausting work trip, I got to wind down with delicious, home-cooked food with my sister. That, plus indulging in mind-blowing Vietnamese food (I absolutely love Vietnam Town in Melbourne!) and treating myself to amazing coffee. I am completely obsessed with the Mont Blanc from Good Measure. and look forward to it every single year!

My biggest core memory has gotta be celebrating Christmas with my sister for the first time in Melbourne. My sister lives abroad for almost 9 years, it means a lot for us to visit her in this special holiday season

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For me, the magic of Melbourne is also in the simple things, like grocery shopping. I love wandering through Woolies and hitting up Kmart for some classic retail therapy. But beyond the fun, this trip was a massive eye-opener. It allowed me to truly step back and understand what the Australian art market wants and connects with.

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Chasing Colors & Bipolar Summers 🌷

In Melbourne, I absolutely fell in love with spring and summer. The cherry blossoms and the vibrant, exploding colors of the tulips completely stole my heart—tulips are my absolute soul flowers! Seeing my own products displayed alongside them made me feel so alive. I remember feeling this overwhelming wave of gratitude because a dream on my vision board was finally coming true right in front of me. Coming from Malaysia, where we don’t have the four seasons, experiencing these changing colors in Australia will always be extra meaningful to me.

When summer hit, the weather was... let's just say bipolar! But it turned out to be the perfect summer Christmas. I got to experience decorating a Christmas tree for the very first time and hosting family with a massive spread of home-cooked food. I’ll also never forget my day trip to Daylesford—an incredibly artistic suburb where I felt completely connected to nature.

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Sydney: Sunsets & Solitude 🌊

Then came Sydney! It was equally fun and challenging, but I absolutely loved the weather there. The views along the harborfront and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge were just stunning. Oh, and while I was there, I became completely addicted to Yo-chi!

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But my absolute biggest core memory from Sydney? Doing absolutely nothing while watching the sunset at Observatory Hill. That was my favorite moment of the entire trip 🥹🥹 just a beautiful, peaceful pocket of solitude that I still think about all the time.

Boothing tips from QuirkyQing‍

1. Let’s be completely real: traveling from a country with a weaker currency can feel incredibly daunting. The biggest financial hurdle is always the flights, especially with travel costs skyrocketing lately. But honestly? What made us take the risk and say yes anyway was our community. Seeing the brand connect with people across oceans made every single cent worth it!
   
   
2. One major hidden challenge of boothing abroad is handling your sales system. It is absolutely crucial to have a good POS (Point of Sale) app to track your revenue in different currencies. Since international sellers can’t easily register for a local Square Reader in Australia, we used Loyverse to keep all our inventory and sales organized. It was a absolute lifesaver!
   
   
3. Always pack a dedicated "emergency pouch" with display essentials: Blu-Tack, double-sided tape, scissors, masking tape, clips, price tags, and at least two tablecloths (trust me, tables are sometimes bigger or dirtier than you expect!).

💡 Learn from my mistake: When I was in Sydney, I forgot a few of my setup essentials, only to realize it was Easter weekend and every single shop was closed. Save yourself the panic and double-check your packing list before you head to the airport!

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4. When I first went to Australia, I actively tried to go with zero expectations. Of course, I was secretly terrified that things wouldn't work out or that nobody would like my art. But letting go of that pressure allowed me to just enjoy the ride. It ended up going better than I could have ever dreamed, and it’s how we found our beautiful, quirky community down under!
   
   

I recalled receiving warm messages from fellow South East Asians who are staying in Melbourne mentioning that they anticipate my return every year. 

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Behind this entire journey is my beloved sister. For years, her life in Melbourne served as a quiet inspiration for me to dream bigger. This is exactly why Mellow Art Market means the absolute world to me. It represents the beautiful moment where my passion met my purpose. Because of this market, I was able to bridge the distance, travel abroad, and celebrate this milestone alongside my sister and relatives. My art didn't just take me to a new market, it brought me home to family 🫶 

To any artists reading this: have you ever thought about boothing overseas? If you do, here’s a sign for you to pursue that dream and take that risk! ✈️💛