Even though our passion for teddy bear making began in 1996, it was not until we encountered “David” in Italy years later that we achieved a breakthrough with this soft sculpture art form.

On a trip to Europe, we visited Florence, a city widely recognized as the birthplace of the Renaissance Movement. This is the place where we could witness firsthand, the majesty of Michelangelo’s creations.

We would have given Florence a miss had we not read the book, “The New Human Revolution”, by our mentor, Dr Daisaku Ikeda. In his book, he described how Michelangelo, through his paintings, motivated and inspired millions of people worldwide. So that was how we ended up in Florence, a trip that changed our lives forever.

“David”, Michelangelo’s magnificent sculpture left a very deep impression on us. In the story of David and Goliath, a young shepherd, David, flings a stone from his slingshot to kill the giant Goliath, thereby saving his nation. Unlike predecessors by other sculptors, which depict David with the grisly head of the giant under his foot, Michelangelo poses David at the moment he faces the giant, with the deed before him, focused and ready to fight. He believed this was the moment that showed David’s greatest courage.

Incidentally, Florence was going through a crisis when David was created. It is said that Michelangelo used David as a model of courage and hope to inspire the citizens of Florence to be strong in the face of adversities. Through David, Michelangelo demonstrated that inner strength could prove to be more effective than any weapon.

In 2001, both Pamela and I were unfortunately retrenched from our jobs. We were at a crossroad; dejected and lost, not knowing what to do next. I revisited the book, “The New Human Revolution”, to seek guidance and found inspiration in Michelangelo. Through him, we found a renewed sense of purpose and hope. Despite the temporary setback, we discover that we could do something meaningful with our lives. We sensed a chance to do something that would bring happiness not just to ourselves but also to others.

Michelangelo and his David had given us courage, hope and inspiration to pursue our dream to be teddy bear artists. We hope to be able to create our soft sculpture art form in the same spirit and determination that the great master sculptor had displayed in creating David. It is our wish that one day our creation will inspire someone to do the same.