A $5 doodle booth pop-up in Richmond is going viral
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The latest viral pop-up in Richmond is like a photo booth — but instead of posing for a lens, you're chatting with an artist sketching you into a series of doodles.
Why it matters: When asked why people love it so much, artist Destiny Chew told Axios that "We're all just looking for something. Just a moment of joy."
Driving the news: Chew launched her doodle booth late last month after spotting a TikTok trend of artists in Korea turning people into anime characters.
- She then built a "Live Doodling Photo Booth" out of cardboard boxes and set it up in Carytown that Friday.
- By Saturday, people were lined up to see her before she arrived.
- The reason: A local TikTok of her sketches that now has over 53,000 views.
How it works: Chew shares her daily pop-up location on Instagram.
- For $5 per person, you can decide whether to share three facts about yourself or strike three poses (of your choosing) that she'll then draw.
- Her booth even has sliding panels labeled "Pose 1, Pose 2, Pose 3."
- When she's done, you drop in a "coin" and she slides your drawing out like a photo strip.
The latest: The idea has been so successful that it inspired Chew to quit her job as a baker at Shyndigz and pursue her lifelong dream of being a full-time artist.
- People have already reached out to book her for weddings as far away as Charlottesville.
- Chew also tells Axios that she'll be focusing on private events this month while she gets her peddler's license approved by the city.
What they're saying: "It's very touching to me that anybody would fit me into their day and want to sit down and talk to me," Chew said.
- "It's basically being able to have that moment of connection with a stranger."