But in a bid to preserve the authentic, organic quality of her Instagram account, she has also said no to plenty of paid work.





“I have turned down big brands,” she said. “Is it tempting? Absolutely! Is the potential of exposure huge? Absolutely! But in the end, it’s back to the root of my Instagram, and that is to post what I love and believe in. If doing it that way creates slower growth, then that’s OK.”





Sim guards her integrity and anonymity fiercely. She wouldn’t be interviewed in person for this feature, but proved an open and engaging interviewee by email. There’s a reason for this. Coffee Cakes Cafe came about after a sudden life change. Sim had a “five-to-10 year plan” mapped out, and then it all shifted “in the blink of an eye” when she was diagnosed with lupus. For eight months, she experienced symptoms including difficulty walking and bouts of short-term memory loss, and she wondered if she would ever be able to hold a fork again without experiencing pain.

She could have crumbled. Instead, she ditched the life plan, learned how to manage her pain, and opened herself up to new opportunities. For a while during her recovery, she dabbled in interior design work before realizing her hidden talent as a stop-motion illustrator. In fact, if she hadn’t become ill, she might never have discovered her latent skills.

“What was so life changing for me, and at the time seemed so horrible, was one of the best gifts in my life — to live and embrace the moment and always be open to seeing possibilities,” she said. “Every day I battle my illness and every day is a new chapter in my life.”

As for the future, there’s a small online store featuring her original art in the works. She’s started selling coffee-themed enamel pins on her website, Cafe and the City, and hopes to expand to tees, totes, and the like in the near future. Other than that she plans on just going with the flow and seeing what develops naturally.





“I see this as a ride, and who knows where it will take me?” Sim said. “What I know at this moment is how grateful I am that I’ve come this far with no experience whatsoever and I’m open to seeing what lies ahead for my Instagram and for me.”

(This article was originally published on March 11, 2019)