@inggardy

by Aika Mentari · July 11, 2025

Not a Paid Endorsement: The Story of the Most Precious Gift

There was a time when every notification was a jolt of the heart. A hope. In Hibrkraft’s early days the world of social media was a dense forest. We were only small artisans trying to be heard among the noise of big brands and paid influencers.

We never asked. We had no budget for an ‘endorse’. All we could do was hope that the product we made with our own hands was good enough to speak for itself.

Then, unasked and with no hint dropped, this photograph appeared. And to us it was a gift.

A Story Given Freely

Look at this photograph from Inggardy (@inggardy). They did not only photograph the journal. They gave it a stage. They set it down carefully on a spread of dry leaves, creating a composition both poetic and beautiful. The warm leather colour blends with the colour of the earth.

They spent their own time. They looked for the right composition. They took a good photograph. And they shared it with the world. On their own initiative. At that time an act like this was rare. And very, very precious.

The Purest Validation

This is the purest validation an artisan can receive. Not a sales figure. Not a number of likes. But evidence that what we make with our hands, with all our doubt and all our hope, can spark something inside another person.

Something strong enough to make them want to tell the story too.

An advertisement is paid for. A story is given freely. We will always choose the second.

Every stitch in that journal, every cut of leather, was made with a question in the heart: “Is this good enough?” And Inggardy’s post, at that moment, was a firm answer: “Yes.”

It was fuel. It was the wind we needed to keep sailing. So, Inggardy, if you are reading this, thank you. You will never know how much that simple photograph on dry leaves meant to us.

We cannot ask you to tell a story. But we can make you something that might inspire you to. Find the canvas for your story here.