Experiment. Play. Embrace your differences.
In a world where society wants you to be a certain way and bombards you with a multitude of voices each day, it’s so easy to lose sight of who you are and get swept up in the current trends. However, each one of us has a unique perspective and fingerprint; a way of making that cannot be replicated. You are special the way you are and your particular composition of what makes you — your background, your favourite shows, colours, stories, experiences, beliefs, and so much more – is entirely unique to *you*. We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).
Today, I wanted to share with you a little bit about my work and how I developed my artistic approach through my favourite things: skateboarding, fashion, rock music, and manga.
It all started with skateboarding, actually.
A Leap of Faith
You're probably asking, how?
Skateboarding gave me the push I needed to stop being afraid of taking risks. To embrace failure and trying new things. I started skateboarding in May 2022, after watching women's skateboarding at the 2021 Summer Olympics. I was in awe of the sheer bravery and graceful movements displayed by girls my age and younger. Even when their tricks didn’t land or they fell — they still smiled brilliantly and carried on. They picked up their boards and tried again and again, enjoying every moment.
When I began, I had a couple of falls as expected. I was worried about injuring myself and wore all the gear I had, but as I practiced every day that summer, I gradually started to speed up and gain confidence. Then, I could actually lift my eyes from the ground and appreciate the view in front of me. The experience of gliding freely on the pavement was cathartic, and taking a leap of faith with every push I made from my feet filled me with adrenaline. It was without a doubt terrifying at first, but now it’s something that brings me great joy and peace.
I think that too often, we’re so concerned with the bumpy surface beneath us and trying not to fall, that we end up missing out on what’s in front of us. It’s okay to fail. We can get up again.
It's a Process
Ever since I stepped onto a skateboard, my work evolved to embrace my true emotions and desires, not compromising what I truly enjoy. I’ve stopped desiring to hide behind a mask or subdue the rawness I wanted to express, especially in my personal comics. Experimentation and risk-taking has become integral in my process. The possibilities are endless as to what we can do with our art.
I previously wanted to work in concept art like many of my peers — the coveted position and field was alluring and I was into video games. However, the process of refinement and rendering to perfection was grueling to me and I pretty much had to force myself to get through each piece. I poured hours and hours into highly polished concept work projects, and now, I can’t imagine doing that again. I much prefer quick and rough drawings in my sketchbook, done in the moment.
Feel free to read about my artistic journey in greater detail via the interviews on my website.
Major Influences
Fashion.
Prior to university, I had wanted to become a fashion designer and establish my own clothing brand, but didn’t exactly possess the sewing skills. During junior high and high school, I ran a personal fashion blog for a few years documenting my outfits. Now, I still have fun dressing myself and my characters. Credit to my stylish mom for getting me into fashion!
Music.
I listen to music every day — it energizes my work and helps me focus. Rock was a genre I got into a couple years ago and I absolutely love its raw and unapologetic energy. Then, I got drawn into metal, which is pretty therapeutic for me since it releases any pent-up frustration I have inside (haha). It’s helped me to express my emotions through frenzied, loose mark-making as well.
Aside from the heavy stuff, I enjoy listening to a variety of genres including jazz, electronic, hip-hop and city-pop.
Manga.
I discovered manga in late elementary school. I loved the way characters were drawn and couldn’t help but be inspired by the beautiful linework and flow of panels on the pages. I then got into anime and drew a lot of fanart from my favourite shows, until I rediscovered my obsession for manga when I took classes about comics in my undergraduate studies. Examining various methods of storytelling and the deep personal connection with characters — uniquely offered through the medium — and the way you could be transported into different worlds — left a huge impression on me. I began creating comics as an outlet for personal experiences and thoughts, and ever since, it’s helped me to heal and empathize with others.
I self-published by first manga, RUDBECKIA, in 2021.
As my tastes had changed throughout the years, I discovered new ways of expression. What we consume naturally starts to influence the way we behave, think and create, and before I knew it, my work was beginning to reflect the word rebel as I became curious of perceived stereotypes of the things I liked, such as skateboarding, motorcycles, and rock music. My undergraduate thesis was called Dare to Rebel, with the goal of challenging the stereotypes of so-called ‘delinquents’ and their activities but representing them in positive and playful narratives.
Finally, I was starting to embrace the fact that my work didn’t look like other people's work. It was ultimately my work, an honest reflection of who I was.
Embracing Differences
To end off, I hope you can enjoy the natural shifts in your work and all that inspires you. But also, remember that as you change, your art will too — and I think that’s beautiful. Don’t be afraid to experiment and have some happy accidents, and try something out of the ordinary.
Go for a walk, sketch at a cafe, listen to a different genre, read a book. Document observations in your sketchbook, whether it be random clippings/objects, quick notes or drawings, and take lots of photos to look back on and potentially use for reference. Soak in the world around you, whether it be some random graffiti in an alley, someone’s interesting outfit, or the colours of the sunset or the distinct patterns of a beautiful stone.
And if you find that you’re lacking inspiration, going out of your comfort zone has never failed me. Try something new. Maybe it's something you have been hesitant to try for a while but looks cool.
You never know, maybe it’ll change your life.
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