My Journey

My journey in art has been closely linked to my faith. Color was my first love and my doorway to art. Art has always been close to my heart; becoming my expression and my gateway to imagination. I was the child who counted items by color and yearned for a certain candy simply because of its packaging decoration. Art has kept me curious and hungry for the world around me. Yet, this thirst for art within me went unnoticed.

My Asian parents probably had Asian parents’ dreams of me being a doctor, a mathematician, a lawyer, or any other practical career. Both of my parents were fortunate to get their PhDs, and yet art wasn’t something in their repertoire. I came along being the kid obsessed with anything color oriented. I still find this very ironic to be the only child from a non-artistic family and still being able to fall in love with crayons.

Around the end of seventh grade, I was set that I wanted to pursue art. My mom also realized that I might have been born as an artist. We began to see art as more than a hobby for me; it could be my calling. We checked into high schools with an art focus. In 2020, I got accepted into Longleaf School of the Arts. But then, Covid came; my first high school year was virtual. It was hard for me to learn the basic skills online. I didn’t even know how to hold a graphite pencil correctly. Many of my classmates had already received some training and were much more confident and comfortable with basic drawing skills. I was so disappointed in myself and doubted whether art was meant for me.

Although I had some serious health issues in 2021, I still found joy and peace in art. When I lost myself in art, my problems subsided. However, I felt the need for more rigorous training to draw and paint the way I would imagine. One art class per semester wasn’t going to cut it. I started summer programs. In the summer of ninth grade, I completed the summer program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). The following sophomore summer, I attended the youth summer courses at Ringling and the SCAD Summer Intensive Program. These summer programs fueled my passion for art even more.

That summer, I also found my dream school, Ringling College of Art and Design; it was love at first sight! I made a connection with a Ringling professor through an online information session. Ever since then, he has provided me with ways to improve my skills and college prep tips. He even told me that I could be great at art! It was the first time any professional artist had said those words to me... his encouragement shed a bright light on my journey. Perhaps my struggles didn’t go in vain!

It was through my struggles that I felt God tell me my purpose: Illustration. Suddenly, everything clicked! My passions for stories and art combined into one perfect dream: I want to be an illustrator!

Soon, in a youth summer course at Ringling, I learned about Booker’s VPA. It was an intensive art program in Sarasota that would advance me faster in art. Although I knew it was very competitive to get in, we still decided to move to Sarasota in two weeks as a leap of faith to catch the last-minute audition. In the end, I DID get in; how excited my mom and I were! To me, it’s a miracle and lead from God. For a while, I couldn’t believe I could now call Sarasota home.

The first year was extremely challenging. My previous “training” had no comparison at all with my classmates’, plus I had to adjust back to on-ground studying. My art teacher taught me the importance of creativity and embracing mistakes. I learned not to fear my shortcomings anymore.

In my junior year summer, I attended Ringling Pre-College. The experience was a blast! Pre-College sparked my love for art even more and kindled my love for Ringling. The instructors there gave me great tips on how to adapt to college. They also encouraged me not to be afraid of my weaknesses, reminding me I will continue to progress with time. Moreover, I learned that art wasn’t always about skill, it was also about creativity and unique ideas. Stories can often be the key.

This academic year, I’ve gained more confidence from the AP class at Booker High School and SCAD joint enrollment courses. My senior art teacher encouraged me to focus on designing “floral and patterns” for my AP project. I had never worked on design before and was resistant. Storytelling was my future, not design! But he was patient and reassured me that working on designs would give me a solid foundation in understanding color theory and composition, which would help me in the long run. I have realized now that design also allowed me to be freer and more open in a more creative way. I also realized that storytelling is everywhere, not just in books. Even logos tell stories about brands that we don’t even realize. For example, the Amazon logo's arrow underneath is a hidden smiley face to show their goal of satisfactory service. I finally found the challenge of design as creative and rewarding as illustrating stories.

After dreaming for the longest time, I met two artists after we settled down in my new home. One of them became my father figure in the art world. I finally began to hammer in my art fundamentals in my Senior year. It is never too late to learn. My teacher was firm but incredibly kind and supportive.

Indeed, through all the sleepless nights and tiring sessions…it was all worth it when I received the acceptance letter for Ringling! I was thrilled to earn the Dean’s Scholarship, Ringling Grant, Work-Study Award, and finally the County Ringling College of Art and Design Scholarship.

I can’t wait for college life. My love for college classes, especially those I took at SCAD, makes me that much more excited for my new chapters in Ringling!

What will happen now? We will see, and I’m incredibly excited to have you all share this journey with me!