Tell me a bit about yourself. Where are you from? How did you decide to become an artist?
I am a Hmong-American cartoonist and illustrator from Wausau, Wisconsin.
My whole life, I have been surrounded by art. When I was little, my older siblings and cousins drew. I read a lot of Japanese manga and watched anime and Saturday morning cartoon shows. All of these influences caused me to write and draw my own stories.
After graduating high school, I didn’t know what else I wanted to do besides art. I knew I wanted to go to college, but didn’t know what to study particularly, so I ended up following my siblings to the University of Wisconsin-Stout. I initially went for a Multimedia Design degree, but during my second semester of freshman year, the university opened a new program for Comics and Sequential Arts. I knew I had to jump into that new program because it’s what I’ve always dreamed of doing! During my time in college, I also took a Children’s Literature course and found a love for children’s books.
I knew drawing and storytelling was something that I wanted to do and make into a career, so that pretty much kickstarted my journey as a cartoonist and illustrator.
How do you start your day?
My day usually starts out with me going to my day job. I work as a prepress technician at a local commercial printer. Pretty much I prepare files for print and do some designing here and there. After I get off work, I make dinner and spend time with my kids and then finally get to work on personal or client projects.
What does your workspace/studio look like? What aspects of it are most important to you?
My studio space takes up a corner of a room. My favorite part of my studio space is definitely my large white desk! There’s a ton of space to put stuff on it (although I usually prefer to keep it clear of clutter) and I can adjust the incline of the table top, which makes for easier drawing.
Next to the desk is an open closet shelf where I place my favorite children’s books, comics, and resources! I love having books displayed because I can just easily grab something when I’m feeling stuck or in need of inspiration.
What’s your favorite medium, and why do you love it?
Currently, I’ve been loving brush and ink because it allows me to do so much. I love that I can vary my line widths, do dry brush, washes, and ink large areas of black.
What tool has improved your workflow or creative process recently?
Recently, I turned on the “Downtime” feature on my phone to set time away from the screen. I have a tendency to get distracted easily, so having this option to physically show me that I shouldn’t be on when I’m not supposed to is a helpful reminder. Also, my phone does this thing where it’ll show me my average screen time for the week. I like to review my screen time each week and try my best to reduce it! Less screen time means less distractions and more time to focus on actual work.
When you’re feeling “artist’s block,” what do you do to get “unblocked”?
Usually when this happens, I step away from drawing or writing for a bit. Sometimes I watch a movie, read a book, or just do something else besides art, like clean the kitchen.
I think having an artist’s block means I need to recharge and come back refreshed.
What websites, social media accounts, podcasts, or books are particularly inspiring to you right now? Where do you go when you need a dose of creative inspiration?
I love listening to Dan Berry’s Make It Then Tell Everybody podcast where he interviews cartoonists from all around. It definitely helps hearing from other artists about their journey, struggles, and any advice they may have.
When I’m in need of creative inspiration, I usually go on Instagram and browse through all my favorite artworks or artists. Sometimes I would poke around and find new artists to follow.
What’s a favorite project that you’ve worked on so far in your career? What did you love about it?
One of my favorite projects I’ve worked on is not a client project, but a group project that I’ve recently done with some artists online. The project was basically illustrating Tarot cards (the major arcana). It was fun because I was able to interpret the piece any way I wanted and the only restrictions were the size of the piece and the fact that it had to portray the card I chose. I think being able to do personal projects helps remind me of the reason I love making art in the first place, which is being able to just dive into your imagination and explore the possibilities!
What is your dream project in the future?
My dream project would probably have to be a long-form graphic novel.
What advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
Stop comparing yourself to others and just make work! Also, stop being hard on yourself and enjoy the process.
How do you balance work and art with personal life?
I find this very hard to do especially now that I have kids. All I can say is having family or someone close by to help babysit has definitely helped me get more work accomplished.
Also, time blocking and working when the kids are sleeping is the only way to get things done! This is something I will forever be working on, since every day brings new challenges.
What’s an example of a past rejection or “failure” that ended up helping you? How did it help?
In the past, I was writing a graphic novel for a publisher, but the project ended up getting terminated. I was devastated, because I thought the story had a chance to shine. For a while, I doubted myself and questioned if I was indeed a good writer after all.
Now that I look back, I believe things happen for a reason. Maybe this setback was an opportunity for me to work on greater things. The best thing I can do right now is to continue refining my craft and write about the things I love.
How do you maintain your art career? Either in terms of marketing yourself, or developing multiple income streams?
This is hard to answer because I still find myself struggling and experimenting with what works best for me. In terms of marketing myself, I try to keep a presence on social media and stay up to date with the latest news in the kidlit and comics community.
In regards to income, it’s always about keeping my eyes peeled for opportunities that may come my way. I am involved in several online communities and once in a while someone will post about an interesting opportunity.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I am working on a children’s book and planning my next graphic novel! I am also planning to get some personal projects that I have planned completed.
