Conversations with Kathy Wang

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Wang.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Noah’s Garden Creation was inspired not only by the beautiful spring bloom that came after the devastating Thomas Fire in 2019 but also by the intention of gifting the perfect Mother’s Day gift. I wanted the females in my life to feel cherished, loved, and above all else, empowered. Through pressed botanical creations, I would like to invite you to embody your beauty as the beauty of nature.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a fellow creative and handmade artist, I often struggle with self-doubt, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and people-pleasing tendencies. For us women, we are often conditioned by the society to be selfless, thoughtful, nurturing, and to minimize/soften our presence to become more “Lady”-like. Breaking free from these gender-stereotypes as an Asian American women while also challenging my own cultural expectations is a daily fight. However, with these daily struggles, it really boils down to self-love: to believe in your abilities, to allow yourself to take up space, and to accept what makes you uniquely you.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a full-time pressed botanical resin artist. I create an array of handmade creations with pressed local Santa Barbara plants; from jewelry and accessories to home décor. As an artist residing in the beautiful mountains of Santa Barbara, I often feature responsibly-sourced native wildflowers in my creations, thus highlighting the unique vegetation of Santa Barbara. Since starting this little handmade business, some of my proudest moments don’t necessarily surround my ability to create as an artist, but rather our ability as a community to come together and create lasting and memorable beauty in people’s lives. Owning a handmade business isn’t only about selling my creations, but it also means to have a voice, a platform as an AAPI handmade artist.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Growing up, I was ingrained with the mentality that in order to become successful, I needed to have a stable job and certain accomplishments at a certain ages. After graduating from a 4-year university, I tried to settle in with a job that I hated and through switching jobs in similar career fields to match what a “stable” career should look like. Each attempt was miserable and from the accumulated stress, anxiety, and mistreatment from workplaces, I took a break to thoroughly search for what I wanted in life. With only four figures in my savings, I decided to travel the world for half a year and trust in my abilities to thrive. We often are caught in the aimless cycle of job-hunting without truly knowing what we want for ourselves. Without stability, I’m often confronted with anxious thoughts of needing to look for a job; however with the 6-month break that I forced myself to take, I realized how often I turned to art in order to express myself. Since a young age, I was often guided to obtain a career in the medical field to have success. However, after giving into what I truly love, art, I managed to turn my talents into my own handmade business. Quitting a job without having found the next is risky, starting your own business is risky, not having enough money to cover accidents is risky. But, through it all, without taking these risks, I wouldn’t have been able to share my creative talents with the world, and most importantly, I wouldn’t be my true self.

Contact Info:

• Email: noahsgardencreation@gmail.com
• Website: www.noahsgardencreation.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/noahsgardencreation

Image Credits:
Photographer: Myself, Kathy Justina Wang My Self-portrait shot by: Chihiro Imai Bates