Meet Anna Lee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Lee.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Anna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
From the age of seven, my parents put me in a private catholic school designed to cultivate groups of Latin speaking, speech and debate prodigies who could belt out choir hymns with hands clasped strictly above the chest. I was a chubby, freckled, round Korean kid with grandma-style glasses necessary from having inherited my dad’s negative six prescribed eyes. I was one of the very few Asian kids attending the school and I look back at that period of my life as more of a really weird dream than anything else since it’s worlds away from where I’m at right now. It was a nurturing time nonetheless and heavily education-focused which was good for my Asian brains.

Most importantly, this period of my childhood also sparked this love I have of creating entertaining content all for the joy of others. In the middle of chanting Latin verb tenses in class, I would draw out comics of really random subject matter and share them with my friends to laugh at and read. I remember feeling that rush- that satisfied excitement- from watching others enjoy what I’ve created. I wasn’t alone either. I’d collaborate with my friends to make quirky drawings ranging from family trees of imaginary people whose multiple marriages allowed for more room on the trees and drawings of people we just thought looked cool earning their name “Kewl People” at the top of the scribbles.

I sort of forgot about those comic drawings when I got to high school when I transitioned from private to public. All my attention was put into trying to survive in a mosh pit of uber-achieving, crazy studious teenagers, most of whom now looked like myself. I, at one point, let myself be swept away with the aspirations of being a doctor or an engineer in a silicon valley, tech-driven community. But, I still enjoyed drawing and it was when I saw the stuff my sister was making at CalArts that I got interested in the creative scene again. I applied, got in, gave it four intense years where I learned and grew a lot mentally and creatively.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think anybody goes through a creative road very smoothly (unless you’re crazy talented or just superhuman). And I was no different as a student. I struggled with having to deal with and overcome art blocks, frustrations and failure. Being in a program where student projects depended strictly on my own capabilities and direction made for a lot of self-doubting as to whether I was doing the most that I could and whether I was making the right decisions. Especially in an environment with peers who are ten, twenty thousand million times more crazy talented than me, it honestly was overwhelming and at times, I felt myself slipping into that state of self-doubt and unworthiness. More towards the end of my years at school, I came to accept that there’s always going to be moments of doubt and frustration for me as an artist and that all I have to keep striving for is how I can grow more in my own journey towards being the best creator I can be.

Please tell us more about your art.
I want to say I specialize in anything related to the 3D realm, though I’m very much still growing in my skills as a 3D artist. I also love animating characters, bringing out specific quirks and emotions that make them unique and real. I do think that exploring and telling my stories through my films and other creative contents with visual looks that are solely from my own brain do set me apart from others.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Personally, I define success as having achieved your life’s purpose by working towards your passion to the best of your ability and not regretting anything in your life til the day you die- as dramatic as that sounds. Success for me is doing the right thing at the right time and being able to always find your joy in the journey towards achieving your passion.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://annajlee.weebly.com
• Email: annalee@alum.calarts.edu
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annajleeart/
• Other: http://vimeo.com/annajlee

Image Credit:
Photo Cred: Clarisse Chua

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