Today we’d like to introduce you to My Linh Mac.
Hi My, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m My Linh Mac, but you can call me Millie. I’m an internationally recognized visual artist and graphic designer based in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Westminster, California. Born and raised in Vietnam, I was hooked on art from a young age, with vivid colors and captivating paintings becoming my thing. In 2012, I left Australia and moved to the U.S., where I continued my ‘love affair’ with art.
While studying in college, fate intervened and steered me toward my newfound passion for design. I was the campus “arty” kid, and after doing a few impromptu posters for friends’ events (yes, even using MS Paint before discovering Adobe), word got around. Next thing I know, bam! – an official job as a poster designer came my way at the Office of International Students Affairs! That’s when I dived deeper into design and sharpened my skills alongside my beloved canvas work.
After college, I was off to Chicago, where I founded MMAC Visual Art and Design Studio in 2016. My mission: is to help fellow artists, small businesses, start-ups, and creative organizations find their unique visual identities – all thanks to my blend of visual marketing expertise. Juggling all that with grad school and thesis research… talk about a whirlwind!
Though challenging at times, it’s been a crazy, rewarding journey so far. My artwork has even found its way into galleries and museums across the globe, while my graphic design works received many recognitions at prestigious award organizations, pandemic be darned! As an artist and designer, I pride myself on fusing design precision with the fluidity of fine arts. Each creation stands as a testament to the fun spirit within me – just think of it as fearless innovation with a paintbrush in hand!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Undoubtedly, my journey was peppered with innumerable hurdles and challenges.
1) Disadvantages of being a foreigner: Starting with being an F-1 artist in the U.S., facing rejections became part of my routine. Despite my fondness for art schools, I couldn’t overlook the hardships tied to my visa status. Overcoming language/cultural barriers and a restrictive on-campus work policy limited to 20 hours per week made financial independence without our families’ support a mere daydream. The post-graduation race to secure employment and visa within a tight year’s deadline brought with it a colossal weight, especially with financial obligations related to visa matters. Handling employer rejections was the toughest – their hesitance in investing a substantial sum for sponsoring a novice with no substantial job track record outside academic confines was understandable. Rejections sometimes met me with strength as just another bitter facet of life’s tapestry, yet at other times, they plunged me into despair and spiral in self-doubt, not to mention the fear of running out of visa status had taken its toll on my mental health.
2) Pandemic and getting an O1B visa: During my quest for a secure artistic career in the U.S., homesickness gnawed at me after five years away from home; just when I was thinking of taking a break and traveling home for an emotional recharge, the pandemic hit. With the travel ban; separation redefined itself with my parents in Vietnam, siblings in our Orange County home —and I was isolated amidst four studio walls in Chicago. Job hunting and finding freelance clients pre-pandemic was already arduous, and with workforce culling during quarantine leaving me between hitting rock bottom or resilience—I chose to fight. I adopted a stance of deliberate defiance against any self-pity; reassessing my circumstances became primordial—silencing internal negativity and crucial—diving into research for solutions. Fortunately, through my graduate thesis research, I found an alternative route via an O1B/artist visa, allowing legal creative work and sustaining MMAC studio without traditional employer dependencies. I also found insightful coaching that morphically helped accelerate my career amidst lockdown.
My venture towards securing the O1B visa felt like navigating through a nebulous maze initially with finding ways to meet ‘over the top’ expectations. This includes to solidly exhibit myself as an ‘individual possessing extraordinary ability; top echelon talents within my professional field.’ At the starting point, I had no proper website, diminished in confidence as my portfolio sprawled sporadically with projects mirroring academic infancy rather than professional polish. For someone who just finished graduate school a few months prior like myself to have legit credibility as a mid-career professional within a year was indeed a Herculean task. However, a transformative piece of advice from my mentor marked a turning point: “Formidable—yes; unattainable—no,” she insisted, advising that success is a series of achievable steps diligently pursued. Heeding her words, I embarked on ‘months-long assignments,’ meticulously refining my website, cultivating client connections, garnering expert endorsements, securing press for my brand, and most crucially, fostering personal growth through projects that delivered value to my audience and clients. The fruits of my labor began to manifest after four months when I won my first design award, showcased my artwork in an international art museum, and earned a place on award jury panels.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Kinda like Batman, I’m a graphic designer by day and seasonal painter by night. With design, I prioritize strong brand identities that are versatile and visually accessible to my client’s target audiences. While with art, I follow artistic rules and occasionally break them, if necessary, like a true vigilante because no rule is perfect, and why not. I found my artistic voice through transforming conventional materials and platforms, crafting pieces that challenge perceptions of their medium. My work is a playground of experimentation with painting techniques, each piece a reflection of my playful and bold personality.
Here’s a quick peep at my recent art series, “Constellation.” It’s an ongoing acrylic painting with 3D laser-cut plywood portraying my delving into the intersection of spirituality and art. Drawing from my diverse religious upbringing—rooted in Buddhism and nurtured in Catholic and Lutheran settings—I interpret the world through a complex lens. My art serves as a visual dialogue, utilizing the universal vocabulary of geometrical shapes and lines to convey profound concepts. The circle, a recurring element, symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and the divine energy that fuels existence, embodying wholeness and perfection. My vision for this series is to spark a joyful and thought-provoking dialogue with my audience, inviting them to reengage with their spiritual heritage in a way that’s as exhilarating and nostalgic as a day spent at an amusement park. Through my work, I aim to evoke the essence of cherished memories and to celebrate the continuous cycle of life and spirituality.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
Fortunately, those struggles in the past helped me develop a “ready-to-go” mindset that allows me to learn from failure wisely and be adaptable to different professional settings. As a designer, my immigration journey spurred me to embrace risks, explore various aesthetic expressions, prioritize innovation, and craft projects with resonance and purpose. On a personal level, I learned to cherish every experience, to apply the ‘affordable loss’ principle, and to approach life with resilience, diligence, and empathy. I’m grateful for those hardships and obstacles I faced during my learning journey, which now allow me to contribute and impart distinctive value to others in their educational and vocational pursuits. Your origin may not be of your choosing, but the journey’s end is solely in your hands. Fast forward, I received my O1B visa in 2021, mere days before my student visa’s expiration, culminating in a long-awaited reunion with my family in Orange County after four years apart.
Looking back, it astonishes me how far beyond mere survival in the creative world I’ve soared. My achievements, from participating in the Guinness Record Exhibition in Italy to serving as an Adobe Express Ambassador and authoring a children’s book on Amazon Kindle, have finally convinced my Asian parents I don’t have to switch careers to be some pharmacist and lawyer (yay). The journey hasn’t been without its share of sacrifices, yet they’ve laid the groundwork for MMAC Visual Art & Design studio to awaken from its pandemic slumber, more robust than ever. Here in 2024, I can’t claim to be the most gifted, wealthy, or acclaimed creative out there. The sting of rejection is a reminder of the growth yet to come. I remain grateful for these humbling experiences and hope that my story might inspire others, just as my mentor once inspired me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mylinhmac.com
- Instagram: millie_d_mac
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mylinh-mac/
Image Credits
My Linh Mac
