Art & Life with Sophia Chang

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Chang.

Sophia, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
“I’ll get a stable job and make enough money to pursue artfully” –that’s what I told myself when I was younger. I didn’t realize that I was serious until it happened. I was sitting in an office somewhere when I decided it was time to leave. So I left my life as a health professional and began pursuing concept design.

I took classes at Concept Design Academy and Brainstorm School, and it felt liberating. I swear, all my life I felt like I was some weird mutant with specific abilities I couldn’t understand nor control all my life, and then I came to a place where everyone else had the same powers, except they knew how to use them! And there were all these super powerful mutants that could show me how to harness my abilities for good instead of angst (obvious Xmen analogy)!!

And despite all the hardships I’ve encountered since I switched to art, somehow it still feels like it was the only right decision I could have made. I think the best way I can bring value to the world is by pursuing my truth as authentically as possible, and I find that art and design is the best way I can do that.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I have an abstract theory that I like to tell myself for fun: that ideas are living organisms, and they reproduce through humans. So when someone has an idea, it’s the “idea” as an organism contacting the person to be a host body for them to be born into the material world. How that idea is expressed depends on the person’s skill set. In this system, if a person proves to be a bad host body, the idea gradually starts looking for hosts that can successfully execute the job instead. If the person proves to be a good host, then the ideas become somewhat like repeat clients.

I feel like most of the things I am inspired by are like individual little clues that I collect. And at some point, I realize what these clues are leading to. There’s a specific click and an endorphin rush when a bunch of loose ideas all comes together in a system, like gears all working together in a clock.

But the system is never really something that is forced, it’s usually something that comes to me on its own. So the message behind my artwork differs a lot! Ultimately, I hope that I can communicate and connect with people who are as clear as possible, whatever the story.

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
At first, I wanted to say technology, but technological changes have always been a part of any industry. I think one of the challenges is figuring out exactly what you want to do and how to get there. I don’t mean like “I want an art job”, but like “What are my core values and how can I create a financially, emotionally, and physically sustainable plan to achieve a lifestyle that fulfills them, despite what anyone else thinks?” And then, having the perseverance to stick to it as well as the flexibility to adapt when things don’t work out exactly the way as planned.

When technological shifts happen, you can pick up the new tools with hard work. But pursuing exactly what kind of person and artist you want to seem like a very difficult task (maybe it’s easier for some). There’s so much information out there today, and it has its pros and cons. The con is that it’s easy to be influenced by the glamour of what someone else does or believes. There are so many ways that people use to measure their success and talent against each other and can be easy to get lost in the game of trends and accomplishments. I think the real challenge lies in being able to be authentic despite all the noise.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I am working as a concept designer/visual development artist in the animation industry. I do plan to sell some of my artwork and merchandise soon, so please stay tuned and support me with digital affirmation points in the meanwhile, if you like my work that is! 😀

Feel free to say hello!
www.philosophia-101.com
www.instagram.com/philosophia101
www.artstation.com/philosophia101

Contact Info:

• Website: www.philosophia-101.com
• Email: soph.cee@gmail.com
• Instagram: @philosophia101

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