Today we’d like to introduce you to Chase Yi.
Hi Chase, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Well, it depends on what direction you’d like to know about, but I came to LA in 2010 after I finished high school in MI. I moved here to be an actor, which is something I still do for work, but I’ve since received a degree in poetry from UCLA, I’ve launched several businesses relating to book publishing, photography and filmmaking, and I paint and sell art in my free time. It’s been a long road, but I’m excited about where I am and what lies ahead!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. When I started out, I had this idea of how my life was going to go. I thought I’d move to LA and get famous and see my face on billboards, but the universe had different things in store for me. I think my biggest struggle was losing my mom when I was 22. That really shook me up inside and helped me take stock of what I wanted to accomplish–what meaning I wanted to find in my life and to do things for the right reasons before it’s too late. I also had a knack for never finishing anything I started. Her death helped me realize that progress takes patience. It takes dedication and a real commitment to your goals. Before she died, she encouraged me to go to college, to make a choice and stick with it, and to be patient when the road gets bumpy. One of her favorite sayings to me was “Chase, save it for a rainy day.” And now in my thirties, it’s raining an awful lot in LA–I’m enjoying it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I always say that my life changed when I discovered a love for poetry. Poetry helped me find meaning in everything that I do. As I mentioned, I work primarily as an actor, but that profession comes in waves. For instance, I haven’t booked a significant job since May of 2022. That’s almost an entire year ago, so what choices do I have? Well, I have to lean into my other skills, which include taking photos, painting, freelance writing, filmmaking and writing poems and short stories, selling used cars, printing and framing my artwork and selling it at local flea markets in LA. I certainly live an artist’s lifestyle, and I’m lucky to be in a position where I can take care of myself and my family doing so. Right now, I’m most proud of my photography and fine art business FILM POETICS (filmpoetics.com). I’ve always had a love for photography, but within the past few years, I’ve taken some real risks to progress in the craft and share it with others around the world. I invested in commercial printers and equipment, and I self-produce all of my own fine art from the ideation of a shot to a finished print hanging in someone’s home.
I’m also proud of my career as a writer. I earned my degree in Poetry, but right away, I started working as a freelance writer for various startups and ad agencies around LA. Now, I have the freedom to pick and choose which clients I write for, and that freedom truly allows me to further my life as an artist. I just finished writing an in-depth Creator Economy guide for a global freelance marketplace service called Fiverr. Any opportunity to share insight with other aspiring creators is something I love to be a part of. I think what sets me apart from others is that I value my time. For me, if something doesn’t seem worth the amount of time it’s going to take from me, then I don’t do it. I’d rather spend it doing something that serves my purpose, and not let money be the factor that keeps me away from things I love to do.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I’m not sure I have a favorite memory, but what I do have are favorite glimpses of moments in my life that made a mark on me. Getting my hair cut by my mom in the bathroom of our tiny apartment. Shoveling the snow in my driveway back in MI late at night and looking up at all the cold stars watching over me. My dad throwing the football with me in the backyard in the fall when all the leaves were changing colors. Rollerblading with my best friend Josh in the parking lot of the local church. Reading The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran my freshmen year of high school and having that feeling of words changing my life.
Pricing:
- Framed prints range from $40 to $1000 depending on size and materials printed on
Contact Info:
- Website: www.filmpoetics.com
- Instagram: @chaseyi_
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaseyi
- Twitter: @chaseyi_
- Youtube: @chaseyi5783
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3524780/
Image Credits
CHASE YI | FILM POETICS
