Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessie Huang
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?
In my mind, there’s barely a story here yet. A story feels like something with a concrete beginning, middle, and end. Something that has arcs, ups/downs, and crazy journeys. Although I don’t have any crazy journeys or vast character arcs, I do like to think I have my fair share of ups and downs. I started drawing as a kid as most of us do; I just happened to be a little more into it than maybe expected. From there I started drawing very regularly and through gritted praises from teachers of my kindergarten scribbles I thought ‘I quite like doing this’. After a while, however, I found myself gravitating away from it going down a more stable STEM route due to a lot of outside opinions. A lot of trial and error later and slowly finding out what makes me happy and what doesn’t, I ended up on an illustration path chasing after those kindergarten scribbles again!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would definitely say it hasn’t been a smooth road but, comparatively, I wouldn’t say it was the bumpiest it could’ve been. My mom had always been supportive of whatever I wanted to do. The main bumps were internal struggles that came with taking a risky career and a skewed self-perception. Additionally, while my mom was supportive, growing up in a very traditional Asian setting, others’ words were harrowing. In their eyes, more ‘notable’ careers took importance and creative outlets were fickle hobbies. Taking all this in as a high schooler, with a half-developed mind, I was influenced to regard art as an implausible option. It wasn’t until I made a spontaneous change for myself, during college applications, that allowed myself to sooner or later become more exposed to other avenues. I had the opportunity to dip my hands into various mediums such as graphic design, game development, animation, illustration, etc. which helped me sort through a lot of internal struggles.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Well first, I create! In any sense, I hope I’m creating regardless of the medium. My work primarily focuses on ‘silly’! I love the word silly and describing items as silly. A majority of the illustrations I make lean much more towards child-like subject matters and appeal! Although I focus on more light-hearted themes, I find a great interest in artists taking complex themes and visually communicating them in a way that can be easily processed by many. This is a field I’d love to be able to tackle much more. Creating works that people can relate to, all while having fun in the creation process makes me the most proud. I want to create art that people can recognize as both a little silly and a little personal as well!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
In a career sense what matters most, while idealistic, is that I enjoy what I do. Having a family that has sacrificed so much for their children’s happiness, it’s become my goal to create happiness in every aspect of my life. While I understand that this isn’t the most realistic it does remain my underlying ambition in everything I venture into. In a personal sense, I suppose it is also enjoyment. Enjoyment from being with family and friends, enjoyment from that sparse conversation with the cashier, enjoyment from the food on my plate, enjoyment from creating. Enjoyment is what matters most for me because as tough as life gets, it’s incredibly important that I try to carve out moments that add and bring joy to my everyday life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cannedcrab.net/
- Instagram: cannedcrab_
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessiehuang-illustrator
