Life & Work with Crystal Truong

Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Truong.

Hi Crystal, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up on a healthy diet of animated Disney movies which played a huge role in my interest for art and films. For as long as I can remember, I was always doing something creative. From playing with Legos to drawing my favorite anime characters, I loved being able to create my own mini worlds out of thin air. I vividly recall watching Hayao Miyazaki’s *Howl’s Moving Castle* for the first time and being in such awe of the beautiful and fantastical world that I’ve been chasing that sense of wonder ever since. In high school, I took a film class to shoot and edit short films and also learned about stage production. I found it incredibly rewarding being a part of making something come to life, even if I was just behind the camera or pushing set pieces on stage. When I found out about the world of concept art for films and games, I was thrilled to find a way to combine my love for art and film.

I was hesitant to pursue the arts because all of my friends were going to normal colleges getting normal degrees. I felt the pressure to conform and to go down the traditional, stable path so my parents wouldn’t have to worry about my future. Both of my parents escaped Vietnam to come to America when they were young so they were always working to survive. My mom told me that she didn’t get a chance to find and pursue her passion and that she and my dad would support me in whatever I wanted to do. I will forever be grateful for their support because I took that to heart and ran with it. Now I’m attending my dream school, Art Center College of Design, and I’m so honored to be learning from so many talented and hardworking students and faculty. Being surrounded by others with similar passions and goals reminds me that I’m in the right place and I definitely don’t take it for granted.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The journey so far definitely had some rough patches.

I’ve had plenty of moments of self-doubt and imposter syndrome, even debating whether I should just get a “normal” job. However, I would always come back to the realization that I can’t see myself doing anything else but art. I would be letting myself and my parents down if I didn’t take this opportunity and give it my all. A big struggle is learning how to separate myself as an artist from myself as a person. I think social media plays a huge part in that so I’ve been a lot more mindful of the time I spend on it. I constantly remind myself that everyone has their own unique path. There’s no harm in taking a detour or walking a little slower, we’ll all get to our destination in due time as long as we just keep moving forward.

During the pandemic, I struggled to find a good work-life balance with classes being online and not being able to see friends or family, it started to take a toll on me mentally and physically. Everyone that says exercise, a healthy diet, and sleep are crucial to being a well-functioning human being are totally right. I learned to really embrace life outside of art for once because you really can’t create if you don’t treat your mind and body well, and it doesn’t hurt to go outside of your comfort zone and try out a new hobby or go somewhere new. After all, art imitates life so what art is there to create if there was no life lived?

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a concept artist who specializes in visual development, illustration, and environment art for entertainment media such as films and games. I enjoy experimenting with styles and finding ways to convey a story from different perspectives. I’m most proud of how far I’ve come. At first, I wanted to specialize in characters but after getting to try all aspects of design, I enjoy doing a little bit of everything but especially anything that involves storytelling. I’m always trying to learn something new and play with different mediums like gouache paint or ink. I like to keep an open mind to the world around me where there’s a plethora of inspiration to draw from, pun intended. I believe it’s important to stay curious because every small thing you learn will feed into the next piece or idea and make it that much more unique.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I was rejected by CSSSA’s summer animation program for high schoolers which was a bummer at the time but in the end, I’m glad that happened as I realized that I didn’t actually enjoy animating as much as I do designing and painting and I wouldn’t be where I am today!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://crystal.artstation.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystaltart/

Image Credits:
Crystal Truong