Life & Work with Scarlett Ssu-Chia Chen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scarlett Ssu-Chia Chen.

Scarlett, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m a motion designer who enjoys turning the food I love into animations. I’m from Taiwan, a small but beautiful island with an abundance of delicious food. I headed to New York to pursue a master’s degree in MFA Computer Arts at the School of Visual Arts. Upon completing my studies, I relocated to Los Angeles.

Before my artistic journey in the US, I pursued a major in Economics during my undergraduate studies. Around my junior year, I began questioning myself if economics was truly my calling, struggling with uncertainty about my future. It was during this time that a senior designer offered invaluable advice, encouraging me to reflect on the question:”’What can I envision myself doing from morning till night every day in the future?” This insight was a turning point. I have always held a deep interest in arts and design. But in the past, I lacked confidence in my artistic abilities. However, when envisioning a future where I’d be engaged in something from morning till night, I discovered my desire to be involved in creative industries.

So, I embarked on a journey to explore various aspects of creative fields. When I got into motion design, I felt a profound excitement and joy that I hadn’t experienced before. As an introverted individual, I had always struggled with expressing myself. However, through motion graphics, I discovered a powerful medium to convey my thoughts and feelings to others and foster connections. This inspiration led me to transition from economics to motion design with a clear goal in mind: to become a motion designer and collaborate with diverse, talented artists to create work that could touch people’s hearts.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth journey. The most painful struggle was realizing my own limitations. I often compared my work to that of my peers, leading to feelings of being behind and self-doubt. When I couldn’t create the work that was pictured in my mind, I felt frustrated and helpless. Transitioning from economics to art and design also meant I lacked many years of foundational training, so I had to push myself to self-study even harder.

Although I’ve encountered many obstacles along my artistic journey, I am deeply grateful for the experiences and the people who have accompanied me along the way. They have provided unwavering support during challenging times, shaping me into a more compassionate and resilient individual. I am equally appreciative of my background in Economics, which emphasizes rationality. I used to be an extremely emotional person before, but the integration of rationality from my Economics background has provided me with a balanced perspective. This fusion of emotion and reason has granted me unique insights and enabled me to approach my creative work and life with greater maturity.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
About my work, I specialize in creating vibrant animations using 2D and 3D motion graphics with saturated colors, lively characters, and dynamic movements. I enjoy anthropomorphizing inanimate objects, giving them unique personalities. I like to take the viewers down an emotional, wild, but surprisingly smooth ride through my fantastical animation, which is full of energy and happiness but also with a touch of trippiness. Moreover, with a background in Economics of decision-making, I design with sensitivity to audience needs and effectively solve their problems.

One of my representative works is my thesis film “Overthinking Tea,” a project I directed, designed, and animated entirely on my own. This animated short tells the story of a girl struggling with overthinking, drawing from my own experiences. Through this project, I want to turn my negative experience of overthinking into a blessing and let those who have similar experiences know they are not alone.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Food makes me happy because it energizes me. Being with my loved ones makes me happy because I can be myself. Doing motion design makes me happy because it allows me to express what I want to convey in my own way, and the moment when I make an improvement after putting in a lot of effort truly delights me. What’s more, knowing that my work brings energy and happiness to people fills me with the greatest joy. Therefore, I hope that I can keep creating an immersive and imaginative world for viewers to join me on the adventure, and bring happiness and vitality to people through my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://scarlettchen.art/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarlettchen_art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarlettchenart/

Image Credits
Scarlett Chen