We recently connected with Tenzin Tsering and have shared our conversation below.
Tenzin, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I think I knew I first wanted to pursue a creative/artist path professionally since I was very young. Both my grand parents on my mother’s side are artists themselves, and when I was over at their home, I used to watch them paint. So, needless to say, I had a pencil in my hand at a young age.
But to be more specific, I was always a more introverted child growing up, and spent a lot of time with books. Reading books, comics, graphic novels and just stories in general allowed me to come with ideas and get inspired by what people around the world were sharing. I wanted to be someone who could create worlds and characters and stories just like that, and for me, the visual arts went hand in hand with that goal.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Sure! My name is Tenzin Tsering, I’m a Tibetan-Filipino Illustrator based in Toronto, Canada. With a passion for digital art and a keen eye for design, I enjoy creating comics, characters and working with lots of colour which is greatly reflected in my work. My creative expertise lies in creating visually captivating and whimsical illustrations that combine some educational and highly researched elements to effectively communicate and engage with my audience.
Graduating from OCAD University, I honed her skills and acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Illustration, where I developed an interest in exploring themes of cultural identity, environmental activism, and storytelling skills. Along with an understanding of design principles, colour theory, and composition, of course. I started to take a look at who my art could speak to, and a lot of it has to do with the connection between my Tibetan and Filipino roots. A lot of my work caters towards an audience who want to follow my creative personal pursuits and I get a lot of support from the Toronto TIbetan community and for that I am grateful.
Professionally, I create editorial illustrations for books, posters, magazines and my client list includes The Globe and Mail / The Walrus / Canadian Wildlife / Cottage Life / Rubin Museum of Art (Spiral Magazine) / Kids Can Press / Canada Playwright Press / Thought Cafe / YWCA, all of which I am so thankful to have worked with and I hope to continue to grow this list in the future. I have also created an arts collective with my friends over at Fuelled by Coffee Collective, where we hope to do more murals this upcoming year.
Beyond my professional pursuits, I actively participates in the creative community by tabling at events, attending workshops, and creating artwork for the Tibetan Cultural Community Center. I also enjoy yoga, bonfires, and petting dogs!
How did you build your audience on social media?
My audience is still growing, but I think it comes down to posting consistently and having no shame. There is nothing wrong with showing your work, and you have to be your biggest cheerleader (at least in the beginning)! Create what you love and the rest with follow.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
That not everything has to be perfect. And that I can rest and pick up the pace when I need to! Throughout school and coming from a home where grades were everything, now in my adult life I want to learn to go at my own pace and breathe just a bit. I also feel as though the world is becoming more fast paced, but all I want to do is slow down, because I may not have the energy to keep up my creative pursuits anymore!
To combat this, I have learned to do the things that make me happy, to invest time and energy into my self care and hobbies while still working hard and having fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tenzoni.com
- Instagram: @tenzoni
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tenzin-tsering-36b50315a/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV8FvG5CwCeaIWmwm0XrSEQ
Image Credits
Photo by Jenny Hu