We were lucky to catch up with Ada Cheng recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ada, thanks for joining us today. Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.

The most innovative thing I have done for my career is to learn how to evolve as a human beyond the narrow definition of a career.

What if you spent your whole life climbing a ladder and realized later on that it was the wrong ladder?

I was an immigrant, traveling half way around the world with two suitcases from Asia to the United States in 1991, in pursuit of the so-called American dream.

I was an academic, spending most of my adult life in the United States getting my Ph.D., researching, publishing, teaching, and getting tenured. By the time I got tenured in 2006, I already knew that the dream was no longer the dream.

What do you do with a career that no longer serves you but provides you with a lifetime of prestige, respect, comfort, a middle-class life style, a monthly salary, and health benefits?

I eventually left my tenured position, a life of promised comfort and stability, to pursue art, storytelling, and performance in 2016, after fifteen years in academia. It was one of the best decisions I had ever made in my life.

I have been fortunate enough to carve out an artistic space of my own. This departure has taught me the following:

It’s in the departure, both leaving my homeland and the academia, that I found my way home.
Quitting isn’t always bad; sometimes it’s necessary for our evolution and for cultivating our character.

Define “success” on your own terms.
Make sure you are pursuing your dream, not others’.

Always think in terms of impact, rather than accomplishments.
Impact helps ground you in strategies and directions.

Giving up has allowed me to turn inward for validation.
I have faith in myself, regardless of external positions, titles, awards, and rewards.

Working within institutions gives you comfort, stability and recognition; working outside gives you freedom.
It’s a trade-off; the decision is yours.

Building requires a different kind of energy; the energy that sustains, enriches, and nurtures.
Rage propels you; love and care sustain you.
Always do things in the name of love.

Change is constant and perpetual.
You change with life, or life changes you.

Be brave enough to let go when you outgrow your dream.
Be courageous enough to jump off the cliff when the time is right.
You may fly high rather than crash.

As long as you persist, anything is possible.
The end is never the end until your last breath.

Build a life that’s meaningful, not just a career that’s prosperous.

Innovation is about shifts in perspectives.
Think innovatively, and it will lead to something positive and impactful.

The product is not something you create; the product is you.
Your product is only as good as how willing you are to evolve as a human.

Ada, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Brand is in the doing, not in the talking.

Brand is not about the product; it’s about you.

I am an artist and a scholar, so I write, perform, speak, and teach to raise awareness about structural inequities. I use storytelling to engage in productive dialogues with people beyond my circles. I spread my messages via different genres/forms of communication/languages across spaces and universe so to speak.

I am also a producer, creating storytelling platforms for people I don’t normally see in the art scene to tell difficult and vulnerable stories. I utilize storytelling to build intimate communities. I work with community members, particularly people who may not be leaders, performers, and storytellers, to share their stories in public.

It is in the second aspect of my work that I am mostly known for and proud of.

I always ask myself:
How can my art be of service to the world?
How can I be of service to others?
What’s the impact I want to make?

When I perform my own materials, I shine.
When I produce events and showcase others, others shine.

The sky is immense so I want to add stars along with me whenever I can.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Follow your own path and create your own journey.

Every group has its own group think, even the most creative and radical one.

Group think gives you a sense of community but also serves as a constraint.

Go beyond the framework of competition; create your own framework and rulebook of thriving in abundance.

The best space to create is the space in between.

Be so damn good that people can’t ignore you.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I don’t just give space to people who know how to tell stories well.

I give space to people who often have little access to platforms to tell stories.

I help people discover the artist in them.

I assist people to trust the voice that’s already in them and to share their truths in public.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.renegadeadacheng.com
• Instagram: @sjadacheng
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ada-cheng-ph-d-622b4216/
• Youtube: Renegade Ada Cheng

Image Credits
The one with the profile: Brian McConkey The one facing the camera: Ryan Pagelow