Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alina Chau. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I used to work full-time as an animator in the animation industry alongside many talented professionals. The job paid well; it was the career I had always hoped for as a film student. However, after several years passed, I began to feel like I was losing my artistic voice and vision. Although I enjoyed working on popular commercial titles, I missed the pure joy of creating art for myself. It was like a child’s joy when picking up a crayon and drawing without any pressure to be perfect or judged. Creating art at work became more of a chore, a responsibility, and a job. Even though I made art daily, I stopped growing as an artist.

One of my friends suggested I start drawing for fun. They encouraged me to share my work online and connect with larger art communities. Above all, it created an outlet for self-expression without judgment or pressure to meet work quotas. Initially, it was challenging to rediscover my voice. My drawings could have been better, but I found joy in creating art freely. I allowed myself to make mistakes and play around with different techniques. It felt refreshing and liberating. Gradually, my hobby gained attention online, and I started selling my art in galleries. Eventually, my side gig became so busy that I couldn’t balance it with my day job. I took a huge risk and quit my job to pursue a new career as an independent artist.

Deciding to quit my job was terrifying. I knew it would mean giving up a stable income and health insurance, and as an independent artist, I had very little knowledge about creating a sustainable income. In the first few years, I faced more failures than successes; for some years, my income was negative. Any year that broke even was considered a success. Despite the difficult times, this experience taught me valuable skills for handling unexpected changes and challenges in life.

Above all, I have figured out my identity as an artist, the type of creative art that connects with me, and what aspect of art brings me happiness. I have found my calling in publishing children’s books. By telling stories, I can express my experiences, opinions, and concepts and gain insight into diverse viewpoints. Every book project takes me beyond my comfort zone and reveals aspects of myself that I never knew existed. I wouldn’t have discovered this part of myself had I not taken the “risk” and taken the path to be an independent artist.

Starting on a new page or canvas can be daunting for an artist or writer. There’s no assurance of how the result will be perceived. It could be a success or a complete failure. However, the mere act of embarking on the unknown is a step forward towards progress and getting closer to achieving a goal. If we never take that one risky step forward, we will remain stagnant and never realize our full potential. To achieve a goal, taking risks is a necessary step.

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?

As an author and illustrator, I have gained experience working in the animation and gaming industries for over a decade. I am proud to have contributed to some of the best-selling games and the Emmy Award-winning Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series.

My unique cultural heritage heavily influences my artistic and storytelling voice. Growing up in Hong Kong with an Indonesian-Chinese family during the British colonial era allowed me to fuse diverse cultures in my creative vision. I enjoy creating stories inspired by the natural world, transforming childhood daydreams into immersive environments with distinct flora and fauna.

My debut graphic novel, Marshmallow and Jordan, received the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Award. It was selected for the Read Across America 2022 and the Texas Library Association’s 2023 Maverick and Little Maverick Reading Lists. She also illustrated numerous acclaimed children’s picture books, such as The Rise (And Falls) of Jackie Chan, Lunar New Year, The Nian Monster, which received the 2018 APALA Picture Book Honor. I also developed In the Spirit Of a Dream, a collaborative project I illustrated.

I am excited to announce that I will release two children’s picture books this year: Love Like Chocolate and One Perfect Plan: The Bible’s Big Stories in Tiny Poems. Additionally, I am currently in the process of working on my second graphic novel.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

One of the common misconceptions is that many people believe that individuals who pursue artistic careers are simply talented and enjoy creating. Thus, their work is not a legitimate job and does not deserve fair compensation. However, this is far from the truth. Like any other profession, being talented and passionate is an advantage, but it takes extensive training, diligent studying, and countless hours of dedication to achieve a professional level. The seemingly effortless brush stroke in a painting or the spontaneous pen stroke in writing is the result of years of practice and countless hours of experimentation. Creative professionals put in tremendous effort to perfect their craft and deserve to be respected and fairly compensated for their hard work.

Unfortunately, most people only recognize a handful of famous creatives and fail to appreciate the hard work of professionals who brighten their daily lives. The creative minds behind the design of everyday items like beloved coffee mugs, books, toys, and pieces of furniture often go unnoticed and unappreciated. These small touches bring happiness to our lives, but the creative minds behind them tend to be undervalued and compensated.

This issue is prevalent in the creative industries and collaborations of all sizes. Despite the long hours and hard work put in by many creative individuals, they may not always receive fair compensation and recognition for their contributions.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society needs to recognize and fairly compensate creative professionals for their work. We should create an environment that values the vision and copyright of the creators. Creators deserve to be paid fairly for their time, expertise, and resources. Anyone who wants to use a creative work found in public spaces should seek permission from the creator and pay accordingly. As AI technologies continue to advance, it becomes even more essential to establish legal boundaries when tech companies use a creator’s artistic style to develop their AI learning libraries. Creators should be compensated and acknowledged for their contributions to the development process. Our legal system should support creators and establish laws to protect their intellectual property rights.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alinachau.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alinachau/

Image Credits
Photography credit – A Pocket Of Time