Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christine Wong. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Christine , appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
I do wish I had pursued this creative career sooner in my life, because the only reason I didn’t, was purely due to thinking that no one else would enjoy my Art and that it would all be a lost business endeavor. If I had immersed myself sooner into being a self-employed Illustrator, I believe that I would have had more time to experience the highs and pitfalls of being a small business creative in a more manageable timeframe, rather than everything coming at me all at once.
I officially launched my Art brand, “HEYPANDA DESIGNS”, in the beginning of 2021, going all-in (it felt like jumping off a cliff with one eye open and hoping the parachute didn’t malfunction on the way down), while still being a care taker for my mom, and trying to navigate life during a global pandemic. Drawing has always brought me joy and later on became my main source of a therapeutic outlet, as my mom’s health was ailing from the severe progression of Alzheimer’s. I would show my mom the playful and colorful illustrations I had created, which made her smile and laugh, even throughout the more difficult stages of the disease. Art connected us and was something I could continue to share with her, even if everything else stopped making sense. We sadly lost my mom in 2022, and though there was an outpouring of love and support from family and friends during this, Art is what truly helped (and still helps) me the most to cope through my grief.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Hi! I’m Christine Wong (she/her), lovingly known as “Panda” to most, and I am a Kawaii Illustrator in Denton, Texas! I’ve always had an interest and passion for the Arts and Music since I was a very small panda; I would draw all over the walls in my room and I would even fall asleep holding a sharpie marker more times than I can remember!
For most of my life I had been a traditional artist, mainly working with watercolor, acrylic paints, and pastel chalks. It wasn’t until after college that I decided to try my hand at digital art, which I actually gave up on many times because it was frustrating trying to apply already known techniques to a brand-new medium that was so foreign to me! As the saying goes, “practice makes progress,” and after a lot of patience and time, I absolutely fell in love with drawing digitally and have made it my main medium of choice. I have written and illustrated a few books for family and friends, and my ambition is to one day become a children’s illustrator!
“HEYPANDA DESIGNS” is my cute little online Art shop that pays homage to my childhood and to my Asian roots, by allowing me to share my silliness and whimsical nature with the world through my creations. My style of Art is very “Kawaii” (which if you are unfamiliar with the term, it is the culture of cuteness in Japan; relating to anything lovely, lovable, cute, or adorable). I love having Asian themes in my illustrations and being able to share more AAPI representation within different communities.
Growing up, I was embarrassed (even ashamed at times) of being Asian, especially when it came to bringing traditional Asian dishes to elementary school and being met with disgust for bringing “stinky”, “weird”, or “gross” (to them) food around my non-Asian peers. Though it took many years, I am now able to fully embrace my culture and am immensely proud to be an AAPI woman in this creative space – I am also thankful and excited that most of the world has come around to the acceptance, appreciation, and celebration of different cultures and cuisines. To honor my parents and our heritage, I find ways to highlight the Asian foods, snacks, celebrations (e.g., Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival), and cultural traditions in my art and in my brand. It is important that I share these familiar cultural themes in my art, with the intention of creating unified nostalgia for others Asians, so that we may all heal and feel more accepted and understood as we all find our place in the world.
The majority of my Artwork is happy, care-free, and a mix of kooky and cute! I love to draw food, animals, plants, and inanimate objects but with silly faces that evoke happiness to my designs. To date, my most popular piece is my ramen art print (which was also made into stickers and metal pins): it is an illustration of a big red ceramic bowl with a smiling face and bright pink blush marks, filled to the brim with a rich delicious broth, with thick yellow noodles weaving through a pair of dark wooden chopsticks, and nori (roasted seaweed), baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, ajitama (marinated soft-boiled eggs), and narutomaki (pressed fish cake), commingled together to bring you a satisfyingly savory dish! Also, I just really enjoy food so it’s fun to draw things like silly noodles, happy little pastries, or dragon fruit as an actual dragon! In my onlne shop, you can find cute art prints, punny greeting cards, notepads, pins, and more! I also do custom commissioned art prints, such as pet portraits, anniversary portraits, children’s themed illustrations — you name it and I will bring it to life, with a kawaii flair!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
To be quite frank, PLEASE STOP USING AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE) SOFTWARE IN PLACE OF HUMAN ARTISTS! AI software scours through the internet to steal the work of real artists and takes bits and pieces from different images (without regard to consent, recognition, or proper payment to artists), and vomits out a crude mishmash of whatever the user inputs into the parameters of “creating” a new image. AI does not create in the same way that humans create Art; AI “Art” creation is devoid of all emotion, depth, wonderment, and passion. AI software is just a regurgitation of what it thinks is human imagination, and does not truly capture an artist’s spark, which cannot be artificially replicated in any meaningful way. Not only is the use of AI in Art a detriment to human artists, it has grave impacts on the environment as the energy used to power AI technology creates a large carbon footprint. The continuous use of AI affects matters such as greenhouse gas emissions and also generates electronic waste (hazardous materials) , which can contaminate our water and soil systems. If you are looking for an easier way to best support other artists and creatives, look into your own community by shopping from local artisans at small market events, attending local music venues, and showing your support at other community events in your town!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The fact that I am able to create Art that brings a sliver of whimsy and joy to others in this world, is pretty much the most rewarding aspect for me as an Illustrator and a chronic sad girl! PS: Let’s destigmatize mental health and instead prioritize mental wellness and knowing that it really is “okay, to not always be okay”!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heypandadesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heypandadesigns/
- Other: https://heypandadesigns.myportfolio.com/illustrations
