We were lucky to catch up with Chuan Ching Ho recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chuan Ching, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Probably in my third year of working in the industry, I began to have this thought and tried to develop and expand it seriously.
It’s all about the feedback I received, and the way I work with clients, agents, and employers has gradually changed.

As I mentioned earlier, I switched my career path from history researcher to motion graphics. You can get an idea of my passion and determination for motion graphics from the fact that I got myself into the SVA Computer Arts program.

But we all knew it was just the start of getting myself into the discipline, and the bigger challenge was whether I would be able to fit into the industry. Would I even survive in the industry?

Since I stepped into the motion graphics field out of pure passion and desire, could this passion help me find a job and make a living? Luckily, I was able to find freelance gigs right after graduation. I learned everything I could while on-site and at the studio because I knew I was just out of school and had a lot to learn.

I was super nervous and had so many concerns, just afraid that I would fail to deliver my assignments. Despite the huge anxiety, I still found myself having fun and enjoying the production process.

After a few freelance jobs and assignments projects, I started to get booking from the same clients, agents and employers whom I have already worked with. Some of them even told me they like what I developed in their projects previously, so they would love to have me work on their projects again or even in the long run.

Also whenever we execute projects, there are always creative briefs from clients or directions from the director or anyone in charge of the project production. This serves as a guide we need to follow and take into consideration to accomplish the assignments.

Afterward, when I worked on a project that came from the clients I had worked with, the brief and the directions I received somehow shifted from the official documents/notes to “You can do whatever you want, go explore and stick to the assigned color scheme, we trust you!”

I was really surprised and skeptical when I first heard this note, but then I started to receive similar directions/guides from different clients and employers. I felt uncertain while working on the projects, but I still did my best to execute the projects in a way that I thought was the best to present the concepts of the project.

Then I was given great feedback like “Wow, I never thought it would come out like this, I knew you could do it!” It made me realize that my clients and employers had a high level of trust in my creative abilities.

So when did I find myself wanting to pursue a creative career professionally?

It’s a gradual thing, with me earning some work experience and getting positive feedback from experienced professionals in the industry. It really boosted my confidence and made me want to learn more, explore more, and grow myself toward a professional. Though I am not sure how I will go, what exact path I want to take, or what it will be, there is one thing for sure: I have a great passion for motion graphics! I know I still need to learn lots of things, and I might be a little behind, but I will make progress little by little. I know this is the path I want to pursue and craft!

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?

I am Chuan Ching Ho, but you can call me CC. I am a Motion Designer based in New York City, originally from Taiwan.
I see motion design as a form of visual storytelling. I animate still graphics and create a sequence that builds upon these animated graphics, all designed to express an idea or concept through the sequences.

I have created artworks that serve multiple purposes, including commercial branding promotion, art pieces for artists’ personal projects, titles and ending sequences for independent media films and documentaries, and short animations for app developers.

These artworks are displayed on all major social media platforms, public screens/monitors, fine art installations, building/space mapping, AR events, apps, and videos/films.

As you can see, motion design can be applied and presented in many ways, and there are multiple ways to watch and enjoy it!

So far, I have had the honor of working on various client projects, including Frank Caruso, Paul McCartney, Jenny Holzer, Microsoft, Samsung, Dell, Cartier, Adidas, Virgil Abloh, Marriott, Fontainebleau, Maybelline, NYX Cosmetics, The Telly Awards, and more.

I graduated from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City with a Master of Fine Arts in Computer Arts in 2018.

Before I learned the term “infographic” while pursuing my history research path in Tokyo, Japan, I had never considered a career in the creative arts. (What a big turn, right? LOL)

I have always loved reading stories since I was a child, and my mother played a major role in fostering this interest. She introduced me to Taiwanese classic plays, Chinese and Western classic literature, Japanese manga, Hong Kong movies, and Disney and Hayao Miyazaki animations during my childhood. As a child, I was fascinated and engrossed by the worlds that the creators built and spent most of my time immersed in these amazing dimensions.

Thanks to my mom’s “rich-multiculturally-raise-education”, I have always enjoyed anything related to languages and cultures because they can help me read and learn more stories, universes, and creations! So I chose languages and cultures as my undergraduate major, and this path should have led me to pursue history studies. Ideally, if I could be a history researcher, it would mean I could read as many stories as I want, or even endless stories! Haha.

But then I learned the term “infographic” and it struck me.

I came to the realization that graphics can tell a story and express an idea on their own, instead of just serving as an auxiliary to text.

This realization had a significant impact on me, especially since my research topic focused on world navigation maps during the 17th and 18th centuries. In the general academic study I was reading, I had to interpret the maps in the text after studying the maps (graphics). To be honest, this approach killed the fun of learning about the maps. It probably also made the audience less curious about the backstory of the maps, and felt a bit contradictory to me. After all, if you want to understand the graphics, the only way is to read a lot of text to get to know the graphics…? Come on! There must be better ways! This thought got me thinking, “Why not let graphics be graphics? It could be more fun if the graphics were animated!”

With this in mind, I explored and delved deeper into “infographics,” which led me to Motion Graphics.

Then, I decided to steer my career path toward Motion Graphics. I learned all related software and knowledge from scratch and tried to build up my portfolio. Later, I was fortunate enough to get admission to SVA!

And voilà, this is how I got into Motion Graphics!

I am not sure if it’s the reason, but I do think my multicultural background helps me a lot when I create my crafts.

After I got into this discipline and started creating my work continually, I found that my work is not constrained by any specific style, ideology, or medium. Probably, my multicultural background influences and supports my diverse aesthetic. It somehow transforms into my inspiration and is born deeply in my mind, but it also drives me to explore and experiment more at the same time.

This really becomes my backbone material when executing various clients’ projects from different industries. Because it’s very crucial to get to know and craft the motion graphics with the proper style and motion that could deliver the project’s concept the best.

Though I just stepped into art and design not quite long ago, I appreciate every client, artist, agent, and employer with whom I have worked. I would love to earn their trust and have the chance to work on their projects, which involve extensive fields.

The distinct industry projects offered me the opportunity to learn and investigate any possibilities to accomplish the projects. I also feel very grateful for some of the freelance work. The clients would like to grow the long-term partnership with me, and even they referred me to other agents, studios, and clients. I take it as a pretty positive compliment for what I crafted for them.

Aside from commission works, I am really fascinated and attracted by the colors, rhythm of the clip of audio/ music and the vocabulary. So I always take them as my inspirations in my personal works. Though the result is completely different and hard to find the connection to the original inspirations, I really like this kind of mind map and workflow, which give me more playground to experiment! haha

For the next, I want to challenge myself to identify myself as an artist, and I will spend more time on my personal projects, and hope I can share my new updates soon! Though everything is under preparation and most of it is uncertain, I am really excited about it!!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I believe it’s all for my better craft, and I want to keep myself always making progress!
It’s simply because of my great passion and love for motion design!! After several years of experience, I find that I really enjoy working on it!

I would love to take the time to experience, read, see, and watch anything that could be an inspiration or serve as my creative nutrition. Or per se, broaden my imagination horizon. haha.

It’s true that aesthetics play a significant role in the creative industry. It’s the visual appeal that catches people’s attention and draws them in. However, it’s not just about having a pretty portfolio or making things look good. It’s about understanding the client’s needs, interpreting their vision, and delivering a final product that not only looks great but also effectively communicates their message.

As a motion designer, I strive to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality. I want my work to not only look visually appealing but also serve its intended purpose. I believe that good design should be able to convey a message, evoke emotions, and tell stories.

That is while aesthetics may get your foot in the door, it’s your skills, experience, and ability to deliver quality work that will keep you there. It’s important to continue learning, growing, and refining your craft to stay relevant in the ever-changing creative industry.

For technical wise like software and skill learning, I understand that it takes time, and the process is not easy. However, it’s still necessary to do it. Even though I am making slow progress, I still enjoy the learning process. Since I know it’s worth doing, and it will pay off in the future, I will benefit from this steady progress. Ultimately, it’s all about my better crafts!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As an artist or creative person, it is incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to turn your ideas into something tangible that others can connect with. It also allows me to earn a living doing something enjoyable!
Since the ability to be creative is what led to my hiring, I can put the most focus on developing ideas that can help clients/ projects grow and succeed. I believe that this approach will not only benefit the projects but also enhance my skills and broaden my knowledge in the field, further expanding my expertise!

Being an artist or creative also offers the chance to work with other talented individuals from various backgrounds. Collaborating with others brings new perspectives and ideas to the table, which can help to push my work to new levels!

Also working on projects with others allows for the opportunity to learn and grow as a professional. Whether it’s learning new techniques, or software, or simply gaining insight into different creative processes, there is always something to be gained from working with talented people!

It really excites me to be able to work in this environment! Besides, I firmly believe that there is always something new and exciting to explore in the world of art and creativity!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chuanchingho.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cching_hooo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuan-ching-ho-660922140/
• Other: https://www.behance.net/cchooo You can find my very first work, an animated map, the Taiwan Fruits History series here!

Image Credits
Chuan Ching Ho