We were lucky to catch up with Connie Chau recently and have shared our conversation below.

Connie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Growing up as an art kid, I struggled to answer the question of how I learned my craft. I taught myself drawing and received instruction from teachers. Looking back, I realize that I spent nearly five years in my comfort zone. It wasn’t until I was 13 that I started to focus on developing my technical skills. However, I did start attending drawing classes at the age of 8. Before age 13, I primarily attended kids classes, which were focused on cultivating an interest in drawing. The teen and adult classes focused more on skill development. The kids there usually created their own artwork for fun, with the teachers providing assistance as needed. I spent approximately five years in there. Those who attended long enough often chose to elevate to the teen and adult class for more skill development. I witnessed many of my classmates get ‘promoted’, while I remained at the same level.
For a long time, I only enjoyed making art for personal interest and refused to learn something new. Drawing was my only passion, but I never considered becoming a better and skilful artist since few understood what it meant to be an artist. I didn’t know what to do and was afraid to leave my comfort zone until I saw more and more classmates moving forward while I remained stagnant. I panicked and hated feeling left behind. Suddenly, I realized that I needed to make some changes in my life. I had to figure out what I wanted, but I couldn’t make up my mind. I was terrified to step into the traditional drawing field, as I feared the joy of creativity would be taken away in an instant and never be retrieved. I hesitated time and time again, wasting valuable time in the process. I could have started my foundation class earlier, allowing me more time to explore other drawing media or techniques. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what I wanted or what kind of person I wanted to become, let alone the kind of life I wanted to lead. Had I known that I wanted to become a professional artist, I would have started diving into skills learning as soon as possible. I would have searched for more effective ways to practice and learn more about the creative field. The voice of my teacher asking me if I wanted to move on to traditional drawing still echoes in my mind, reminding me of how naïve and insecure I was.
Though I knowingly decided to pursue fundamental skills, the road ahead was rocky and required a lot of patience and perseverance to get through. Starting a new behavior is not the toughest part; keeping it up as a habit is. I lost count of how many times I yawned and almost fell asleep during class. The class session were only an hour and a half, but it was often a challenge to maintain my attention since it could become pretty boring. We had class only once a week, and it took two months to finish a single pencil drawing. Moreover, school could get busy and tiring, making it difficult to motivate myself to attend class, and I often skipped sessions. I felt guilty, not only towards my parents who paid the tuition, but also towards my teachers and myself. At that point, I started to doubt my love of drawing and my direction throughout these years. I questioned my own capability, asking myself, ‘Do I really enjoy doing this? Am I capable? Why could others keep going no matter what, but I couldn’t?’ The voices of doubt emerged and trapped in my mind. At one point, I felt like giving up for living an easier life, but I realized that all those years of hard work would be gone in a flash. It was challenging to imagine my life without drawing, and I wasn’t sure if I could find another interest that I love as much as drawing. Since I saw how miserable my life would be without it, I gritted my teeth and tightened my fists, deciding to persevere. I told myself that there would be challenges that are much tougher than this, and if I couldn’t make it here, I could never face anything more difficult. After I went to college, my schedule was even tighter, and I had a part-time job five days a week, so sadly, I had to skip a couple of classes. However, I kept drawing and continued to learn amazing knowledge and skills that benefited my journey of becoming an artist. Until my teachers announced the closure of Moon’s Gallery due to the pandemic, the place of my beginning is gone, but it was just a checkpoint in my life, not the end. Looking back at all those years of struggle and emotions, I had no regrets, because these experiences allowed me to figure out my true desire and set goals for myself before it was too late.

Connie, 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?

I am a freelance illustrator available for book, editorial, and advertising illustration services, as well as any kind of personal commission, like portrait paintings. I solve visual problems with creative ideas, and given that my art style is rendered, rich in colour, and full of detail, I am capable of coming up with unexpected ideas and intriguing artistic solutions. Besides being an illustrator, I refer to myself as a storyteller. I enjoy telling stories through single or sequential drawings that allow my viewers to immerse themselves and travel through my artwork. Due to my shortage of verbal expression, my drawings have become my greatest tool for communication. I love stories and enjoy creating art for those who admire it and would like to utilize it.

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

I believe in the power of visuals. I still remember the illustrations in certain books that I used to obsess over when I was very young, and even as I grew up, they remained ingrained in my mind. One time when I found them on the internet, I almost burst into tears, as if reuniting with an old friend after 50 years. Maybe I won’t be remembered like Vincent Van Gogh or Keith Haring, but I hope to become somebody’s role model or inspiration to become an artist. I know not everyone has the same artistic preferences, but I am working my best to deliver strong images that tell stories and empathize with my viewers. That is one of the reasons why I offer book illustrations as one of my services, as it is a good channel to spread my illustrations.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Illustration is often considered a commercial art form and is generally less personal compared to fine art. While I don’t dislike its commercial attributes, as a sentimental person, I prefer creating art that expresses feelings or emotions. For me, the most rewarding aspect of illustration is the appreciation received from viewers. I recall an instance at an illustration expo where a girl commissioned a life drawing from me for her birthday. Initially, I had considered the drawing to be just a small gift. However, when I completed it, she was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful she looked on paper. She left the event with the drawing, feeling very happy. A while later, one of her friends returned with an emotional message. The girl who received the drawing had cried upon seeing it. Her friends had always told her how pretty she was, but she lacked confidence and often disregarded those compliments. This was an incredibly emotional moment for me, and I felt as though I had been given a sense of purpose. It was an experience unlike any other, and it is my aspiration and ultimate goal to continue creating art that connects with people on a deeper level.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.conniechau.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conniechiwaaart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connie-chau-842663237/
• Other: ArtStation: https://conniechau0105.artstation.com/

Image Credits
Fig 1: Connie Chau, “Einstein’s Dream: 14 May 1905″, 2023, digital drawing, 9×12” Fig 2: Connie Chau, “Story Twister: Little Red Riding Hood”, 2023, digital drawing, 17×11″ Fig 3: Connie Chau, “The Old Man and The Sea”, 2023, gouache on watercolour paper, 8.5×11″ Fig 4: Connie Chau, “Cheung Chau Bun Festival Campaign”, 2023, digital drawing, 19.6 x 9.4″ Fig 5: Connie Chau, “Pounce Cat Cafe Adoption Service Promotion”, 2023, digital drawing, 12×12″ Fig 6: SCAD Illustration Expo 2023