We were lucky to catch up with Denise Duong recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Denise, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I recall when I was about 19, I started to sell work. I was passionate about creating and I was also passionate about living a wild and adventurous life! The key was to find a good balance and the vision.

When I decided to quit my job at the flower shop, around 21 years old, and to focus on my art work, that changed everything. Coming home after a long day of hauling around 5 gallon buckets of water was exhausting and I wasn’t put my heart into my work. Within that year of completely dedicating myself to the studio and getting my work out there, I was able to make a comfortable living.

I’m still learning, so I don’t think I could’ve sped up the process. If I was pursuing my art career now, i think it probably would’ve progressed a lot faster though. There’s more support out there for young artists and with social media and the internet, you have a broader audience and more opportunities.

Its a great time to be an artist!

Denise, 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’m a female Vietnamese American artist from Oklahoma City, OK that lives to create art that is personal, reflective, and always has a story behind it. I paint on canvas and walls inside and out. I transform spaces into an immersive environment and collaborate with my partner, Gabriel Friedman on sculpture concepts and design while he also beautifully brings these ideas into 3d form. I have a small gallery in the Paseo Art District, in Oklahoma City, where i mainly showcase local artists, along with my own work.

I’m proud of my creations, including my child. Putting heart into everything I do is what brings me to life and closer to all the life that is around me.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Since I could remember, I always wanted to be an artist. Along with the stereotypes of an artist, and the constant rejection from institutions and parts of the art world, all of that can weigh heavy on an artist trying to follow her dreams while living her life to its fullest. Once i broke through and living the best damn life i could ever have imagined, i was reminded of those people that try to take you down while you are up. My most recent incident of someone trying to sabotage me was by a group of male artists that didn’t like their own rejections. With that negativity, it reminded me that what i do is also for all my ladies out there. For my daughters. For everyone’s daughters.

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

I basically feel like I’m having a therapeutic moment after working on art. There’s a lot of heaviness in the world, and the best thing to do is process it all and not feel so heavy hearted and place it my artwork.

It also just warms my heart with love and affection when my work can have such personal meaning to someone else. It helps me appreciate my own work more when i get to hear how my work has affected someone.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.deniseduongart.com
• Instagram: @lildfromokc
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/deniseduongart
• Twitter: @deniseduong