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

Alright, Elaine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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’ve been self-employed for a few years now, and transitioning from a full-time job to gig-based work has certainly been challenging. I recall that during my first year after leaving my full-time position as a reporter, I experienced recurring dreams about going back to my old job. The uncertainty definitely triggered an anxiety I hadn’t previously recognized in myself.

One of the toughest aspects of being self-employed is the need to negotiate your rate with each new gig. Often, there’s no clear benchmark like Glassdoor to guide what you should charge, making each negotiation a tricky endeavor. I recently discovered that a male colleague of mine, who has similar or perhaps even fewer credentials, likely commands a rate nearly five times higher than mine. This realization has once again highlighted the significant disparities that still exist and the need for women to assert their worth more confidently. While it seems easier for men to be confident about their self-worth, it’s often more challenging for women. Moving forward, I hope I can value my contributions more assertively and ask for the compensation I deserve.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a Hong Kong-born American writer, director, and producer who earned her MFA in Film Production at the University of Southern California. My films, Where Dreams Rest, and the web series Three Chen Sisters have been officially selected at over 30 film festivals worldwide, including the Sundance Film Festival: Hong Kong. These projects have earned me a sound fellowship with Dolby Atmos and have been showcased on platforms such as Kanopy, Omeleto, Viddsee, and Roku TV. My latest narrative short film, 52Hz, was recently licensed by AMC+ to celebrate AAPHNI Month.

As a storyteller with an entrepreneurial spirit, I often find myself at the forefront of the intersection between arts and technology. I’m the lead director of First Lecture, an online educational platform that aims to bring educational equity to the world. I’m also the producer of Sophia Today, a new show that features Sophia, the world-famous humanoid robot by Hanson Robotics.

I provide storytelling, filmmaking, film production services, and interpretation services. I have worked with clients, including Sun Entertainment Culture, Tencent Games, and Blintn. I’ve also worked as a Cantonese dialect coach for TV series such as Netflix’s Brothers Sun, starring Michelle Yeoh, and Hulu’s The Old Man, starring Jerry Bridges. As a former journalist at a Chinese newspaper in San Francisco, I spearheaded and launched their YouTube channel and successfully helped the company transition from print media to a multimedia platform.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Throughout my life, I’ve subconsciously absorbed the idea that once a woman becomes a mother, her life should revolve entirely around her children. This belief led me to think that a woman’s greatest accomplishment is birthing and raising her children. Since the birth of my first child, I’ve struggled with mom guilt, especially when pursuing my passion for creative filmmaking. As a self-employed individual who often didn’t earn much, I felt it was appropriate to pause my career and focus on my children. While I treasure every moment with them, I’ve also come to realize that it’s okay to seek daycare solutions to continue my creative work.

When I had my second child, I had to firmly tell myself that my work as a filmmaker is as significant as any other profession, not merely a hobby. This shift in mindset gave me the courage to arrange daycare for my 1.5-year-old and pursue what I love. Recently, when an opportunity arose to travel abroad for a documentary shoot, I hesitated, feeling guilty about leaving my children for two weeks. A friend challenged me, asking, “Could you not go?” This moment made me reflect on how often I had declined opportunities to stay with my children. However, I quickly realized that I’ve always prioritized my children, and accepting an opportunity doesn’t change that. Once I embraced this, I was able to free myself from the shackles of mom guilt.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

“Recipes for a Beautiful Life: A Memoir in Stories” by Rebecca Barry was incredibly helpful to me as both a creative entrepreneur and a mother. I read it when my children were about the same age as those in Rebecca’s book. Life as a creative can be messy and chaotic; there’s often no stability, sometimes no health insurance, and relationships, particularly marriages, can suffer due to financial insecurity and stress.

Finding comfort and assurance in the words of another mother who navigated her own struggles and triumphs was invaluable. There really is no manual for balancing aspirations of being a screenwriter and film director with motherhood. I faced intense scrutiny and silent treatment from my husband’s traditionally-minded Chinese parents, who believe a woman should prioritize her husband and family first. I was criticized not because I neglected my children or home, but because I wasn’t doing more of that.

It took me a long time to realize that I don’t owe anyone an explanation. Just because I reject the societal or cultural norms of a selfless wife and mother, does that make me selfish? Many men succeed in their careers because they have supportive spouses, yet I am not even asking for that level of support. Now, I feel somewhat like Elsa in “Frozen,” ready to let it all go and say, “So what? Yes, I want to pursue my own dreams, and I don’t need to always be selfless to be a good mother.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elaineyeewong.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jemapellelaine/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elaineyeewong
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainewong/