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

Alright, Hilda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

The first creative job I ever got was at a grocery store as their in-store graphic artist. I had graduated from a university as a Studio Art major several years prior and was trying to look for any job that would hire me as a graphic designer. It was…tough. It was one of those situations where companies wanted you to have experience; but in order to get experience, you needed a job. I had also spent a few years after graduating trying to figure out what I wanted to do. For a while I thought I wanted to get into the entertainment industry as either a director of photography or something in the art department. I interned for a late night comedy show in their costume department and after that, I interned for a stop motion studio in their art department. They were both incredible opportunities that I still can’t believe I got to do. I was really hoping I’d be able to get hired on at one of those studios for a full time position, but it didn’t happen and I was devastated, especially after learning that one of my fellow interns did get hired.

I wasn’t getting paid at any of these internships and I was working 1 – 2 part time jobs to help pay for bills and student loans so that I could still have time to go to my internship days. My mom was also tired of me not finding any full time work, so she pushed me to apply for some county positions that opened up since she also worked for the county. I was really against it. It felt like I was giving up on my dreams by applying for something I didn’t want to do. I wasn’t happy about it but I applied anyway to get her off my back. Eventually, I went through the hiring process and signed on to become a full time county employee. I really didn’t want to leave my internship, but it was also hard doing unpaid work. I told myself I could work this job and at least get my finances in order, pay off some bills, save some money and continue the search for a creative job.

I worked that county job for a little over a year. It was one of the longest years of my life. The job was miserable and the job prospects–even more so. The saving grace was that my coworkers were awesome. I still keep in touch with a few of them to this day. The other saving grace was that it allowed me to save enough money to pay off my student loans. Debt free felt pretty nice! I remember getting the call that the graphic artist job was being offered to me. I felt so excited and scared at the same time. I had spent so long trying to get this opportunity that I didn’t know what to do when I finally got it. I called my dad and asked him if he thought it was a good idea. He told me “if you’re thinking about doing it, then maybe you should do it.” Looking back, it wasn’t very helpful at the time, but it almost felt like I needed him to “tell me it was okay” to follow my dream, even if it was scary. So I did.

Hilda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a graphic designer and illustrator with experience in marketing and branding. I’m probably aging myself… but I started dabbling in graphic design during my high school days when LiveJournal and Xanga were still the popular blog platforms at the time. I created icons, banners, and layouts based on my favorite bands and Animes. When I went to college, I volunteered to design t-shirts and flyers for my friends’ club events. I loved doing it and I thought it was really cool to see my design on shirts that the whole club wore.

Fast forward to today–my work has shifted a lot to include more illustration and branding. Many times, all of these different elements cross over. I may design a brunch menu that includes hand illustrated elements or use vector graphics for an illustrative piece. I also love playing with bright colors and story telling. I can design anything from a logo to an invitation as long as a client understands that my work tends to be more bright and playful. I always advise them to check out my work to make sure my aesthetic is something that fits their needs. Oftentimes, the problems I solve for clients are just helping them figure out what kind of design they actually want, which involves a lot of questions regarding their goals and creating mood boards of inspiration images. I am most proud of my skills in graphic design and illustration because I think it gives me a wider perspective on design and its possibilities. Being able to combine both gives a unique take on design and opens up new doors.

It feels a little cheesy to say, but I would like people to know that my work comes from the heart. Or my gut. It’s a hard thing to describe as an artist, but there’s always a piece of myself in every work that I do. That and many hours of learning and relearning and self-doubt and sleepless nights of panic.

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

There’s not just one path to being an artist. I used to feel like I was at a disadvantage because I didn’t go to an art school. I felt like I was “too late” in figuring out what I wanted to do as a career and I had already begun going to a different university. Even now, as I am (still) struggling with finding a way to achieve certain career goals, I’m reminded that I don’t need to go to a specific school or to work in a specific industry to be creative. Make the things you want to create, even if it’s not your full time job. Learn the skills you want to learn, even if it isn’t in a classroom setting. Industries can shift with the times and goals can shift too. I’m not where I imagined I would be in this stage of my life, but it does not make me any less successful.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Piggy-backing off of the previous question–I did not go to an art school but I wish I knew about other alternatives to learning things like illustration and animation. These days, the online resources are so widely abundant that I feel like you can learn almost anything. I wish schools like Brainstorm or CDA were available when I was first looking for other alternatives to learning art skills. I think I might have had a better plan for my career if I knew how to get there, or even if we had access to speaking with professionals and picking their brain about their own creative journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hildatam.com/hilda-tam
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehildatam/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hildatam/