We recently connected with Huygen Waight and have shared our conversation below.

Huygen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

The first time I knew that i wanted to pursue a creative path was when I was six years old, watching Bob Ross on PBS. something about watching him paint landscapes spoke to me, and I wanted to do the very thing I saw him doing. It was fascinating to watch it go from a blank canvas to this wonderful art piece over the course of the episode. For a long time, I didn’t pursue it as a potential career path until about 2017, when I participated in my first convention as an artist.

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?

My name is Huygen Waight, known mononymously on the internet as Hyu .

I’m known to be kind of a Jane of all trades, dabbling in various artforms including, painting, sequential art, digital illustration, sculpture, photography, screen writing and acting, to name a few. If you can think of it, I’ve probably tried it. Creative pursuits has always been a part of my life. Whether simple doodles in the corner of my notes in school, or grand projects, I’ve always been at my core, an artist. I’ve never let the label of visual artist restrict me to any one style or artform, because i think limitations are the exact opposite of what art really is. Art is freedom, its expression and to limit that is to limit the human experience.

What sets me apart from others… hmm. That’s a difficult question to answer that I’ve never really thought about in depth. Well for one, because I’m proficient in so many different art forms, I’m highly adaptable. I often call myself a chameleon of sorts, and it’s a skill I’m quite proud of. I’m a great listener and communicator, and I’m open to criticism. As an artist, it is important to know your shortcomings and be open to improving and growing. In addition to this, my skill in other artforms allows me to incorporate other visuals and elements into my work that would not have been possible otherwise. For example, my skill as a jewelry maker, and sculptor allows me to add three dimensional elements to my work, and add another layer of interest to them that really draws your eye into the piece.

I also design and paint murals, which can be quite a daunting task to take a simple phrase or concept to fruition. So many questions have to be asked, and considered; how big is the surface?, what is the target audience of the mural?, Is there anything immobile that would obstruct the viewing of the piece in its entirety? It requires a lot of problem solving, math, (who said math was useless?) and communication to really bring the idea of the client to life.

But of course, its nothing I can’t handle.

In addition to being a painter, and muralist, I also have dabbled in the sphere of video content creation, as I also run a podcast channel, the Unscripted Reel Artists , where I discuss all things film and pop culture related with my best friend Raye. Running the channel has given me a lot of insight into the film world, video editing and staging, and more. It has even expanded into me pursuing acting and screenwriting , as together we created a short film titled “Drown” for mental health awareness. In fact, we have several screenwriting projects that are in preproduction, as we are waiting for the right people to invest in our ideas. So, if this sounds like you, feel free to contact us!

I’m most proud of the progress that I’ve made over the years, and how I’ve far expanded beyond the limits of what I previously thought was possible. At one point in my life, before the advent of social media, I thought that being an artist was just a pipe dream; unachievable unless I knew the right people. But with the technological age, and social media, it is no longer the tiny dreams of a child sketching in her bedroom, but a reality. Hundreds of people from across the world can see and enjoy my work, from the comfort of their own homes.

One of the main things I want people to know about my work is that each piece is done with intention and love. A big part of my work is my faith, and part of that is love, and wanting for others what you want for yourself. Peace, Love, Unity, justice, and healing, are just some of the concepts that I put in my work. However, at the same time, there are other, darker elements that are a part of the human experience that can’t be ignored, that are also included in my work.; things such as loss, grief, sacrifice, and sorrow.

Though the imagery in my paintings can range from the macabre, to cheerful, each one shares a singular goal. That goal is to make the viewer feel something, and, if I’ve touched a person’s heart through my work, then I’ve done my job.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

For one, I think that it’s important to not diminish the arts, and downplay the significant role it plays in our daily lives. After all you cannot deny the idea that creativity is the natural, default state of humanity. Creativity is the basis for innovation and without it, there’s a lot of things that would not exist if a creative did not think of the question: “what if?”

None of the out of the box thinking would be possible without a creative at the helm. None of our technological advances would have occurred, and we would still be in the stone ages, eating raw meat.

Your favorite movie franchises, video games, anime, would not exist if not for the work of a multitude of overworked, underpaid creatives that deserve to not only be properly compensated, but also given the respect and reverence that they so rightly earned. It’s important to put yourself in the shoes of creatives and their experiences, and be understanding of their plight. How would you like it if you spent your entire life working toward a goal, only to be forsaken, disrespected, underpaid, and overworked?

Listen to what artists and other creatives are talking about as far as the state of their respective industries, and support them in whatever way you can; there are so many ways to support artists that don’t necessarily involve money (though monetary support would be nice). You can follow them on their social media accounts, comment positively on their pages/work ( an appreciative comment goes a long way!) , share their work with others, in addition to the usual monetary support, whether that be through Patreon, Ko-fi, their personal shops or commissions, or whatever means that that artist utilizes.

There’s also a huge difference between legitimate critique and just being plain meanspirited. Be careful what you say to people, it costs zero dollars to be polite and kind to each other.

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

.The most rewarding aspect about being an artist is seeing other peoples reaction to my work. Of course, it’s always lovely for someone to see it, and think that its beautiful, wonderful or the myriad number of adjectives that can be used; however what speaks to me the most is when I’ve struck a chord with the viewer. When a viewer can say, “wow, I can really relate to this” and look deeper into the painting than just the surface level visuals of it.

Because or course, though the technique and visuals of the painting might be beautiful, beauty is more than skin deep, just as it is with humanity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/hyutheartist
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockartisthyu/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockartisthyu
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfunELljnQhVvITwSBQWZxw
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hyutheartist
• Portfolio: https://www.artstation.com/rockartisthyu