We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kim Lin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kim below.

Kim, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Being an artist always bring me fulfilling and joyful experience. As a very individual and personal journey, it undoubtedly cause setbacks and challenges to my inner self other than joys. Sometimes, I do wonder what it would be like if I have a “regular” job just like all the other friends had done. It happens especially when I am struggled with my self-doubt and faced with creative blocks. But when the thoughts occurred, I would ask one question to myself: “Do I love being an artist?”
The answer is always “Yes.”
I love the feeling of transforming visions to life, expressing emotions through canvas, and exploring the possibility of creativity. The rewarding of recognizing my own improvement is satisfying, too. It’s definitely difficult to push one’s creative boundaries; but once you’ve successed, you will want to do it again. I guess one of the freedom of being an artist, is that you got the whole platform to do whatever you want and express whatever you’ve experienced.
My tips on staying in this filed is to accept the pros and cons it brings to you. It’s easy to feel vulnerable, and it needs courage to admit the problems. But among the darkness, if you found the light and meaning of why you chose to become what you are today, you will start exploring immense joy in your artworks.
I am happy with what I created, and I hope you are, too.

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

I used to be an in-house designer who creates visuals for advertising videos and short animations. After years of working for the agency, I am now a freelance illustrator and designer. I am still in the motion media industry, and now I am facing a wider market of the whole art and design field. My specialty is to create key visuals for illustrated videos, and help set art direction for a project. Since I do have experience of making animation, I understand the principles of how things should move. I usually help my clients make storyboards as well, especially when the client doesn’t understand any of motion related topics. Creating icons and making banner designs are also parts of my business.
I am still endeavoring in illustration and motion design filed, and I am open to projects not only for motion, but also for editorial projects. I am sure that the experience of being a freelancer will be very different to what it feels like of being an in-house designer, and I would love to bring all these inspirations into the artworks I create.
I will be happy to help you out if you have any design and illustration related needs!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part is that I gain the freedom of traveling to places I love when I started my career as a freelance designer. This is something I never thought about when I worked as a full time staff. Having the flexibility to arrange my own time is just like living in the dream life. This goes to my personal background of growing up in many different places: from Taiwan to Shanghai and to the US. I never thought about settle down in one destination for good, and being a freelancer gives me the chance to travel around the world while I work remotely with my clients. This experience also allows me to get more organized with my schedule, for which I learned to do so. As an artist, I need the inspiration from life to create artworks, and I appreciate my freelance career provides such an environment.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think one issue that I found in most cities around the world is that the main stream society still doesn’t recognized the importance of art and design. This is part of the aesthetic education to the masses, and of course more of a spiritual demanding comparing to meals and money. I am glad that nowadays we do have a lot of design projects going on and more people are enjoying their time in exhibitions and galleries. However, art and design is still an extra to the majority. I have conversations with designers from Asia countries and to the North America. And I realized that this sometimes causes troubles when working with clients. Because some of them don’t even understand why they need to spend money on creating a good artwork. But the thing is, a good artwork will attract more people in investing their products. Remember that one’s eyes will always seek things that excite them. I think this is the aspect that non-creatives won’t noticed. In light of the previous point, perhaps the aesthetic education is much more essential than we thought, especially in this fast-paced world. Understand the meaning and purpose of art will create a more friendly society and working environment to the artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chiaochinglin.com
• Instagram: kim__lin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-lin-5a2a81151/
• Other: vimeo: https://vimeo.com/kimlin behance: https://www.behance.net/kimlin1916