We were lucky to catch up with Leslie Kwan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Leslie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I am definitely happy as a creative! So many components of the job are rewarding in their own ways, from coming up with the initial idea to problem solving to seeing it all come together in the end. That was what made me fall in love with illustrating and just creating in general! It is so surreal to be able to hold my work in my hands and connect with others who enjoy it as well. However, I have also definitely idealized many alternate realities in which I hold regular jobs that end disastrously. The conclusion I have reached is that I would not be as fulfilled as I am as a creative, and would forever wonder what might have been if I had actually pursued my dream. There are not a lot of jobs out there that can provide what I love from a creative career.

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?

Hello, my name is Leslie Kwan! I am a queer, Los Angeles-based illustrator and visual development artist! Most of my work consists of illustration, but I also love creating zines, comics, animations, paper-cut art, and music. Of all the different things I love trying my hands on, I have a strong tendency to create softness, playing with paper-like textures, and painting pretty things that glow. I am always motivated by my insatiable need to bring fictional worlds to life, exploring deeper emotions and story, trying new ways to make visually pleasing and meaningful work, and simply just creating what I want to see exist in the physical realm. Bits and pieces of my own self and the people around me are unintentionally woven into my work, as well as the little things that pique my interest in my everyday life.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

The simple answer is the free figure drawing websites, movie-screencaps.com, characterdesignreferences.com, the older “Art Of _” books like Tangled, and art galleries. The long answer, however, is that it helps tremendously to consume most everything, from films and video games to documentaries and encyclopedias. There is always something to take away, even from things that aren’t directly related to your creative field. Saving everything and anything that you think is interesting is a great habit to develop. Surrounding yourself with other creatives is also a great resource! There can be a lot to learn from how they think, see the world, and solve visual problems. In other words, keep yourself curious and open to the world outside of art. You truly never know what will inspire you.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the creative journey because it varies by person, and only recently is it being more accessible to the general public. Most people think that because we are achieving our dreams, our creative journey would always be delightful. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I think the idiom “too much of a good thing” describes it perfectly. The creative world expects its creators to keep churning out masterpieces constantly, but that is near impossible. Because creative work is made with love, sweat, blood, and tears, a lot of ourselves are baked into it. That is why it is so easy to start doubting ourselves and our self-worth when a particular project doesn’t meet our own and/or other people’s expectations. Burnout is also a serious repercussion, linked to that incessant demand and inconsistent flow of inspiration. On a brighter note, overcoming all of that is also a huge part of the creative journey, one that is the most rewarding of them, especially when you go through it all again. All in all, just know that a lot (of struggle) goes on behind the scenes, and it definitely isn’t as easy as it looks.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://catchingtoast.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catchingtoast/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-kwan-42a753234/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/catchingtoastie