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

Tracy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

It started with a parrot. It was a colorful parrot that I drew with soft chalk pastels during an elementary school art class. My teacher was impressed by my work and gave me one of those art ribbons. When I brought it back home to my parents, they were so proud that they displayed my parrot artwork on a magazine rack at a small convenience store they owned at the time. It was such an incredible moment of validation for me. After that, I “worked” at my parents’ convenience store by making little drawings and selling them for $0.25 to $1 to random, kind strangers who wanted to encourage a little girl.

Unfortunately, it was short-lived. With my parents being Asian immigrants and wanting a better life for me, they pushed me to study so I could get a “good job.” In order to make my parents proud of me, I listened and made good grades and became “the smart one” out of my siblings. I was still known for being artistically-inclined and put a lot of effort when making visual presentations or art pieces for school projects, but I could never just do art or be creative. Fast-forward to the end of high school and my early university days, I remember always feeling overwhelmed and pressured. My family was also going through a lot at that time, which made it worse. I didn’t enjoy classes I took. I cried randomly. I was unhappy and my bottled-up emotions—surprise—spilled out.

Eventually, I found myself at the School of Art at my university. I was curious about a graphic design degree, so I decided to talk with an advisor, but she really took it full force and signed me up for a class that had already started. Next thing I knew, I was in a fundamentals class for graphic design drawing random black circles, but it was wild. I loved it. I just knew it felt right. That was when the doors opened for me. The classes were challenging, I drank a lot of energy drinks (so much that my nose would bleed), and I pulled so many all-nighters, but it was all so fun. And now, here I am—a professional designer.

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

At my core, I am a Vietnamese + Chinese American creative based in Houston, Texas. My path to being a professional creative really started while studying at the University of Houston. As a member of the AAPI community, my parents pushed me to study for a career that would pay me well. Ultimately, my mental health and one assertive advisor caused me to change majors to graphic design—and man—my parents were disappointed in me.

I still recall the night I told my dad. He was so shocked that he couldn’t say anything. He simply walked away from me and locked himself in his bedroom. While I was crying for being a disappointment, my mom later came down to chastise me on how hard my dad was taking it (Ooh, the memory still stings, but I’m working on it in therapy, haha). Regardless, I am still grateful to my immigrant parents, who sacrificed more than I will ever understand so that I could even receive an education. In a roundabout way, their tough, non-affectionate love helped me discover that I was allowed to grow into and love my own path.

Although my journey to becoming a professional creative was not easy, I have come a long way to accepting myself for my passions. In 2016, I received my BFA in Graphic Design and now, I am a full-time graphic designer. I also make time to give back to my local creative community by being a nonprofit volunteer leader. From my student volunteering days to officially joining the Board of Directors in 2018, I stay active with AIGA Houston, a professional association for design that focuses on building community, strengthening skills and advocating for design. Over the years, I have planned, supported and executed AIGA initiatives through programming events, such as skill-building talks and workshops and more. I also developed and maintained internal structures, strategies, policies, and protocols to help the board operate efficiently. In July 2022, I was proud to have become the chapter’s first female president of color. As President of AIGA Houston, I lead the executive committee, manage the Board of Directors, and oversee the chapter’s programming and initiatives. It is a lot of work, but I have wonderful team members and serving my community is worth it. #AIGA4Life

It doesn’t stop there, though! Right now, my other side quests involve helping out local businesses, such as Ooh Mami Papi and Fat Funk. I am also a creative busy bee, so I write, illustrate, appreciate art, and take care of my houseplants alongside my cat, Plaka, and dog, Munchie.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As a creative, I enjoy expressing myself through whatever medium I have on hand. There’s a genuine sense of wonder when you craft something into something visually stimulating.

However, I definitely focus less on awards and recognition for my design or creative work. Don’t get me wrong. I love when people connect with my work. I am honored to receive awards (and I need validation), but I feel more accomplished when I support and uplift other fellow creatives. Designing, strategizing and creating campaigns that highlights amazing individuals is the absolute best feeling.

Not only that, as someone who has made it this far in navigating my own creative pathway, I love seeing student or emerging creatives, who I’ve worked with and helped mentor, find and excel in their own paths. Being able to connect with other creatives and see each other grow and transform is incredible. As a creative human, these are the milestones I value most.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

First, as designer Rick Griffith says, “Design is what humans do” and “good design has no victims.”

Secondly, “leave things better than you found them,” is a line an old boss used to tell me.

These two thoughts resonate with me as a creative and human being. I know my creative journey is fluid and ever changing, but one connecting thread is that I need to keep learning in order to better myself and others around me. It also doesn’t hurt to be kind.

We’ll see where this leads me.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://ngobody.design/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tngobody/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tngobody/
• Other: https://houston.aiga.org/

Image Credits
RS Photography, LLC; Tracy Ngo; Morris Malakoff