It is an old Asian tradition. One that our generation is still struggling to overcome, Asian-Americans in the creative field. Growing up, it was a cultural norm to base our self-worth on our job title or how much we make. Imagine being at a family gathering where everyone’s career happens to be in math or science. There is a fleeting moment where I feel ashamed of my choice, and I want to camouflage myself. When this moment of hesitation comes, I feel a sense of urgency to change my career, forcing myself to stray away from my creative endeavors.

However, the world works mysteriously; everything goes around in circles. The creative side always draws people back, resurfacing passion that has long been forgotten. When we camouflage our creativity by running away from what we truly love, we are only suppressing our happiness. No matter how far we go, like a boomerang, we find ourselves exactly where we want to be.

As my generation continues pushing boundaries for Asian-Americans in the creative field, I would like for us to remember one thing. Whenever we doubt our impact in this world, think about the way art has influenced our lives. I’m pretty sure we all have listened to a song that got
us through tough times or read a quote that healed our wounds. Maybe, it was a photography that inspired us. 

Regardless of what medium the masterpiece was, we cannot deny the influence it had in
our life. So hold your head high, be proud of your choice, because in some way, shape or form creativity helps the world. For this blog post, I would like to end with a poem. Thank you for reading and, I hope to see you in my next one.

“Artists have extraordinary powers. They can freeze time, even when time itself does not stop. Pouring out an extension of who they are, a masterpiece is created. Hoping to resonate with the human soul, they leave their masterpiece behind, frozen in time. “

Much love,
Thy X. Phan