 Thank you for coming and joining us this evening. I'm seeing in the chat that we have some excited folks here in the audience and I just want to welcome you. My name is Jamie and I'm part of the Power Team that brings community programs to you from San Francisco Public Library. Thank you so much for joining us today. We are thrilled that you're here to celebrate our city's biggest summer meeting and learning campaign, Summer Stride, with an art talk from our one and only inimitable 2022 artist mini fan. I hope you're ready to get inspired. Before we start, I would like to acknowledge our community. The area now known as San Francisco is the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramatush Aloni peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the original peoples of this land, the Ramatush Aloni have never ceded lost nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place. We recognize that we benefit from living, working and learning on their traditional homeland. As uninvited guests, we affirm their sovereign rights as first peoples and wish to pay our respects to the ancestors, elders and relatives of the Ramatush community. This event tonight is part of Summer Stride, the library's annual summer learning, reading and exploration program for all ages and abilities. Check out the Summer Stride landing page to see our upcoming events, find recommended reading for all ages and more, and be sure to join our Summer Stride challenge to receive a tote bag with a mini fan illustration. 20 hours just as a reminder, 20 hours of any library activity, and that means reading books, listening to audio books, streaming films on can, films on canopy, and attending programs just like this one count towards those 20 hours. There'll be a link in the chat, so just make sure that you are going ahead and you're participating in this amazing program. Next, I just want to give a huge, huge thanks to the friends of the SAPL for their generous support of this entire program series. We could not do this without them. Okay, first, I want to tell you just a little bit before she comes and joins us. I just want to give you a little bit about our star artists before we get going. The mini fan is an illustrator who's based in Oakland, California. She is passionate about storytelling and inclusive image making with a unique focus on diversity, her work ranges from editorial illustrations to comics, animation and posters. When she isn't illustrating she teaches Bay Area youth how to create comics. She plays with her adopted bunny Momo and advocates for safer streets for bicyclists and cats. So for further ado, please take it away, many. Hello, everyone. Hi. Oh, I'm so happy to be here. Thank you so much Jamie for the fabulous introduction and thank you to Christie for organizing such fabulous programming for the summer. I am so excited to be here. And I have a presentation for everyone. So let's get to it. Okay, so we're going to view this slide. First, thank you everyone for showing up to this event. It is such a dream and a pleasure. And I'm just so grateful that I get to be exactly where I am right now. And how did I get here, who am I, why am I so special. So a little bit about me. My name is Minnie. I'm an illustrator cartoonist. I was born in Stockton, California. I'm one of five children, and my parents are refugees from Vietnam. This is a picture of me at one of the five elementary schools I attended in my childhood. I can see I've been making art from a very young age. And my parents are, as I mentioned, they're refugees and a lot of who I am comes from them. I give them so much credit for instilling in me work ethic and determination. My parent, my father's first job when he came to America was among migrant farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, and he picked cucumbers and was paid by weight of the crate. And even with that money, a house full of uncles and aunties, you know, all working, putting in money, they still needed a roommate to pay rent, living in Stockton. So we really started from the bottom, started from with very little in our hands, even in our brains, my, my parents weren't given the opportunity to have an education. My mom has a third grade education and my dad has a fifth grade education, but they did not let them hold that that hold them back. They were still able to thrive in America, they put five kids through college, they worked really hard, and they, they really sacrificed everything for their children. Their children want them being me. And so what did I decide to do? I went to art school. This is a photo of me, my freshman year of college at the de Young, which is my first time going to that. I chose to pursue art because at my core, I was an artist. I've always felt most safe when I'm drawing and painting and making things with my hands, it just felt so natural. I've been drawing since I was a little kid, as I mentioned, and here's some drawings from middle school, which is so embarrassing, but my delightful presentation attendees get to view my early works. And I was a kid from a working class family, so I did not take art kids as a kid or have any special exposure. I just love to draw and drawing was very accessible. All it took was paper and pencil and creativity and imagination and I just loved, I love getting lost in my imagination and my art clearly reflected where I was at the time of my life. I loved anime and manga and cartoons and comics. So I drew that kind of stuff. And I drew because it was fun. I didn't think about it being a career or being, you know, this feature thing I was going to do. I did it because I loved it. But of course, like any young budding budding young adult, I also experienced roadblocks to my true self. And this is me as a little kid and, you know, I look back all these photos of me and I have these memories, especially in early high school, where I stopped drawing because of the people I hung out with. My friends were my bullies, they would say that anime isn't art, they laugh at my drawings. They would even say pretty racist sexes harsh things to me, that I didn't I didn't know how to process as, you know, a second generation American as a young young girl. And they, the people who I started myself that were not good in my life. They really, they watered the self doubt that was planted in me. But I'm really grateful that I, I did find people who could see the potential in me. And that includes my high school art teacher Mr. Doyle. Actually he is the reason why I kept pursuing art he encouraged my creativity guided me to safer spaces and always had his classroom open during lunch so that I had somewhere to go. And I think the story is familiar to a lot of artists, you find the people who you find your community, you find the places that feel good that feel right. I know that there are a mix of people watching this video from this presentation from some of my, my wonderful friends to some young budding artists. And I want for people to see my story and recognize that I, that I am not someone who is groomed to be, you know where I am that I'm a product of my community of the people around me. And it really does start with Mr. Doyle who was my first role model, my first art teacher, and gave me a sense of home while I was at school. He also taught me the basics of art foundational drawing skills, which, at the time, I hated. I really hated the realistic drawing because it wasn't cartoons it wasn't anime I had no idea how to apply these skills to what I love to do, but looking at this now, you know, I'm really impressed with myself that I did my best that I try then, and that I, I, I leaned into discomfort, which I think taught me a lot about my work. And also, having that relationship with him brought in my world to a whole nother. It brought me to a world of art that I didn't know was possible. And one of those worlds was pre college. This is a picture of me at 16. But this is actually after the very first day of pre college which is at many different universities they offer a one month program where you can earn college credit while studying a field that you're interested in. And so CCA California College of the Arts in Oakland in Oakland in San Francisco offer an illustration class. And so I applied and got in. And when I told my parents the good news, they responded, we can't afford it. The month long program cost $3,000 and my parents barely had enough to keep our family afloat so there was no way they could find $3,000 for me. And so I took matters into my own hands. I fundraised I wrote emails I made phone calls. I knew I wanted to go to this program, and I use the resources that I saw available that Mr. And so I did that as well. And actually it was just the day before the payment was was due from the school. I was awarded awarded a partial scholarship from the Pleasanton community. And it was the first time I experienced the thrill of achievement was the first time I really set my eyes on something and reached out to my community and, and you know, put in the effort to get to achieve a goal. And I had to be opposed to, you know, accepting a no or accepting that I can't do something. I, I, it made me so confident that I could do it. And it was an amazing experience. It was pre college was amazing to my teen self I had my first figure drawing experience I went to San Francisco for the first time I went to a museum. I was really nervous and socially awkward, but it was fun and valuable and it opened my eyes to art school, and it was the first time I commuted. I traveled on Bart for an hour each way every day to class for a month, and I just bought very grown up I was 16 I mean I look back like 16 what were we all doing at 16. And, and going to a program where I'm surrounded by young people, creative people teachers. It filled my love for art. And so I came back with an even stronger desire to be an artist. And again, showing, showing people this art is very embarrassing but for for those who tune in you get to see all this old work from high school. And I think also to humanize who I am right I have the privilege of being a professional artist but I started out just like any other teenager who love to draw. And I remember all these pieces I remember collecting the newspaper wrench 99 to make this collage and I remember scanning the pages of my, my journal to make this self portrait one of like three self portrait side made in high school is one of my first few times painting. And also, I was so motivated that I made art not only in school but outside of school as well. So I, I drew as much as I could in my free time I made comics cartoons I posted art online. Back in the day when even art was very popular and you can easily find an artist community. I feel from the bullying that I experienced in my early teen years I needed to. I needed to pour myself into what I loved. I needed to not be ashamed of loving what I do. And so I jumped I jumped right head first into art and and it was one of the best things I chose to do for myself, because it led me to choosing to go to art school, which I applied to senior year. I got into art schools across the US, which was amazing I had never done the college application applications before not many in my family had my, my, my parents, again, did not have the privilege to go to school so you know they they just hoped that we would make it. And I know how it was going to happen but they just really hope that if they just love this enough and gave us shelter and food and, you know, resources that they could do it, or we could do it. But, yes, thankfully my teachers helped me, but when I told my parents that I got into art school, a private art school, which at the time cost maybe $50,000 to attend a year, which is so much money. My parents they responded, again, they said, we can't afford it. So again, I fundraised, I applied to every scholarship at my high school. I attended every single meeting on FAFSA and Pell grants. And because I was a woman of color from a poor family, I had to advocate for myself. I had to speak up and, thankfully, the Pleasanton community responded to my passion. Thanks to the Amateur Valley Scholarship Fund and generous donors, I was awarded a $10,000 scholarship, which on top of Pell grants, other school grants and a little bit of student loans. I was able to afford my journey at California College of the Arts and anyone who's anyone who's watching who is in this photo. I want to take a moment to thank everyone, everyone of you in this photo, especially those in the back row, they were the ones who organized the scholarships, they raised money. They put in funds from different charitable things and they help kids like me make dreams come true. So if you're a teenager watching this and listening and wondering, hey, how can I be an artist? How can I do that? I really encourage you to not be held back by money and there are many ways to be an artist, not just art school, whether you go to a state school or another program. There are a lot of resources available and you can find at the library, at your local school, your community center, whatever place of faith you go to. There are resources, so don't give up. What was my experience in art school like? While I, having had such a hard journey to get there, jumped in. My parents weren't exactly happy about my decision to study art. I mean, they knew no one who was an artist. They had no idea what it even meant to be an artist. But the truth is that their tenacity, their audacity to dream is what inspired me to strive. I dare to want more in life because they did. And what did I, what did wanting more look like? It meant living life and being ambitious. It meant being ambitious. So that meant joining clubs, creating clubs, making friends, making art, exploring everything around me and really taking in my experience. And anyone who knew me at this time in art school, they knew I was a really hardworking person. And I think a large part of that was, I was really aware from the beginning that to be where one is, especially in a privileged place like a private art school. I mean, that's, it's not, not just anyone gets to be here. So I valued every moment of it. I was also thrived in the long classes. Part of art school, all the classes are geared towards art and creativity. So the classes are three to six hours long. So that means, yes, you're drawing for six hours, you have figure drawing classes for six hours, you have critiques for three hours, you're really immersed in the creative world and everyone around you is an artist to some capacity, whether they're a designer, a sculptor, an architect, a painter, so many different disciplines all in one place. It really felt like going to art school was the place where I, I think my, my spirit was really waiting for. And in high school I was, I nearly didn't graduate. I was struggling so hard and I had felt so lost for so long, but art school made me feel safe. I made some work that I really loved, such as comics and exploring that world. And I made some work that was questionable or confusing. This, I don't know if I should even explain it, it was a part of a pun class or something but anyway we're going to skip that one pretty fast. And so I, as I mentioned, I dove, I dove head first into the world of art and, and I think truly you get back what you put in. This is a photo of me at my junior review. You know for all the disappointment that I brought my parents for choosing to pursue art CCA truly changed my life. This event is essentially all the juniors present through work and one is selected for a scholarship and that one person that this year was me. And the scholar, the award includes a scholarship with no strings attached money, which means you can do anything you want, right, so what did I do. My journey so far has been I want to be an artist. My parents don't get it. They struggled so hard. I feel so guilty. Well, who am I to get to choose to be happy and live my dreams. And then I asked myself, well, who are my parents. So I took that money that I got and I went to Vietnam by myself for three weeks in the summer, and I met my extended family. And I, I visited the place that my parents grew up. I, I had a life changing experience where I met of, I met people who raised my parents and I realized that my parents were also once children that that the sand that I was standing on is a two once stood on. And the home that I was sleeping in is the one that my mother grew up in. And it was amazing. It was really incredible. And this is me at the pig farm that my, my uncle runs. And I'm holding my very first pig, which is so cute. I don't know why I was selected for the scholarship at CCA. I don't think I was the best artist in my class. Technically speaking, I was still learning color and value and all the basics of art. But I had a lot of passion. And I think in the art world that outweighs talent. I think discipline, diligence, hard work, determination will always surpass something, something as malleable or hard to define as talent. You know, when someone says, Oh, you're an artist, you're so talented. What does that really mean? I think when someone's a great artist, it means that they put in the hours and they work really hard. And another thing that going to Vietnam by myself taught me was that life was a gift and that I would be an artist forever. I think that really, it really solidified that creativity was more than just a career. It was a way of seeing the world and feeling the world and being in the world. I never felt so tiny in a big country with so much history, so many kind people, such incredible skies. And in that moment, I also decided that I cared less about cool and more about being alive. I didn't care if I was perceived as this impressive, cool, tough person to be a genuine happy loving person was enough, because I looked around me and and even though the people in this country and my family who live here, didn't have the material Americans have, they had a lot of happiness, a lot of community, a lot of sense of, of togetherness and I wanted to take that home with me. I also want to take home stories. So I made my thesis about my family and our journey. I illustrate I created 15 illustrations documenting my experience with identity. With going to Vietnam learning about my parents, hearing their story, unraveling trauma. And it got a lot out of my system. I got to really, I got to write a love letter to my parents in a way in a language that I and them could understand. I don't really speak the perfect best Vietnamese and they don't speak the best English, but a picture is hard to deny. Recently at a wedding. We had a little family gathering and my dad took out this book with this project which has been it's almost been a decade since I made it and you know he's showing all these guests that we have my art as a way of explaining his journey. And it was the first time I saw the enemy feel really special and it wouldn't have happened without a CCA and be all the folks who supported this project through Indie go go and you know helping with the printing so I mean my journey been full of lots of communities Thank you so much to those who supported this project. So, how did I go from graduating from art school. This is a picture of my family and I, my graduation so how do I go from graduating from art school to becoming a full time illustrator and this year's summer I want to repeat that this my story is just one of many. There's there's no right way to be an artist whether you're paid to do it or you do it as a passion hobby, or if you go to art school or state school or whatever. There are many journeys but this was my journey. Okay. So, I took all types of work. This is actually my very first project out of school it was three months after graduation I was hired by local magazine to illustrate a map of Lake Merritt. And it's in a style that's so different from what I did for my college thesis, but it was a lot of fun I think there's a part of me that because I got to process so many emotions through realistically painting my family that just getting to draw a goose, getting to draw bikes was really fun is and I think that's a part of healing from trauma as well as embracing fun and joy in life. And also while I was taking on freelance projects I also took on gallery work. And this is for a spoke art picture or piece about Miyazaki Miyazaki's work so the tribute show. And in all of my work I'm exploring and trying new things. I think I was still searching for my voice through all the work that I was doing. Although I mean people can argue our voice always exists but for me I remember feeling like I was still I thought so much to learn post art school. And also to be fully transparent I also had day jobs I worked many part time jobs while juggling freelance illustration at night. And I've worked so many different kinds. My very first one was retail at a small gift shop. But some of the cooler ones I've done is painting sculptures and murals at fairyland. And that was that was amazing because I got to meet so many cool people including Shannon Taylor and re Santos. I also taught comics and cartoons at Richmond Art Center. And that was really fun to see young young people and solidified my interest in helping youth obtain their goals and harness their dreams. I've also other jobs I've worked just to give you an idea of you know that the journey wasn't just I got a job and I got paid forever you know it was. It was I had day jobs such as working in vintage clothes working for small business working as an assistant at a nonprofit. Taking on lots of different odd odd jobs while also taking freelance. And so while but also it wasn't freelance didn't just come into my life. It was I got called but not all the time so when I had my when I had free time I was still making work. I made work even if no one called me I had stories to tell from my heart that I wanted to bring to life. So I worked on self generated props generated projects. This is actually a book that I illustrated for a solo exhibition I had at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. And this work actually it's amazing that I made this and and I had no idea that in five years someone at an agency called writer's house would find my work and reach out to me and decide to represent and seek to represent me for for picture books and other work. So you never know where these kind of projects are going to take you. I made this because I want to tell a story about identity and self acceptance. I did not have any plans to be to, you know, go. It wasn't I'm going to make this and I'm going to get this it was I'm going to make this because I want to I'm going to share in case it helps someone else, and that that's really what motivated me. And what did it look like to get my work out there in the world. It includes making art to post online on social media, Instagram, Twitter, etc. and also going in person to events. This is me in 2015 at my very first SFZ infest and you can see it's so much early work my work from college and me just figuring it out I had to even have a display I just put everything down on flat on the table. But it was my first experience interacting with other people in my work and it and it I think it made me hungry for more. So I did this for a few more years and my display grew from this to this. I made more work. I displayed more I also made more money through the work that it all went back to itself. I really was not trying to make this type of work my life. It was more. I want to get my name out there I want to share my stories and if it reaches someone or reach someone. And the sub someone well some really great people have reached out to me. I cut my teeth on music posters I've done 10 for the film or in San Francisco. I've illustrated for musicians such as Mitski and your latengo. Johnny swim years and years. The list goes on and on. It's been really pretty awesome and every time I do a poster I get free tickets to the concert so I that that's pretty great. And I've always have a lot of fun with the posters. I also have been able to do work for political campaigns such as this voting image and cookbooks and other Asian Pacific Islander organizations and through all of this I'm teaching myself. If you notice in art school I was using a lot of traditional media and I actually taught myself digital tools after college. I taught myself how to use Photoshop and procreate and textures and colors. It was not stop learning, but mostly because it was fun. I think it was cool to challenge myself and do something different and and discover and explore. So I encourage that if you have a skill you want to get better at, don't be afraid to start. I think as we get older what we want is not to experience something but to be impressive to say oh I know how to play a guitar, but it's really hard to be bad at the guitar right but if you start out bad you're going to eventually get good so don't be afraid of starting just do it. Another project that I got to do that I really love is more comics. This is for Abrams book called Drawing Power and it actually won. It was part of an anthology that won an Eisner award was also mentioned by the New York Times. So member at this time I'm, I'm, I have day jobs I'm juggling all types of work trying to pay my rent while also taking on freelance. And all the work that I do slowly goes towards what I want to do. And that includes exploring with color medium, resa graph watercolor and working in a style that I, I finally joyful. These are some of my favorite pieces that I'm showing and also means experimenting learning how to animate teaching myself animation. And this project on the right that the two characters is for a sticker pack that I want to make for the iPhone which is halfway through I'm hoping I'll find some time to work on it. And it's really, it's, I think it's the way that I keep myself interested that I don't want to feel like I've stagnated or become bored of my work that I can always find something fun and new to do. I continue to make comics. And all of this work and all this exploration has led me to finding a stronger voice a stronger identity having more fun being more playful using color and attracting the eye of people who want to get my work out to other people. I, I was contacted in 2019 by Andrea Morrison of writers house and she became my agent. And in 2020 at the head of the pandemic actually I decided you know my business grows every year it doubles every year, and I can do this. So I quit my job, and I became a full time freelance illustrator, and I jumped into it I just went for it. And I believed in myself. And it's all worked out. I think it really has. So I've illustrated several book covers. I'm the most recent one is gave me the after which is coming out at the end of this month, Harvey which came out in April and was part of how I was selected for summer and then upcoming in spring 2023 is a book called the yellow ally, which is written by hand boy. And she is, she's so inspired because she's a first time writer and I think she's also evident evidence that it doesn't matter when you make a dream come true. You know you can have many lives and you can have many dreams. And. And it's not about making it young. It's about staying. It's about being staying true to yourself. So this book, I just finished illustrations and it'll be coming out in 2023 so I look forward to sharing more with that about that with you all. And also, I've been, I've made art. I've, I've been able to explore my tools but what else has illustration brought me where else have I gone. Well, I've gone camping with a lot of cartoonists, which has been amazing. I've been a special guest at the Charles Schultz Museum in Santa Rosa. I've given a commencement speech at my college. I had a panel discussion at Google. I even painted a mural at Google. It's been incredible that I get to do all of this. And it's all because of the work that I have dedicated myself to. And, and I think often about what Minjin Lee, who wrote Pachinko, she said about creativity. If you want to be an artist or a writer in this world, don't think about the fame or the fortune or the recognition or any of the external stuff. Think about the message, think about the why you have to have a compelling why. And my why was that I wanted to make my life, something that I loved. And I wanted to make art, not for a career as a not as a career but for a lifetime. And also I love what being an artist means. It means that I can travel and still make art. I had the privilege with my partner Doro. They are a optometrist and they decided they will they have a very powerful connection to the crow people in Montana so we moved to this cabin for eight months right by the river, and I still got to be an illustrator. I took all my work, and I set up my table and I painted I illustrated the entire Harvey book at this cabin in rural Montana, the closest town population of 3000 people, but because of the work that I get to do, it was possible. I also got to teach comics to kids on the res. And, and I really pinched myself that this gets to be my reality this is my work. And maybe best of all, I went from being on a bus to making art for the bus. It's a pretty great. I am now in 2022. I am the illustrator this year for summer stride the map means that I have illustrated my art is on hundreds of muni bus stops shelter transit shelters buses. And it means that my art is on 28 buildings across San Francisco 28 library buildings. And there's tons of merchandise there's 75,000 activity trackers 3520,000 tote bags 30,000 bookmarks, all these, this official reading Ranger badge from the National Park Service. And a gallery show with art and, as you can see from earlier, all this original art is stuff I made in Montana it's pretty cool. And then also this gallery show which is called nights and weekends because I really made my career through nights and weekends I wasn't given the privilege to just go full time I didn't have the financial support of my parents, I had to struggle really hard. And that makes where I am that much more delicious. It really makes it so worthwhile that I did it. I never gave up. There's there are many times of doubt and fear and uncertainty, but I kept going, I didn't stop. I'm glad to be able to share my story. And I want to end my presentation with one section of the gallery show which is advice advice to my younger self, because I pinch myself every day that I am where I am. And I think that my younger self was so full of doubt that she never knew if she'd really make it if someone would love her if she was deserving of the life that she gets that she wants. I would say to myself, believe in yourself. Dream big. Drink water. Care less about what's cool and more about what makes you feel alive. Immerse yourself in what you love. Feel the thrill of achievement. Loving yourself means taking care of yourself. If you can't find your community, make one. Regardless of what you want. Remember this slowly, but surely. And that's it. That's me and my world and thank you so much for tuning in for learning about me for giving me a chance to share my story and please if you'd like to stay in contact. This is my Instagram handle Facebook and Twitter. And I'll be answering questions after this. So we're going to bring Jamie back on screen. And she will share some questions and such. Jamie, I just wanted to say thank you so much and I feel as though there's things rolling in, you know, everyone who's watching your generosity and sharing your story. The incredible images that you know you've created throughout the span of your life and your photos have just been so powerful. And I just encourage everyone to keep that little eye spy out across San Francisco because the joy that many is bringing to, you know, towards cityscape here is just incredible. And check out that exhibit that many has been showing us throughout at the main library and Civic Center. It's right outside the main Children's Center. And just looking at the detail, the position, the beauty of many is work is incredible. So make sure you come on by you and you see her work. It's amazing. Okay, many we do have some some questions popping in. So are you ready. I'm ready. It's incredible. Alright, so one question is, do you have a favorite medium right now to work in. You know, I would say my favorite medium is watercolors but I do not get the chance to work in it very often. I actually really love the work in Harvey because I feel like chronicle utilize what I love the most which is black and white watercolor graphite ink, and with like a color cover with both worlds with doing traditional media and doing digital work. Lately I've been working with Photoshop and procreate just because of time and speed but I love watercolor and anyone who's watching wants to, you know, let me have the time and then space to make use traditional media that's what I really love. Another question is, where do you draw your inspiration from are there a cartoonist or illustrators out there who have influenced your style. Oh, boy. Okay, this is this is you got everyone's got to sit down and get it get their dinner right now. Listen, um, I would say my inspiration comes in phases, but one that has always been a huge part of my life is Teo Matsumoto actually have a tattoo of his work because I love it so much. If you like movies take on kinkery is a fabulous animated movie. I love his storytelling his comics his art. So he's a huge inspiration. Wow, I mean I've so many people suddenly in my mind I want to I want to shout out. But I see favorite cartoonist I mean, favorite artists. Julian to Mackie writer, Margot to Mackie. Raina Raina Tagomir is no amazing. To so many fabulous people who who give me a lot of inspiration. Lately it's been writers actually I love I so I'm a visual person I've been into comics and storytelling visually for most of my life but lately I've been discovering the world of writing. And so I've been very inspired by the time when who didn't write his first book until he was 54. Minjin Lee, who wrote her first book in her fifties as well. The writer of the kite runner, Khalid. Yeah, he, he didn't write his first book until his 40s. I mean, I love to know that once career has no age. It doesn't matter when you tell your story what kind of art you make, what matters is making it and telling your story so I would say my biggest inspiration right now are writers and if ever, if everyone who is young feels like oh no I haven't made it I'm nobody. Just look up a list of late bloomers it's going to make you feel better because there's no such thing as when a career blossoms I can go the right time it happens anytime, any day. That is amazing and may I just ask are you ever dabbling and writing yourself like do you do any drawing like that kind of thing is that part of your, your dream maybe one day. Absolutely. So my, my goal for a long time with I want to be an illustrator. And now that I am an illustrator. I think the next chapter is, I want to be a writer illustrator and I want to do both I want to I want to be a little everyone. One of my big inspirations also is Christian Robinson who part of my inspiration is looking at artists you know there were 10 years ago and recognizing that it's a journey everyone has a journey, and he wrote. Yeah, the early part of his career he said, I'm just an illustrator right now but one day I'll be an author illustrator, and he's now written books around the New York Times best sellers list I mean he's an he's an inspiration so yes, I do right. I've been writing scripts for comics and picture books and they are on the works. That is amazing it gives us so much more to look forward to I mean, not only your visual arts but now we can think, you know one day you're going to see some work from you to that's written so everyone just keep your eye out. I have a question. Oh, by the way, folks, we do have some book lists from many that are available from SFPL she has curated an incredible little bookshelf of graphic novels and other like illustrated works so make sure that you check out our website for that. Let's move into I actually I'm kind of curious because I a little bird has told us that you are having a little collaboration with SF moment coming up. Right, that's right. Yes, so I am working with SF moment this year to host two workshops for it's for it's particularly for youth but it's essentially all ages and accompanying the workshops, which will also be a coloring book. So I am illustrating a coloring book featuring women of color artists who are displayed throughout the museum, and the work is going to be presented in a illustrated way, and copies will be for free for people and they'll be able to use the SF summer as a color pencil that you can win if you get the tote bag. So yes, that collaboration will be live in early to mid July. So keep your eyes out and the events are, I believe the first Sunday, the first or first Sunday and last Sunday maybe of SF moment. So keep your eyes out for that. I think like a dream collaboration and something that's made in heaven. I have a question which is, okay so you get a say like hypothetical you get a call from an agent who says, I have a dream project for you. What do they say next. That's a great question. The budget is unlimited. You know they say that. Okay, they say I have a dream project for you and it is a, and it is an opportunity for me to collaborate with a publisher to make a graphic novel about me and my sister, or a picture book about me my sister I actually have a book that I'm writing about sisterhood. And I think I would love an opportunity to be able to tell a story about the experience I have as a sister, a community member. Yeah, I. Wow, that's such a great question I'm like there's so many scenarios that could happen in a way. But I think that already happened you know I have received some pretty incredible emails I have. I am currently working on another picture book that will be coming out in 2024 with a very incredible figure in the Vietnamese community who I cannot name because I'm not going to jinx it. I'm really grateful for all that's to come for me down the pipeline so in a way I feel like I'm already living the dream so yeah I get we'll see there's more to come. That's amazing. Thank you for sharing that and I know it's hard, but I know that you have so many dreams and so it's really cool to hear some of the things that are sort of like brewing your mind or what you might want to work on you know in the future near or far down the pipe. I'm kind of related. I have one person on the line who's asking what advice would you give other people whose parents don't maybe necessarily approve their dreams just yet. Oh, well first I want to say I see you. I see you. It's really hard. It's really easy and it hurts. It really hurts to have the people who love you who nurtured you from child from babyhood to now you know to say no, we don't want that or no you can't have that or no we don't believe in you. And that's the kind of pain that will stay for a while. I'm excited to recognize that it's going to be there and what can help in these situations. Well, first, I'm a huge advocate of mental health, like take care once a mental health so I really suggest therapy counseling services group therapy any kind of resources that help with feeling healthier because part of having people not believe in you is they're not believing in yourself right and we all can we all struggle with some kind of mental health issues. So I suggest a looking for resources I wouldn't be where I am right now without my therapist absolutely 100,000% I'm so grateful for her. And also, I mean, it really depends if you if you have the language skills with your parents you can speak to them, then I would say, you know, talk to them and try to explain and show examples and be patient with them, and also understand that it is okay if they don't fully support you. I mean, I think about anyone who has to struggle with this from from being an artist to maybe doing drag and their parents are supportive that you cannot let someone's know hold you back. In my opinion when it comes to creativity and expressing yourself and being who you are. What, what does adhering to their know bring you ultimately. So yeah I mean I say listen to your voice listen to yourself and believe in yourself you can do it and their loss if they can't see it and I'm sorry that they can't see the beauty that people are. Thank you so much many I really appreciate those words and I know that these are all lessons that you know you've you thought about very carefully and so that means a lot to hear from you. The question that we have is, so I think that a theme throughout your talk was about discipline and hard work and how far that's gotten you. Do you have a routine, you know that you do every single day or do you find that, you know in terms of like you know doing your art, or do you find that you do just sort of like we can get every day like how do you produce your art and such like a no just a really disciplined manner. Okay, so I feel a little like comma the lights and when you said wing it I was like I think I've been ringing it lately. So actually I will say, give oneself permission to thrive when you thrive for a long time I felt really guilty about staying up late. I would go to bed at one or two in the morning and I'd be like, Oh, this is not average people and you know folks would say oh I start my day at seven I'm in the office by nine and I'm like, I want to be in bed till 10, and I felt so guilty about that for a long time, but we cannot stop the creativity when it's there you know it's been nearly 10 years of me working and I've just noticed either from training for moonlighting as an illustrator, or just from personal preference of the world being more quiet when it's nighttime. I really like staying up late so I like to get up late and enjoy my morning and then I, you know, do the chores of the day, and then I work at night so I try to meet up with friends for lunch not dinner. That's just what works for me. And I think if you're going to control your own schedule, and if you're your own boss, then I would say to embrace what works. Take care of yourself that's something I'm still really learning is prioritize self care because you cannot burn the candle both ends, it's just not sustainable. If you're going to stay up late, so you better sleep in, if you're going to wake up early, and you know you better get that writing in in the morning or whatever. For me, discipline looks like recognizing if I, I mean, it means making work. Well, a it means making art, even when I don't want to, because my deadlines are not going to wait for me, that if the client says it's due Friday, and I don't have a legitimate to why I need an extension. Then I got to get that work done right because a part of being an artist as a profession means that you have to work, even when you don't feel that inspiration. I think it was Norman Rockwell who said inspiration is for amateurs. It's really discipline and structure that makes people create. Often starting is hard. It's it's so scary to pick up a pencil or a paintbrush and, and feel like all this black paper. But once we start working once we start drawing the flow begins and it gets so much easier and suddenly hours have passed, but it's the psychological block that I think really holds people from from just getting in it. Ooh, it's super interesting inspiration versus, you know, just sort of like sending yourself down and like looking at assignment and really tackling it and being, you know, just sort of playing away with that until it really happens and you're in the flow. That's really, really cool. You mentioned that you work on concert posters. So one question is, do you have a playlist when you work? Do you listen to music or like do you just like have like some kind of waves and rain and showers in the background like what how does that how does that work for you? You know, I feel like I've been waiting my whole life to get this question, because I love music. I listen to a lot of music. I actually kind of tend to really like a lot of stuff. I mean, apparently, most people listen to listen on repeat for the most of their life, the things they listen to in their 20s like your 20s defines the music that you like right. But for me, I discovered musicals really late in life. I mean, like, it was like my mid 20s I was like, what's the big deal with musicals and I just felt in love. I think it was Hamilton was the first album that I listened to and then suddenly I'm listening to like live Mizorab, Fiddler on the Roof. And honestly, this is so darky but every single project I've worked on I have either hum to those albums or listen to those albums. I just love musicals. They're like podcasts. They're podcasts, you know, it's a stories and audiobook with music to it. I also just want to shout out. Libby, if you haven't used the Libby app, if you don't have a library card, and you're not listening to free audiobooks on your app, you're missing out I highly recommend so yes I listen to music I listen to a lot of bands. I mean, I feel a little embarrassed. Listen to the music. I listen to like, I like a lot of rock alternative indie music. But I also listen to a lot of audiobooks. I was not a reader growing up. I actually have dyslexia very likely. So I don't read well but audiobooks have been life changing like I listened to for the first time, the Joy Luck Club. And that was incredible and I, it's amazing for me to feel like I get to be part of the culture now that I have this other form of access to literature. That's amazing. And thank you for shouting out Libby, which is truly something that you hear the library love as well. I think we may have time for maybe one more question. So I see that someone in the chat is really interested in Momo. So, um, so just, you know, like we had mentioned that Momo is funny. And so, you know, I'm just curious, like how does, how does Momo, how is normal related to your art or how is like, tell us a little bit about Momo and you know her effect, her effect on you. I think Momo is everything. I mean, honestly, she has taught me so much when I adopted her. I, I was just like, I want to cue white bunny that's going to be so affectionate and loving. And I just so happened to pick a very aggressive bunny who wanted to nibble my fingers and toes. Plus the House Rabbits Society in Richmond, which is a fabulous nonprofit for rabbits. I call them four times maybe sent them a million emails saying, I can't keep her. She's a demon she's a soft terror. But I stuck with it. And you know what, I'm going to do something so inappropriate and I'm just going to lift my computer and show you my bunny. There she is. I'm not waiting for, no. Anyone who's made it to the very end of this presentation, you know, they really got the truth. They got the treasure. That's that was what we were saving this entire, this entire talk. But Momo actually, what's funny is when I talk about identity, she kind of became my identity, you know, I, I think, when I was a young artist I drew a lot of like angsty sad stuff, a lot of faces, and then having a pet that I love so much that gives me so much and suddenly I'm like, I want to draw up funny, you know, and so she became a subject of a lot of my work. And I think I've become like the bunny lady, but I don't mind, because I like being the bunny lady so I love her she's great she's, she's very important to me. Oh yeah and she makes a cameo in the yellow ally my upcoming picture book with by well. She is a character in the book so keep your eyes out if you get to pick up the book please snap a photo and say, you found Momo. I would also say that if you look carefully at the summer stride tote bag this year you can also spy, like a little bit of a bunny presence, you have to kind of like, you know, really look in there but there is definitely a like a bunny in there so everyone check it out. Well, I think that we know this has been such an amazing share and I feel like we've learned so much about you many and your journey. Certainly, these are words that young artists I think, you know can take out there and be inspired by. And I don't know I think everyone should sort of go down and go out this summer and do some drawing and sketching and just sort of look at your art and be you know like inspired by what you've given us. I just want to thank everyone for joining us this evening. And if you love today's program please do check out our calendar. The library is alive through August with a ton of opportunities to read play and learn together in our Bevy of virtual programs. And one more time please do drop in and see many exhibit nights and weekends at the main children's center it's full of treasures from many art studio she was very generous and sharing some of like the tools of her trade on some of the pieces and so you I think that all of you will really really enjoy it so definitely do that. Um, and else wise that's all for this evening folks please take good care of yourselves. Stay safe, and we hope to see you at another program. Thank you so much many it has been a pleasure talking to you this evening. Thank you everyone. Thank you so much.