Meet Sam Chon

We recently connected with Sam Chon and have shared our conversation below.

Sam, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

It still lingers from and there. Coming in at most inconvenient of times. What I learned about myself is to try and be creative or completing a small task. That doesn’t mean strictly art creation but doing little wins here and there. Folding laundry, walking the cat, READING, which I rarely do but want to get more into. Giving myself some time to rot for a bit, in hopes of it sprouting something new. Do something, even if its a small piece, a doodle on a sticky note, a smiley face on your calendar for a day to look forward to, a new video game to play, or a new tutorial to watch to improve my craft.

I eventually got tired of being tired, tired of being sad all the time, tired of thinking of “what ifs,” and tired of feeling shame or embarrassment. It still lingers but I recover faster and quicker as I tell my brain, “This isn’t fine, but I’ll be okay and take it one day at a time.”

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

As a creative and storyteller, I’ve always dreamed of sharing the emotions I’ve felt watching One Piece and other shows of the like growing up. The adrenaline or fear when a character is at their peak, somber moments when needed, the immersion of a well told story or exhilarating environment. I strive to pursue imagery that conveys a fun narrative in my illustrations. Worlds we wish to be in. Using my past to make my versions of “what ifs” in a creative and exciting approach.

Having worked on multiple animated TVs shows and video games, I want to share my experience and knowledge through my teachings at:
Concept Design Academy | Enrollment ends June 12th 2024
Blender for Concept Art with Samuel Chon (Online Course)
GGAcademy.co/ | Enrollment ended
https://www.ggacademy.co/blenderforvisualdevelopment

More insight and content found on my website at:
www.artofchon.com
Instagram: i_samuelart

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Remembering how I felt when watching my favorite media or playing my favorite video games. Using that feeling or visual imagery for art creation. No matter how you’re taught, step by step, every person is creative. Everyone is unique in their own way through their own experiences and taste.

Calling a truce with your inner critic. Our own minds can be our greatest ally, or an aggressor “out” to get us. A culmination of people we’ve met and endured, memories spliced together to form a mind blob telling us we aren’t good enough. Give yourself some time and try to get yourself in a happier environment. We regurgitate everything around us and what we consume. There’s only so much we can take in and a majority of it is beyond our power. You don’t have to do it alone by the way which brings me to my next point.

Comprehending and understanding that everyone has their own journey, stress, and trauma. No one likes to work with a terrible person. We spend half our lives, maybe more, at our jobs. We all want to prosper, be happy, and have a community.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

Do both why not!? That was an overwhelming answer but its true. There really is no end goal and there shouldn’t be. We continually learn new things, about ourselves, the world, new facts or techniques. Start small and little by little. Information we learn today could drastically change a year from now so be sure to have an open mind. Adapt and overcome as best you can.

Appreciate and harden your strengths but give yourself some grace when you can’t muster any energy for everything else. Its not sugarcoating or being lazy. We all have different speeds in learning something new. Life stress and trauma will slow down the process and that’s okay. Have a fun idea or goal in mind before doing so and take your time reaching it. A minute will add up to a day, to a week, to a year so build up that confidence, one instance at a time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artofchon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i_samuelart/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samjchon/
• Other: Class link:
  https://www.ggacademy.co/blenderforvisualdevelopment

Image Credits

Sam J Chon