Meet Jennifer Yung

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

Jennifer, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

Creativity is everywhere for me. Inspiration can happen in the most unexpected ways or found in places waiting to be discovered–from walking out the door to watching movies or shows, local stores and familiar places too. I have found that there is always something to discover if you are looking for it. Often I enjoy the outdoors and admire the colors and shapes that nature effortlessly creates. Museums and craft fairs are great places to see what other creatives are making. I am touched by the stories that are made, told, and retold several times over in so many mediums. And it encourages me to have my own voice and my own story to tell, that I work on every day.

Inspiration is just one facet, and then harnessing creative energy allows me to tap into my art. When I get excited about a project I’m on, I find myself getting lost in the flow and wanting to see where the end may take me. The unknown is thrilling and also a bit scary, but worth pursuing. My peers and family are also a great source of inspiration as well. I am constantly energized by those around me, and we encourage each other’s creativity and journey. With all these sources, I find myself with almost too many things I’d like to create and explore, and so I document and share my ideas to keep them in a space that I can tap back into when the moment is right.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Jennifer Yung, an Asian-American illustrator and designer from Queens, NY.

With my background rooted in branding, visual identities, and packaging for over 10+ years, I’ve had many rich opportunities to explore different worlds and personalities. Helping shape brands, small businesses, or products have been experiences I enjoy most during my work. Being able to tell someone’s story and make it come to life is a privilege.

I love the outdoors, botanical art, and all things connected to nature. Sustainability and the environment are core focuses within my personal life, and I strive to highlight the beauty and aura of nature and its wonders in my art. Some of work includes recycling textiles and crafting usable goods from things that may be otherwise discarded. True to my love of nature, many of my designs proudly promote sustainability awareness and focus on eco-conscious materials.

As a local artist, I focus on participating in community-based events in the New York area that support small businesses and creatives. Recently, I’ve done work in Long Island City for the Lunar New Year visual campaign, along with local artist markets while working on a long term children’s book collaboration. I always have multiple projects going on, including sewing, crafting with fellow peers, and creating new stickers and art.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Structure, free play, and new experiences. I have found that a system or a structure is really important in maintaining a consistent flow of work, and also being able to make the time and space for creativity. This can come in many forms, but ultimately it is what works best for each individual–an organization system, scheduling, bullet journaling, an accountability partner–there are many ways to introduce a structure that keeps progress measurable.

Making space for free play is so valuable–where there is no set goal, or achievable task. It is freeing when you can create with no boundaries, try a new hobby, or pickup something where you left it off. We all need breaks from our work, even if it’s something that we enjoy and are passionate about–and when we play, sometimes there are amazing things that come up when our state of mind lets go of parameters to enjoy the moment.

New experiences are so essential to growth. I find this in the form of travel, visiting galleries or talks by other inspiring creatives, or exploring new stores that just opened in the neighborhood. A change of environment and discovery are refreshing and stimulating, allowing for new thought patterns and ideas to come forth. But we don’t always need to be in a state of making or creating, enjoying newness creates space for ourselves to experience something different.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

Our strengths and weaknesses are something that we consider constantly–I believe that we need to listen to ourselves. When we try improving areas that we aren’t strong in, but continue to be difficult to pursue, there is something to be learned. Some areas come more naturally, and others not so much–by listening to ourselves and our inclinations, we will naturally gravitate towards the things that we are strong in or have continued interest in. The areas that prove more difficult tell us that maybe these are areas that take more time to pursue, and then we must ask, is it worth my time to keep pursuing this area? How much am I willing to invest in this? The answer isn’t always clear, but we must consider, what is the type of work I want to do? What are the projects I want to work on, and are those fulfilling?

There have been a few projects that I’ve taken on that were client-focused and less topic-relevant to the subject matter that I prefer to create. For example, I took on a project to create illustrations on landmarks and buildings, but this is an area that I had less expertise in, and I was already overcommitted at the time. Instead, I decided to partner with another illustrator peer to achieve the desired results, and it worked out great. It is important to acknowledge your limitations, and sometimes there is an opportunity to give that to someone else in your community, or find a resource that can help achieve the same result. There is strength in understanding where your skills may be limited, and being transparent about it. There is no shame in communicating that projects are not within your wheelhouse or things may not be the right fit. You can always come back to learn new areas even if you may not have been ready for them at the time–understanding what is right for you in this moment will allow you to take on the projects that are more meaningful and purposeful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jenniferyung.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferyungart/