Meet Avalon Chew

We recently connected with Avalon Chew and have shared our conversation below.

Avalon, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My family had a huge role to play in developing my work ethic. My parents raised me to work hard from an early age. My dad, being a researcher and an educator, has the best advice when it comes to dealing with the stresses of professional life. Despite working long hours in order to provide for our family, he maintains a healthy work-life balance to enjoy his career as well as his personal life. My mother is similarly diligent. She works tirelessly in order to provide for my brothers and I, while still supporting her parents back in Malaysia. They are both exemplary role models. My brothers also had an impact on my work ethic. I’ve always admired their motivation and determination, and their drive pushes me to hold myself to a higher standard.

I also get my work ethic from my peers and educators. I’ve had the privilege of being taught by very brilliant people throughout my schooling years, and they have imparted valuable knowledge and skills to me. It doesn’t really matter what subjects they were teaching, art or otherwise, these teachers gave me discipline and strategies to excel in whatever it was I chose to pursue. Additionally, the friends around me have taught me so much. In observing the strategies in which my friends work, I can adopt skills that are useful to me in my own practice. Being surrounded by smart and talented peers has helped me learn a better way to work without burning myself out. I appreciate my friends for being there for me and influencing my work ethic.

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?

I am a 2D character/FX animator, illustrator and video editor. I’ve directed and animated two short films so far, under the guidance of my professors and with help from my schoolmates. Currently I’m making a third one, now that I’ve graduated from college. Thanks to my love of Dungeons and Dragons, I have taken an interest in the fantasy adventure genre and all things magical. In a lot of the art I create, I tend to incorporate magical elements into them. The fun thing about being an artist who also plays D&D with others is that I get to bring characters to life, not just by playing or game-mastering, but also by illustrating the interesting shenanigans that we get into in-game.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Perhaps this is the fantasy nerd in me speaking, but I think a quality I find quite impactful as an artist is whimsy. It is important as a creative to let imagination run free. This is not only limited to the art we create, but in the direction we take our life. Letting myself indulge in ambitious thinking helped me set life goals. In a harsh and cruel world, whimsy can help keep our spirits up.

Another skill that is important to have is the ability to collaborate. No man is an island, everyone needs the help of other people to thrive. Not being afraid to reach out for help is still something I’m trying to get better at, but the times which I’ve done it have been incredibly beneficial. Although I pride myself in being an independent person, when push comes to shove, I need to reach out to my support system before I burn myself out. There is no shame in asking for help from others. More often than not, people are excited to give advice and share their experiences with you, and you can learn so much from the people around you. Reaching out also made me realize that I am not alone in my struggles. There are so many others who have gone through similar hardships, and they have the knowledge on how to push through, and I am so grateful that they have imparted their own wisdom onto me.

Finally, I think resilience is something that helped me immensely in my journey. This might be cheesy to hear, but don’t give up hope! The first time I tried my hand at animation, I was in high school. At the time, I thought it was so difficult, and the piece I took weeks and weeks on embarrassed me to tears! However, with the encouragement of my classmates and teachers, I continued to draw and make art. Soon later I revisited animation, and here I am now, with 2 animated films under my belt.

Also, something that helped me when starting out was to get really obsessed with a piece of media, something that you love which you are willing to sink thousands of hours into. It really changes part of your brain chemistry to really love something so much that you want to draw fanart for it 24/7. Inadvertently, you will be motivated to improve your art just so that you can better depict your favorite character or scene. It doesn’t have to be something that you share with the internet or public, it can be your own thing that you keep in your own sketchbook but doesn’t see the light of day. This method ties into practicing your art consistently. Be so engaged in a piece of media that you have no choice but to improve your skills.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

Uncertainty. They say the only constant in life is change. Life loves to throw curveballs at you, and it feels like it’s impossible to plan ahead. I’m at a critical juncture in my life, both personal and professional, and the stress of it all has me feeling terrified and restless. Regrettably, I’ve neglected my own health in order to work myself to the bone trying to keep myself afloat. Navigating the ordeals of a tumultuous time has been utterly draining, and I’ve resorted to old bad habits trying to avoid the really big problems.

I’m taking the opportunity that life has thrown at me to do some self-reflection. I have to trust that I have enough strength and patience to ride out whatever challenges this period of difficulty will give me. Instead of drowning in the waves of change, I’m going with the flow, and doing my best to roll with the punches. I’m constantly reminding myself to have more compassion for myself. It is counterproductive to beat myself up over things that don’t necessarily go well, I just have to take it as a sign that it wasn’t meant to be, or see it as an area for improvement, and act accordingly. I am learning to be kinder and more patient with myself. Life is already cruel and unkind, it will be detrimental to me if I double down on the hurt. I’m also trying to make the best use of the Now. Grounding myself and being more present in the moment instead of worrying incessantly about the future is helping me take it one step at a time.

It’s easy during these times to fall into the trap of self-isolation. However, it is more crucial than ever to connect with my good friends and family. It brings me back to the point about not being afraid to reach out to others when in doubt. I don’t just mean going out in person (although that can be exciting and fun), even texting someone or getting on a video call can do wonders for your well-being. It is important to remember that I have people who care about me and want to help me get through it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://avalonchew.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avi.sketches/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avalon-chew/