We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Catherine Kong a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Catherine, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
It is definitely not unusual for a considerable number of artists to encounter burnout throughout their artistic careers, and I am no different. But! It certainly can be avoided 🙂 Sometimes navigating the treacherous waters of burnout in the artistic realm required a strategic blend of creativity and self-care. instead of drowning in the waters of deadlines, I try to effectively manage my time and avoid procrastinating as much as I can. I also make sure to give myself a break once in a while to take a breather from the digital whirlwind; going on runs, rock climbing, and simply petting my roommate’s adorable feline has been my revitalizing sanctuary. For me, motivation emerges when I take the first step of working on something, so during instances of potential burnout, I counteract it by delving into drawing studies or go plein air painting to spark my motivation again.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Heya readers 😀 I am a concept artist focusing on realistic environment designs for games and film! For those who are not familiar with these terms, we basically design the characters, environments, props, vehicles etc for a variety of entertainment such as games, films, animations, or theme parks!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Genuinely LOVING what you do- in my view, passion is by far the most important quality to success for anything in any industry! It’s like having the finest blend of spices in a culinary masterpiece; it’s the secret ingredient that elevates the entire dish :]
2. Dream big- dream incredibly big, dream ambitiously big, dream exceptionally big, dream remarkably big–because dreaming big is the key to unlocking boundless possibilities and achieving dream-like greatness beyond imagination.
3. Be more open minded and always be curious- self explanatory, be more curious and always be open minded.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Oh man, narrowing down to just one individual who significantly influenced my development feels like a challenge against my will. I’ve been very fortunate to have a constellation of mentors, teachers, and supporters who collectively played pivotal roles in helping me overcome challenges and build the essential skills, qualities, and knowledge needed for success. you know who you are!
Contact Info:
- Website: kcatherine.artstation.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherineee.psd/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-k-308717211/
Image Credits
pfp- @siy0000n on Instagram!
