We recently connected with Cherry Mo and have shared our conversation below.
Cherry, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?
We all have had our own experiences in life. Sometimes when going through it, it feels like we are alone. But have you ever noticed later on, that there are so many more people going through a similar experience as you did?
I grew up with anxiety and was a very shy kid. With the two combined, I was very closed off from others. I was afraid to tell my parents what I really went through mentally when I was alone. It wasn’t until college when the anxiety escalated did I finally open up to my mother. My mother introduced me to “Dao”, which is not a religion but a positive way of life, and I was able to diminish my anxiety tremendously from applying these teachings in my own life. I went through a journey of understanding that fear is not real and learned to overcome oneself. By working on myself internally, my life opened up tremendously. I also began to see that there are many more individuals who are going through the same kind of suffering. Now, I feel that my experience with anxiety is a tool to empathize, connect with, and assist others, to bring others hope that it is possible to overcome something inside that seems so dark, and that the light at the end of the tunnel is not so far away!
And not just anxiety– our experiences in life can become powerful gifts to understand and assist others. Our experiences thus grow to have such a meaningful purpose!
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?
I am an author-illustrator, with my debut picture book HOME IN A LUNCHBOX coming out June 11, 2024 from Penguin Workshop (Penguin Young Readers). I absolutely love my job, because I get to translate my journey into stories that assist children to feel understood and loved. How amazing and what an honor it is to be in this profession.
HOME IN A LUNCHBOX is inspired by my personal experience as a young girl going through the first days of school in the US after immigrating from Hong Kong, without knowing English. Through this almost wordless picture book, we learn that connection can be beyond language, and that the warmth of home is not so far away after all.
I expect to have book launch events in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and possibly in the Boston area also. I’ll post news on my social media, so feel free to find me there (Instagram & X handles @hellocherrymo)!
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?
The most important one to me is cultivating a healthy mind and positive way of life. As artists, what we have inside is what is translated onto our canvas. When I was anxious and heavy inside, I squeezed out onto the canvas what I could, but the subject matters and colors were all so dark. I knew that wasn’t me! After taking some time to adjust my mindset, creating art became so much easier and freer, and I became a much happier artist. Even though in my situation, I had to take a break, it wasn’t a setback. There is a Chinese saying, “Taking a step back is actually moving forward.” I feel in my case, it was my step of moving forward. I’m grateful to say that now, I can finally draw what makes me happy, because I found a direction in my life that makes me truly happy!
I also find it so important to not look down on oneself. I can’t tell you how many times I doubted myself in my journey to publication. But I’m so grateful for all of the encouragement from loved ones to keep moving forward. I also needed to learn to be my own cheerleader!
Lastly, I’m learning to cultivate the mentality of being open to learning. Along the way of getting my picture book published, there were SO many wonderful people that offered their insight, advice, and critiques. I took what resonated with me, and the book went through countless revisions. I remember one of my professors said, we need to learn to learn. I needed to learn to learn! There is so much I don’t know, and I need to be open to learning, so I can keep improving in order to get closer to reaching my goal.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
Since HOME IN A LUNCHBOX is dedicated to my parents, this is such a fitting question! It’s hard to narrow down on one thing, as they have given everything to make my sister and me who we are today. If narrowing down to one, I would like to thank my parents for giving me the space, time, encouragement, and strength to figure out my path in life. It was about six years that I took a break from pursuing art. It was a big decision, as everything in my life at the time revolved around art. However, I felt like I was running full speed with no direction. For those six years, it was definitely not easy for them either. There was so much that they had invested and sacrificed so that I could pursue my dream, but they also saw how I was struggling so much internally. Through it all, they trusted that I will find my way, without giving me any pressure. Those six years were much needed, not just finding my direction in my career, but also in life. I needed the time to grow and mature, and that was what they provided for me and allowed me to have, and I am eternally grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cherrymo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellocherrymo/
- Twitter: https://x.com/hellocherrymo
