We were lucky to catch up with Clara Chou recently and have shared our conversation below.
Clara, 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.
I feel imposter syndrome all the time. Being at Pixar was particularly challenging. I kept looking around and seeing all of these incredible artists and people with more filmmaking and shot building experience than I had. I kept wondering why they chose me out of thousands of applicants. Eventually I just get too busy to focus on the doubts anymore. My peers and mentors started to make me feel excited about sharing my work instead of anxious. Ultimately, filmmaking is fun and animation in particular has attracted some wonderful people. A good team doesn’t want you to fail. So finding people who I love to work with and projects that I care about made me feel like I belong in this industry. I don’t think imposter syndrome will ever fully go away, but now I know how to quiet it enough to genuinely enjoy my work.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Clara Chou and I am an animator and layout artist from Taiwan. I have always been interested in the arts. I left my high school in Taiwan early to attend a foundational art program in the UK and eventually graduated with a BA in Film and Animation. I then worked in the animation industry in Taiwan for two years before finding my way to USC for my MFA in Animation. I have experience working in large animation studios like Pixar as well as indie game studios and animation start ups. I’m currently an animator and rigger for a wonderful indie game studio called Sassy Chap Games. I am also the lead animator and layout artist for a quirky start up called Glorious Goats Animation.
I am passionate about using whimsical art and humor to explore more complicated themes. My work often touches upon my own experiences of feeling like an outsider in a new place.
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?
Looking back, I think that the three most important qualities to have are: perseverance, passion, and kindness.
Sometimes projects just don’t work out. Don’t take it personally and move on. There’s always a creative way to solve a problem so don’t worry if your first idea doesn’t work. Sometimes you might not even be right for a project or a project might not be right for you.
It’s important to be passionate and genuine about what you do. But also be kind to yourself and proud of your own style.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I have friends who come from all areas of filmmaking and animation. I have friends who are better lighters and modelers than I am. I have friends who come from live action and have more camera and editing knowledge than I have. I have grown the most from recognizing how skilled my friends are and asking them for help or advice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://clarachou.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claraxp1231
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarayunchengchou/
Image Credits
Shana Joseph, Emily Kalish, Ashleigh Thomas, Anton Jiracek, Sobe Okoye, Fernando Penafiel, Saad Rahman, Samantha Timple, Leyi Dai, Lisa Xiaojia Li, Shengluo Zhang 🙂
