We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hao Ou a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hao, 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?
I think daily life is the best source of creativity. Maybe this is a habit for designers — we like to observe things around us and interact with them. From these small moments, we get thoughts and feelings that inspire new ideas. For example, when I unlock the door and come home, I don’t want to put my keys back in my pocket. I prefer to have a place near the entrance where I can leave them easily. To me, life itself is creativity.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I often call myself a “bad student” because I don’t put all my energy into school or studio work. After COVID, the world changed a lot. I worked for two years after my undergraduate degree, and that job helped me understand how different school is from society. Now, when I return to school, I see it more clearly — I know what I need.
So I don’t want to be limited by only doing schoolwork. I don’t think a syllabus should tell me everything I must do. Maybe this sounds a bit rebellious, but I’m happy I chose to study in my own way. I want to feel like “a person learning in school,” not just “a student.”
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, the three most important qualities for me are:
Knowing myself
Caring about others
Always thinking
My advice for would be :Live your life well and observe the world around you. Each person is the main character of their own life, even if everyone has a different “script.” I believe every life story is interesting in its own way. When we look at the world outside our door, we see many stories coming together. At those points where lives connect, we can learn by watching and thinking about others’ experiences. This can help us better understand ourselves too.
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?
My father is a Cantonese opera performer. When I was a child, he often worked late into the night, so I couldn’t see him in the mornings before school. To stay connected, he would leave me notes on the table by the door, writing down what he wanted to say. This became our special way of communication. I still keep the habit of writing letters today. For me, writing by hand feels more honest and thoughtful than using digital tools. This habit taught me how to express my thoughts clearly and deeply. It also helped me become more reflective, more patient, and more connected to people.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @howwwwooo
- Linkedin: Hao Ou
