Meet Jessica Hsu

We recently connected with Jessica Hsu and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I think overcoming imposter syndrome as a necessity of growth once we can discipline the mind in a healthy manner. I can’t say that I do not have imposter syndrome. I use it as positive stress to motivate me to strive further and desire for more than what I already have. Everyone has their own way of struggles and feels fear and pain. We often like to share our successes but not many would go into detail and be outspoken of what they had to do to get there.
I grew up as an artist surrounded by friends who I had always seen as the best of the bests. They are still very successful to this day because of how much they enjoy what they do. Obviously, I had been always been envious of their work, making me very insecure of my own. However, while growing together I learned that we were all envious of each other for things I didn’t imagine, making me realize we all just want to be artists. It’s not a competition. Whether we are professors or students, in the race to success we can only compare with the people we see, the ones next to us and ones in ahead.
Remember the reason you started what you’re doing.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a visual development artist and illustrator who’s always looking for a team to create new designs and be a part of a big picture, My mission as an artist is to create images that grant pleasure for people’s eyes and mind. I focus on composition, character gestures, and color to set the mood. I love storytelling with characters in a moment and I emphasize poses and color keys to bring my pieces to another level. I have a very adaptive style, from graphic to realistic rendering, from cartoon to semi-realism. My favorite artists are Ikari Fukuda (Kotteri) and Celine Kim, or some days it’d be Leyendecker and Bernie Fuchs.
Currently, I am working remotely on a few freelance gigs as well as part-times, so I have a comfortable life for now.

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?

For starters, I believe the most important quality is the friends you make and learning how to talk to people regardless of age and profession. I wouldn’t have exactly loved my life and the steps I’ve taken to get to this point if I had done it alone. I had always gone out to events and hangouts with many different friend groups. It has created so many highlights in life and you have them to make sure you don’t go insane.
A personal knowledge I have is to never forget to go crazy and let your creativity loose. For many years as a beginner artist, I was obsessed with having amazing technical skills because it made art looked admirable. Being so crazed with having good technicals hindered my creativity so much that I became stale and felt like I lacked imagination outside of my field of vision. Technicals are important, but it won’t cover up everything not everything.
Final knowledge, as a wise professor I once had had said: “Always ask questions.” There are a lot of things you’d be surprised to learn from peers, whether or not you already know the answers to.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I wish my partner knows how much I’ve learned from him over the years we’ve been together. I often struggle with names of people, so I’m easily one of the most uncultured person I’ve ever met. Because of him, I’ve started paying more attention to celebrities and film culture. It helped improve my knowledge on the history and news of the entertainment industry. It is a small thing but it has most definitely helped me when socializing with others more easily and researching for film references.
Then during the times when I’m in my slump, he always reminds me that I have the ability to do anything.
I also have to mention all the friends who I’ve met in high school and ArtCenter. It was them that made my ArtCenter and life worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jaysu.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jay._.su/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysu715/