Meet Missy Galang

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Missy Galang. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Missy below.

Missy, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I’m a first-generation Filipina American. At 4’11”, I’ve been considered small—even within my own culture. Add a quirky personality and an unconventional sense of style, and I quickly became aware—especially in corporate spaces in the U.S.—that people often struggled to take me seriously. That was something I never really had to confront before moving here.

I’ve spent over 20 years working in the corporate world, and early on, assimilating felt like part of survival. I learned when to soften, when to observe, and when to adapt in order to be heard. But while I adjusted how I showed up, I never compromised the quality of my work. Over time, that work spoke for itself. Consistency, preparation, and results earned me credibility—even in rooms where I didn’t fit the visual expectation of authority.

After a bout of burnout, I returned to my first love: art—and it opened a completely different door. In the art world, there’s room for everyone. Your point of view is what matters. It’s a space where you can tell stories, explore experiences, and follow your ideas wherever your mind takes you, and people are willing to explore alongside you. That freedom allowed me to reclaim parts of myself I once felt pressured to mute.

Being the only one in the room taught me that effectiveness doesn’t come from fitting a mold—it comes from trusting your voice and standing behind your work. I’ve learned that the very things that once made me feel out of place are often my greatest strengths. Art, in particular, has given me a way to connect with people in a deeply human and unexpected way. There’s no small talk—you go straight to ideas, stories, and shared curiosity. And in that space, you realize you have far more in common with the people around you than you ever imagined.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m a multidisciplinary artist focused on visual storytelling. My work explores ideas around identity, culture, and shared experience through bold forms, pattern, and symbolism. Most pieces begin with a single thought or feeling and unfold into layered narratives that invite people to slow down and look a little closer.

What excites me most is connection. Art has a way of bypassing small talk and going straight to ideas. When someone engages with my work, it becomes a quiet exchange—open to interpretation, curiosity, and personal meaning. I love that people often see parts of their own stories reflected back to them.

As for what’s new, I regularly share updates on upcoming shows and new collections on my website and social channels, where people can follow along as the work continues to evolve.

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?

When I look back, it’s funny how the things that helped me most weren’t especially glamorous or strategic. There wasn’t a master plan—just a lot of trial and error, curiosity, and showing up even when I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing. If I had to name what quietly carried me through, it would come down to three things: curiosity, discipline, and learning to trust my own point of view.
Curiosity, in my case, has always been less about collecting ideas and more about a genuine craving to understand. I’m drawn to origins, history, context, and the why behind things. Digging deeper—and exploring different points of view from many sources—has continually enriched my own. I learn a lot from other artists as well, across different styles and disciplines, who are often incredibly generous about sharing how they think and work. That desire to understand has shaped how I think, how I work, and how I create, and it’s something I don’t think should ever fade, no matter where you are in your journey.
Discipline is what sustained me. Inspiration comes and goes, but showing up consistently is what quietly builds skill and confidence over time. A lot of growth happened in the unglamorous moments—making work when no one was watching, and staying with it even when things felt uncertain.
Learning to trust my point of view came more slowly. I’ve never been particularly comfortable using words to explain myself, so finding a visual language became my way in. Art gave me a quiet way to express what I couldn’t always articulate out loud. Over time, I realized I didn’t need to sound like anyone else or take up space in a loud way for my perspective to matter. Once I stopped trying to translate myself into something more familiar, things began to click.
Together, those things—curiosity, discipline, and self-trust—became a steady undercurrent that allowed me to move across different worlds while staying grounded in who I am.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to meet and learn from so many artists in my community, and I’m always excited to connect with more. I’m drawn to collaborations that come from shared curiosity and mutual respect—whether that’s with fellow artists, organizers, or people who care deeply about creating meaningful experiences through art.

I’ve always wished for more people to see art as something accessible rather than intimidating. Art doesn’t have to be exclusive to matter. Some of the most meaningful connections happen through local art—work that’s rooted in place, story, and community. I love collaborations that help encourage that kind of engagement and shift attention away from “big-box” mass-produced art toward work that’s personal, thoughtful, and made by real people.

I regularly show work alongside other artists across different styles and mediums, and those shows are some of my favorite spaces to connect. I encourage everyone who reads this to come to a show, look at the art, talk to us about it—you might be surprised by the range of work you’ll encounter and the conversations that naturally unfold.

If someone feels a connection to my work and wants to explore an idea together, the best way to reach me is through my website or social channels, where I share ongoing projects and upcoming shows.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://missygalang.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/messygalang/