We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shin Yu Liu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shin Yu below.
Shin Yu, sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
I’m a Comedic Screenwriter and an Independent Film Producer who is also Epileptic (triggered by stress and lack of sleep; fully clashing with the arduous hours working on set) and is dealing with major Anxiety Issues. So, if you think about it — balancing my creative endeavours with my mental health issues is kind of ‘my thing.’
Of course, there’s still a lot about my conditions that I have yet to learn about. But what helps me most currently is: to take my medications as prescribed. Of course, this isn’t new. It’s just a precaution that I take to help minimise the potential effects my mental health issues have on my work. Whenever I’m on set, I bring with me travel-size pill containers. Especially if I know that a project is going to keep me up late. And it doesn’t matter how hectic things can get, I always make time to take my medication.
Another thing is to have support systems on set. When a project spans more than a couple of days, I always keep in mind to let my colleagues know of my condition. And yes, I completely understand that said conversation can be terrifying to have. Especially when you don’t know how they will react. Will it negatively impact your professional relationship? Or will they be understanding of your condition? You just don’t know. And yet, I still choose to be honest 100% of the time. Because, when it comes down to it, I’d rather have colleagues who know how to deal with my seizures or panic attacks during production than anything else. After all, exhilarating promotions, wonderful new skills, and all the amazing aspects that come with collaborating in a creative environment are things that you can only enjoy if you’re alive and well.
Mental health issues are tough in that, most times, you can’t really see the impact it has on a person’s life with just a quick skim. And yet, it’s very real and, in many ways, completely dictates the way the said person contributes to any given project. I would love to sit here and go on and on about foolproof tips and tricks. But the reality is that, sometimes, precautions just aren’t enough and we’ll slip up simply… because. And nothing more. I remember the first time I had to miss out on a production because I seized while I was getting ready. I also remember the subsequent projects after that where similar things happened despite the precautions I took.
The internal backlash of these events doesn’t feel great, especially when we feel incredibly passionate about the project we’ve been signed onto as well as the colleague we’ve been gifted with. It truly feels like I chose to let my team down. This guilt and self-condemnation took years for me to train myself out of. I think the best way to ‘overcome’ or ‘persist’ despite the challenges related to mental health issues is just to remember that nobody walks the face of the Earth with the hopes of ‘collecting’ mental health issues like they’re Pokémon. Including ourselves. So, be kind. To others and, most importantly, to yourself.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a Vietnamese-born artist who, through the influence of my parents, fell in love with film. Of course, movies would’ve been in my life regardless of their influence. But I truly believe that their joint passion for movies was that final push that got me to make that leap from a movie-goer to a filmmaker.
On one hand, my mother was (and still is) a Science-Fiction and Thriller fanatic; she loved the concepts that were born from titles like the ‘Tron’ series as well as the blood-pumping rush that arose from the likes of ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’ On the other, my father had a deep love and appreciation for Action Comedies and Crime’ films; there was nothing that could destress him the way a good Stephen Chow movie or an hour or two in the world of ‘The Godfather’ series could.
They truly paved the way for my appreciation for the audio-visual medium that is film and television. It’s also no coincidence that some of the most revisited genres in my work perfectly align with my parents’ interests. Even when I told them that I was looking to pursue a career in Independent Film Producing and Comedic Screenwriting, they were filled to the brim with enthusiasm. My every step in the past few years, truly, could never have been realised without the strong foundation of film appreciation that my parents have built for me.
Then, as I slowly paved my way while in school, I was luckily met with mentors such as Averie Storck who encouraged me to participate in more projects than I thought I was capable of participating. She helped me get as close to my ‘full potential’ as humanly possible. Chris Auer for never giving up on me as I stumbled my way through the intricacies of screenwriting to find my ‘voice.’ And, last but not least, Peggy Lyu for being my portal into the role of Producer for Independent Films. Without her, I would’ve never found the success I discovered.
I carry their legacy as I continue my exploration in Atlanta, Georgia (they are all still very much alive and well).
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?
I’m still at a very early stage in my career, so I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I know the secrets to the Universe (and the entertainment industry). All I will say is that intrinsic motivation, realistic positivity, and kindness to others seldom go unrewarded.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Finding the best places to meet like-minded people is always the greatest obstacle/challenge when arriving in a new area. I’m still playing around with the different methods, again I’m still very new to life as it is now, but reconnecting with old friends and cold outreaches has been rather helpful thus far. However, I do hope to look into better and more reliable ways to meet people as of right now. A little of a cop-out answer, but I really am in my Scientist phase where I’m just throwing things at a wall and seeing what sticks. Maybe in a few years, I’ll have more wisdom to share.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shinyuliu.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/shinyuliuu
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/shinyuliu
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shinyuliu
