Meet Thy Vo

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Thy Vo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Thy, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I like to think I have a strong work ethic. It’s what others typically notice about me first when they work with me; I’m fast, organized, and I can handle a large workload. I know for a fact that it comes from my parents and sister; first generation immigrants that juggled odd jobs and long hours all while struggling with culture shock and learning a new language.

My parents worked over 80 hours a week to make sure bills were paid and needs were met. My sister is 10 years older than me, so when she should’ve been enjoying her teen years, she was coming to my parent-teacher meetings and school events. By the time I was 8, I was a latchkey kid and by the time I was 10, I had a phone for emergencies since I was alone so often. I had to learn to cook and clean very young so that I could help out around the house while the adults were out. I also learned from my family to not bite off more than I can chew, Being hardworking and efficient was good, but being healthy and present for today and tomorrow was even better. While my childhood was hard, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s made me who I am today and I’m very proud of it.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a 2D animator with 6 years of professional experience. I started out in motion design, making commercial and internal videos for clients like Delta Airlines, Home Depot, and IHG. Halfway through my career, I shifted to more series and interactive work for clients like Cartoon Network, adult swim, and PBS Kids. I consider myself a generalist, so I tend to jump around genres and departments often; pretty much just trying to be as useful as I can while make fun videos and content. I’ve enjoyed working in children’s media, especially when the content covers topics of diversity and inclusivity. I’ve also really enjoyed being in lead positions, guiding a team to the finish line and helping more junior animators elevate their work. This summer, I was one of 6 leads in a volunteer project with over 40 artists to produce a 2 minute film. I took what I learned from Primal Screen and really pushed for a healthy work environment. I hope that what I fostered will carry through with those recent grads so they, in turn, find work situations that take care of them mentally and emotionally as well. As for my career right now, I’m working fulltime as a freelance animator, hopping from project to project as needed. I don’t really know where my future is going right now, but I’m aiming and aligning for the title of animation director and to make entertaining content for kids.

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 me, the first one would be consuming media. I watched lots of cartoons as a kid, but as I got older and my responsibilities grew, I realized that I stopped making time to enjoying the things that sparked my creativity. I’ve since started watching new and old films, saving works that speak with me, and figuring out what it is about them that resonates with me. Consuming lots of media whether it’s film, music, books, etc and analyzing the impactful elements is what’s really going to fuel your creativity and help you make better work.

Second would be surrounding yourself with good people. While starting out in the industry, it can feel tempting to be or act a certain way while you network, but it’s going to burn you out faster than you realize. I really recommend finding other people that you actually get along with whether that’s because of their work ethic, their interests, or even just plain vibes. Surround yourself with people you actually like and admire so that you can spend more time being you and growing in a more fulfilling way.

Lastly, I would say don’t compare yourself to others. Focus on what you like and what you want to do and that will carry you way farther than you ever could’ve imagined. It’s good to have some healthy inspiration and even competition, but don’t ever let it be a source of negativity in your life. My favorite saying, especially as a woman of color, is that “so many others are already putting you down, so you don’t have time to be doing it to yourself as well.”

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

Like many other artists, I was laid off this year due to a studio closure. It’s been financially and mentally exhausting navigating the freelance world again full time. There’s a current drought in the industry so finding work has been tough, but I’ve managed to stay afloat so far. A large part of that has also been the kindness shown by my peers and friends sending work my way and I’m so incredibly grateful for that. I’m continuing to learn, put myself out there, and keep my head up. It’s going to take a lot to make me give up on art and animation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thydvo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milk_thy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thy-dai-vo/