Meet Benson Shum

We were lucky to catch up with Benson Shum recently and have shared our conversation below.

Benson, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I wonder if imposter syndrome ever goes away. I’ve been working in the animation industry for over 20 years, and have published 9 children’s books. And I still have it. I’m constantly blown away by people around me. But I don’t think its necessarily a bad thing. I believe we can be confident in our work and also still have imposter syndrome. I see it more of a strength. The idea that there is always something to learn. Yes, we don’t want the imposter syndrome to over take and prevent us from moving forward, but having a little of it can be a driving tool for us. How I overcome this is with practice. No matter the field. Ask questions, stay humble and keep at it. Set your own goals and not what others set for you. Don’t aim for the top right away but small steps that move toward your end goal. And as we achieve those steps, the imposter syndrome would be less.

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?
Thank you for sharing my story. My name is Benson Shum. I’m a children’s book author and illustrator, as well as an animator. Ever since I was a kid, I loved to draw and create stories. And as I got older, I realized this could be a career and pursued animation. The people and friends I’ve met in the industry are incredible. I’ve been working in animation for over 20 years. Currently I’m an animator at the Walt Disney Animation Studios. I’ve been there for 11 years. And have been fortunate to work on films like Frozen, Big Hero 6, Moana, Zootopia, Frozen, Encanto and many more.

Aside from animating, I’m also a children’s book author and illustrator. This is a second career for me on top of animation. The people that write, illustrate, and edit books for children’s are amazing. Everyone is passionate and supportive and want to share joy and kindness with the world. I feel very luck to be part of it.

My books are about being kind, building empathy and sharing who you are. I hope my stories will connect with people of all ages. To find out more information on my books and works, visit https://bensonshum.com/

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Draw from life. My teachers and the books I’ve read encouraged us to go outside and observe what we see. Drawing from life trains our eyes to see things three-dimensionally. And to observe life around us also gives us fuel for our stories.

Reading is important. Reading allows us to travel without having to leave our home. We have amazing access to libraries and bookstores.

Taking the time to create and nuture friendships. My friends and family are a huge inspiration for my work.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
That’s a great question. I know a lot of us feel this way or have felt this way. First thing is to take a long, deep, breath. Step away from the situation for a bit. Give space to what we are stress about clears our mind. sometimes I take a walk, do mundane things like, wash dishes, clean the apartment. Doing something different then what you were focused on really helps. Exercise is a great stress reliever as well. If you can’t make it to the gym, go for a walk. Talk to you friends, pets or plants, write down your thoughts. The idea is to get what in your head out of your mind can help clear a path and hopefully the answer will come.

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