We were lucky to catch up with Ellen Ma recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ellen, 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.
One of the main ways I overcame imposter syndrome is to just own it – own my creativity, my passion, the art that I produce, and just really believe in myself. I came to this point when I decided to take risks by vending at a number of different events this past year. I didn’t know where my art actually fit so I thought the best way was to just to put myself out there and gain as much exposure as possible. At times it was intimidating as I was surrounded by other vendors and a community that had all attended a specific event for years and I was the newcomer but the amount of support and “I’ve never seen this kind of art before” was so encouraging. This really helped shape my perspective as to who I am as an artist and how I can continue my growth within my art journey.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m very inspired by Japanese/Asian tattoo aesthetics, particularly the subjects that have a background or connection to lore and mythology. I’m also a monster lover (I’m pretty keen about all things weird and creepy) and love exploring Japanese Yokai. Besides producing art prints and stickers, I’m currently working on expanding my merch from designing haori jackets, button-down shirts, plush pillows, socks, and more in the near future!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
• Community – Doing art alone was incredibly difficult until I found a community of other artists and it really just began with a “Hi! I’m your neighbor this weekend, nice to meet you!” at every event I did. The amount of kindness, support, and overall enjoyment to share your experiences and struggles with another artist is a huge help.
• Pivoting Perspective – So many things can go wrong – production time is delayed, a creative idea doesn’t really shine through after five drafts, my cat deciding to take a nap on my tablet so I end up not doing art for a day. I’ve learned that if something isn’t going the way that I planned, it’s okay. Pick up something else I might have wanted to explore or start something completely new to brush off frustration. Whatever I thought “ruined” my flow, I can get it back by hopping onto another things (and it might not even have to be art related!)
• Know When It’s Time to Take A Break – I find so much enjoyment just creating but there are moments when I just can’t and really hit that artist block. I simply walk away from my desk and focus on other things – working out, finding recipes I’ve wanted to try cooking, watch a movie, finish reading a book, and just recharge my creative energy.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Expanding my creativity. For a while I felt stuck with my own art but after reworking a few obstacles, I’ve managed to really pave myself a long runway to explore and concept ideas. Although you can see on my IG how my style slightly changes, you’ll still be able to recognize that it’s me and hopefully my improvement shows!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artbyellenma.com
- Instagram: @artbyellenma
- Facebook: @artbyellenma
- Twitter: @artbyellenma
