So impressed with how transparent you are with the financial aspects. It's still a stereotype that an art degree won't get you a decent pay check and it can as long as you're determined and aggressive just like any other field. But investing in education in any art field can give you quite a lot of flexibilty to work idependently, which is very intriguing.
I just want to add why is anyone "entitled" when they simply want a better QOL. I literally debated this with someone who had to admit his opinion was only fueled by never having the understanding that there was a better QOL than wage working. He honestly wasn't happy to live a paycheck status lifestyle...he was taught that was the best but no one exposed him to other options.
that's such a great point, I never understand why say that when someone is simply wanting something different for his life, wondering and choosing what's worth for them to work for and what's the value of their time and labor it's a normal thing, everybody should have this choice. Sorry for any mistakes, english isn't my first language.
So interesting to hear your perspective and how you arrived to where you’re at now!! Congrats on launching the art book I’m sure it’s incredible!! And this portrait is beautiful 💖
I think about this often! The fact that society has pushed us to a point where we are basically slaves to these corporate companies(not just in art). We are expected to work so much! Most of our life is spent working. Meanwhile, the people at the top running these companies get to sit on their millions. You know what, weekends need to be changed to 3 days instead of 2. People need more time off!! Ugh sorry I always get so heated thinking about this.
I do not think that knowing your worth makes you arrogant and full or yourself nor that realizing how unfair your work experience was turns you into an "untitled millenial". When you mentioned you thought as yourself as a "good artist", I downright went "THAT'S RIGHT, YOU ARE" and I was so glad you knew!! You know your potential and I see you know well where the line between that and egocentrism is (even if you did have that "boy i'm gr8" phase back then. That's pretty normal, I guess 😂). You are contributing to the world to the best of your ability just by being yourself and showing it through your art. There are so many people looking up to you and I think you are showing us all a good example by always speaking so honestly, always challenging yourself, always pursuing your dreams earnestly.
I empathize so much! It means a lot to me to hear someone else came to the conclusion that the 9-5+ work schedule in an art position that isn't even your main passion isn't sustainable. I use to work as a graphic designer but for very similar reasons, I switched to self employment as an illustrator because that's my main passion and the job was sucking my soul away. Thank you so much for sharing your story, it's super encouraging! I can't wait to buy your art book!
I feel the exact same way! Right now I'm working as an animator in norway, and I also feel like I'm wasting away. The projects we work on doesn't even begin to challenge me as an artist. I'm always making these super simple things, and it breaks my heart also seeing other amazingly talented artists who have to make this super simple stuff, just ignoring that they have sooo much more talent. You are an AMAZING artist, and I wish everything you want will come true 🙏 I'm also in the middle of a salary negotiation, and hopefully I'm going to be able to raise it, because now I'm just making enough to afford food ^^;; But yeah, hopefully we can change this in the future, go artist rights ✊✊
seriously thank you for speaking up, this is such an important video. nobody should be forced to exhaust themselves until the point of depression. toxic workculture.
This happens to all creatives. Working for someone else will make you miserable they will not understand the way you think, but they want to use your talents.
Hey! I live in Montreal and I’m also studying in the 3D animation field. I am just like you I’m a painter and a pencil crayon girl so ive been super worried about not loving my job for this exact reason. I’m glad someone else feels this way it’s honestly making me feel normal! Love seeing Canadian artists on the platform!!
hopefully i don't poison anyone's wells! Just thought it would be an interesting perspective to offer, since I know it's definitely the road less traveled! I also love seeing canadian content on YT so happy you stopped by! :)
Thanks for shedding some light to what it's like in the animation industries, and admitting your faults too. I think we all think how we only want to work for big names and want to be the best, but once in a while we get that reality check. You were super honest, and I appreciate that!
You literally narrated my story! with animations and everything, however, I haven't achieved the part of giving up on my full-time job to pursue an art career. Haven't done it yet. Wish I could...This is constant war in my head and I'm going mad!
don't beat yourself up.. i will say it was not a quick transition and it took me years to be fully self-sufficient! if you want it enough, you can do it! :)
You’re not wrong, and what you’ve decided makes perfect sense… if you’re young and single. But when you’re married and have kids, that’s a luxury. Many people have to work full time jobs (and sometimes work overtime) to pay the bills and provide for their family - and most of the time it’s not even an art-related full time job!! I work full time as a UI/UX Designer… but I would LOVE to be able to quit and just do freelance illustration (my true passion) instead. But again, that’s a luxury my family and I can’t afford - so for now, my illustration remains a hobby I seldom have time for. Anyway - enjoy being able to do what you love, and don’t take it for granted while you’re able to do it! You’re an amazing artist, and your art is very inspiring! 😊
hey, how is ux? Im thinking of transitioning for more pay. though I work full time in my chosen feild, they basically rest everyone's pay 5 years back and it wasn't much to begin with. I'd rather work for better pay and have more free time to do what I want than to come to hate my hobby since I'm burnt out from work and have little in my bank account to show for it.
@@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel it’s not bad! I do enjoy the work, and the pay is good. I’m self taught and have been doing this for about 2 years now - previously I came from a graphic design background
oh totally, I definitely took that into account at the time as well, I knew being single and without dependents would be the best time to take the risk! thanks for watching and sharing your comment! :)
Hi Chris! Thank you for putting up this video! It helps me feeling better about my plan on resigning from my current office. I live on a still developing country so it's 8-6pm with low salary and no insurance or benefits for me, and now they change my position (i applied as 2D Artist, but after 2.5 year, they put me in QA which have nothing to do with visual development). I've been thinking on resigning for more than a year now, yet keep being held back by the bills ('cause well, the pay is barely enough, and i can't save up), but watching artists like you speak up about work life balance and ultimate goal in the future really helps me feel confident about my plan. I'm still desperately doing side jobs outside that 8-6pm to be able to save up money, but hopefully I can find or make better opportunities like you do! Again, thank you for sharing and making me feel less of a bad guy for thinking of resigning 🤗
Your description of a 9 to 5 and what is does to you is spot on. I did the same thing when I decided to leave my well-paying 9 to 5 and start my own business. It's a lot more work by yourself but it is so much more fulfilling and healthy IMO. Also not being able to save money or have mobility in life. But as you said it is a privilege to be able to make that decision and most people can't. Also adjusting for inflation: Yea! Good luck! lol
when I was younger I would think "doesn't everyone want to be self-employed?" lol and try to encourage my co-workers at the time to also jump ship lmao. But now I know that we're definitely the anomaly and it's not for everyone.. for reasons that make complete sense for them and their lives!
I adopted the 'earn to live instead of live to earn' mindset when I was made redundant from a 48+hr/week at a college. If you can handle living like a student for a while until you establish yourself as an independent artist, it's a far better way to live for creative types imo.
I will order your book after been available on store! Even if Toronto is far away from Saudi. Me and all my friends love you and we’re always been inspired by your works.
❤️❤️LOVE YOUR STYLE…… adore it. Oh my goodness, I feel like I can relate a bit… I was over booked, under appreciated and completely losing my morals in the process. I had NO TIME with my children and was constantly locking myself in my studio coming up with new ideas and making art, while managing hand made Step packets.. and a senior ART outreach program I put my heart and SOUL into because that is who I am… I wasn’t aloud an assistant or they would take it from my paycheck. I lost 10 pounds and was struggling with SLEEP. I was possessed with this little world, and had a boss that was all about cheap ways to make money and disregarded all the potential of students and programs. This almost broke me DOWN.. mentally and physically. THIS IS ART! It’s not supposed to be A LIFE SENTENCE and run by ROBOTS. ARTIST need to be cherished and encouraged to grow creativity and kindly. I am SO HAPPY YOU DID YOUR THING. I LOVE YOUR WORK, seriously stay true to you, I idolize it. Thank you for making this.
to make it easier for me I think i may go ahead and just sign all of them :) that way I don't have to look up if a backer wanted a non-signed or signed version!
lol just wanted to come back to this comment and say that I did end up making two versions of the book available (signed and unsigned) at my artist friend's recommendation who has experience with kickstarters....! it's up on kickstarter now and already fully funded!! :D
@@ChrisHongArt Congrats, Chris. Quite an accomplishment in such a short time. Would LOVE a video walk-through of HOW you did that. KS and GFM perplex me.
@@ChrisHongArt This is a really late reply but I have backed the signed version! I'm super happy you went through with it. Thank you for all your hard work!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I had no idea you were in the animation industry! I always thought your art would look amazing if they get animated. I admire your decision and confidence in your career as an artist. I've been working in an animation studio for few years and realising that a job in animation can really eat you away if you don't pause and look after yourself. For me, the worst part of full time job is blaming myself for not working on self improvement. Forcing yourself to do personal art after a long day at work wasn't a good idea either.
I related to this so much. It was like someone else telling my story. Thanks so much for sharing, it gives me the courage to follow my dreams like you did
Thanks so much for this video! What you shared it's very useful and inspiring for many people like me. It would be amazing to hear about your experience after you quit that job and how you made it through to your actual artistic recognition. Still thanks a lot and keep creating so much beautiful art 💪
It's interesting because your reasons for leaving are my reasons for staying. I like having a 9 to 5 (sometimes even getting off earlier if I get work done early which is often lol) so that I have ample free time to work on personal projects, spend time with my boyfriend, cook and workout, explore other interests, and have a similar work schedule to friends outside the industry. Being in the industry humbles you into knowing you are apart of a pipeline and even when people become art directors or directors.... they can't take all the credit for a film and the decisions that went into it. If anything it's people's egos that drive me out of the industry, even production is a team effort! Working in preschool animation in Toronto allows me to still be in the industry but have a life beyond work and the Western "hustle culture" that glorifies working beyond 40 hours a week or that every hobby should be something to make money off of. Of course I absolutely do not want to be only doing preschool work for life but I've grown more in my spare time by not killing myself at work and am more capable of doing advanced work since I'm not doing it in my day job & growing tired of it. And working for the lesser known studios or productions on a preschool show pays me the exact same as people doing flashier work at bigger studios in Vancouver. So I figured, why do all that harder work for the same pay? The answer is usually ego so I remind myself to be humble and remember that my job title and what I do for pay is a very small fraction of who I am as a person as well as who I am as an artist.
from what I heard salaries across the board are higher in toronto than in vancouver for whatever reason so that may have contributed even more to my frustration at the time! I also know that the self-employment route is definitely the road less traveled so I understand your sentiments are shared by many I'm sure :) everyone needs to make the decision that is right for them!
I actually would like that too, but there gets to a point where you just can't afford to work for someone because of inflation and their refusal to give you a proper raise. when you can't cover your bills yet they expect over time or only hire you for contract work (which means its not stable or they'll just randomly lay you off), I find its hard to rest well after work knowing you have to take on more work to cover your cost. In fact, I'm going freelance just so I can hustle less.
@@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel I hear ya for sure. I definitely fought for my raises and will continue to. My studio gives yearly inflation raises to everyone but it still gets pretty political as I can know someone making up to $200 a week more than me or $200 a week less than me for the same work, it's insane. Studios play a game with their employees for sure. But I feel comfortable right now and like my lifestyle right now. I budget but the mortgage gets paid and I can do what else I need to do in life. What I just need is the consistency and insurance coverage provided my studio. I have my complaints about them but work is consistent and easy to manage for now. I would loooooove to animate freelance but it's so hard to find (I often only hear about freelance animating internally so often a lot of freelance doesn't even get picked up by people outside of the studio) and the consistency scares me. I'm constantly scouring job boards and it definitely isn't out in the open, it's getting a handful of clients that like and trust you, but building that up can be daunting. I also am definitely wanting to transition into design for that artistic fufillment, though I really love animating, as animators are pretty disrespected in terms of salary and the fact that I can make as much money doing preschool animation as someone who does more advanced, action based animating. It's the wild west in animation for sure. Keep in mind my opinion is based on someone who graduated/started working full time 3 years ago too.
@@friedbolognasandwich i considered myself lucky at the time because I knew i was getting hundreds more per paycheque than some people with the SAME job title! AND they would only get 3-month contract renewals at a time... this is why I personally advocate for having open conversations about this with other people in the industry! so I love seeing some of the discussions happening in this video! :)
I would love be self employed. I've been at my graphic design position for a local mom & pop shop working in the art department as a graphic designer going on 6 years this September, and it has been strongly killing my creative spirit. I don't really have a solid plan yet, but I took the leap a year or so ago and started a patreon. So here's to hoping in my own time I can take my side hustle and dream as a career because working in this sort of setting for people that don't give a damn about you or your health sucks. I'm so young ( 28 ) and have a lot left to give, but often I can't help feeling so burned out out life in general ;;
I'm so happy for you that you've quit that slavery. Slavery in old times covered housing, food, clothing etc. plus it provided with the job security. In modern slavery however, they took away that security, many working people are homeless. In the U.S. there are so many people working full time and they're still homeless, or can't afford healthy food, can't go to vacation. The system makes you work, work, work and it makes you worry, worry, worry... Looking at your art, you obviously deserve much much better. You're very talented..! And you're inspiring as well.
This video made me feel a little better, rn i was working in concept but, it all felt so empty, just working barely to do better, instead stuck with ur boss' ideas, feeling unwanted and unappreciated. And then theres no more job for me so i've been struggling to even find a job because i dont want to go throw the same thing. I also wanna be a freelance artist but idont know whereto start im feeling overwhelmed and lost. Thank you for the video tho
This all sounds so familiar. After working in an animation studio I've just realized how messed up their politics is. They just put people in this tight frames where you earn barely enough to stay alive and it's all presented under the sauce of working in a "fun" and "creative" environment. It's a rat race no matter how celestial the goal might be and it never translates into a better life or healthier work schedule.
The same thing happened with me but for years I would say it was a matter of months ...I was getting more than people around me but the job was just so hard and required my soul to be put into that and I felt like they were ripping me off ... Felt like I was doing nothing but working so I left and many people told me I had a very good opportunity but I would be working at my home for low income on my terms than be a slave for someone else
YEAAAH!! ! Your very first artbook are welcome!! I would buy it! 🥰🥰 i cant wait to see your artbook will launch soon!! Maybe your artbook have mini tutorial watercolor?
Loved your video! I am in completely different industry and not a millennial. It is just how corporations work. They have to compete globally to push out products faster with very little regard to their employees. Being self employed has its own drawbacks but I think you’ll be better off.
It's the staedtler triplus mechanical pencil, which I love using since it's slightly longer than the usual mechanical pencil and so I find it comfortable to hold :) thank you!
I’d be super interested in hearing you talk more about how you make it work and the pros and cons of choosing independent work. A lot of your thoughts and experiences sound very similar to mine (tho in the video game industry) and I am very tempted to quit the industry, but I just don’t think I could make enough money independently. I also live in the US and have extremely high monthly medical costs for medicines and therapies, so that adds to the reasons why I don’t think I could survive without a job’s health insurance.
Chris you are another kindred spirit of mine. I seriously believe I know which school you went to as I went to that overly popularized school for Illustration. I too felt my skills were draining down a hole and maybe Ill share my story too because its so long I feel bad writing things here.
Wow..really interesting to hear ur story about the animation job..(I luv that medium & always fantasize working in that industry)..sorry to hear of ur struggles but so Happy that things worked out for u!! Ur an Uber Talented & gifted Artist!! I just happened to come across ur channel randomly & I'm so glad I did!! Really inspiring work u do!! So keep it coming & Congrats again! the book looks really amazing aswell!! 👏🏽 💥💯💯
I am feeling drained with my current graphic design job as well. But living and supporting my family has to come first. Every time I reconsider I am told to think of the consequence... always the consequence. So I stopped asking for opinion. Hopefully things work out soon.
Watching this video, it seems like the most optimal role for you is very pre-production driven, but because of immigration challenges being a Canadian, you’re constrained to a lot of the asset production heavy jobs in your local labor market in Canada. Though I agree a lot with you a lot of the jobs in the animation industry are quite bad for ones health. I myself found a happy middle ground where I took my animation skillset for more tech industry related jobs vs entertainment which still allow me to use my skillset but with a better lifestyle. I can still write animated comics on nights and weekends but at a pace that is sustainable
Ah man I've had the exact same thoughts but not in an art field. My conclusion was to switch to the art industry at some point so I can finally work on art, but it sounds like the same scenario could happen. Guess I'd better think over my decision more carefully 😕
Taxes are too high with 1099 work for me, imo. I've added up deductions and I'd still make more curating. I'm happy for everyone else, but I just can't.
What brand of watercolors do you prefer/recommend? I’ve been experimenting with watercolors, I’m an oil painter generally, but I’ve been switching over to markers and watercolor/ink lately. I’ve been investing a TON of money on the marker end, I love your use of color with the watercolors so I’d like to hop right in and go that way instead of shopping around and dropping money where i don’t need to.
do american studios really care about talented artists from the states considering that most studios hire underpaid artists from poor asian countries because it makes them a higher profit?
There are certain jobs that aren't outsourced, and some that are, like animation seems to be usually outsourced to foreign countries where the cost of labour is cheaper, but jobs usually in the pre-production part of the pipeline (design, story) weren't usually outsourced from what I could gather.
My point in the video (sorry if it wasn't clear!) is that it's easier for companies to look within their own country for talent because in order to bring on foreign talent they have to jump through hoops with visas. So it is more challenging for foreigners to find work WITHIN the states (not outsourcing), but certainly not impossible :)
As an animator, these are the exact reasons I'm thinking of quitting the industry. Low pay, too high quotas, unpaid overtime, no pension, moving from project to project with little prospects of getting a higher pay. I love the actual work, but man...
Hello Chris, Thank you for this amazing video as always. I completly see myself through many of aspects that you mentionned. I love to express my sensibility and it's hard to find those kind of opportunity in the industry. In addition of that, we have to put so much pressure on us, up to make our health decline.. I had the same issue also with my family, because they were so worried... Are you happy now and do you feel better? Do you think you have a better balanced life ? I still consider this opportunity but I don't know where I could start... Thank you in advance for your time 🙏
Thanks for your comment Carmen, I definitely have so much to say about the actual transition period from working full time to going independent, so hopefully I'll be able to talk about that further in future videos! :)
@@ChrisHongArt You are very welcome, It's always very interesting to hear your feedbacks about your experiences. I understand that it's a whole process ^^ In the meanwhile, I wish all the best for your current situation, lifestyle and work. You are doing amazing art
Very interesting video! happy to see you back :> I am someone who is studying animation at this moment so it was an interesting point of view. Still, I went into animation because I like the industry and the ability to switch between project but my views may be still naive. My goal is to be able to choose projects that I really believe in and care about and to someday make my own. However I always wonder how it would be like to be independent and create what you want on your own instead of working in a team. So my question is this, do you feel like you have achieved your goal since becoming independent? Such as, do you have a satisfying salary that can support your future? I imagine it feels freeing being able to grow as an artist and get income from having fun but I would like to learn more about that period of transition and trying to figure out life outside of that nine to five job.
I hope it didn't come across as if I was implying having your views are in any way naive, because that wasn't my intention!>< and to answer the 2nd part of your comment, i feel like I have completely new set of challenges I'm working towards now, and the transition period was definitely not easy nor quick, I would say it took me 3 years to be completely self-sufficient and making "real money" as opposed to living pay-cheque to pay-cheque. Definitely a story for another time! XD
I thi8nk the salary thing is the same in most professional industries. I graduated with an art degree but ended up in the IT industry my first job paid 45k a year and I worked 60 to 70 hours a week for 25 years. Part of that I owned my own company so when I sold it I had to retire because my health was just crap.. I ended up in a coma from stress so I retired at the age of 48 and went back to doing art. Im 54 now and in much better shape but still working on it. Yeah I think the world is working them selves to death.
You literally describing my retails job but worst x'D They called u in at unexpected hours expecting u to cover for someone's else shift because they skipped their works. also what weekends off? we dont have any weekends off at all I remember one time I had to work like 13 days straight with no off day and I was really really burn out near the end and for what? just to get that one day off from work and then go back to work the next day. Man, it was horrible experience for me as of going back on time I always get frown on for getting home on time. x'DDD employer expected u to do as u said a few ots and depending on the hq sometimes we get the ot and sometimes we dont. I feels you girl :') after almost 2 years I quit my job oh gosh u were right all the time and hours I'd been missing man just mannn x'DDDDD
for me the worst part of all working in retails is the stupid rules of standing up throughout ur day idk whai everyone works just fine but for me it kind of taxing away my health and it hurts my back so bad till even my left leg could no longer support my body. Only after quitting the job did it get slightly better but unfortunately I cant bend or crouch as much as regular people do. So yeah, again folks do watch out for the job that is bad for u if u feels smg is wrong listen to it. All in all, all the points mentioned here is so true :') man I feels u pls dont be offended by this comment Im in no way meant to compare just sharing exp because this resonate so much with me and working life.
I'm late to the party since I just found out you are releasing your book only NOW T_T I've always admired your work and love watching your processes! Is there a way for me to place an order for your book? I'm outside the US and Canada btw
Yeah, that's the norm. It's wrong. I'm glad you left the industry, both so you could pursue your real talent, but also because the more people who start their own companies, the less power big corporations have to abuse their employees.
I love your all vedios ❤️....... It's all are very impressive....... I love sketch 😍..... Your sketching style is an amazing 😍😍😍😍...... So encouraging 😍😍😍..... I want to draw like u 😊...... upload more......stay happy and well ❤️❤️
Hi Chris ! I was thinking about getting into an animation school and go to US or somewhere else where I can work for bigger companies because here in Turkey animation industry is so new and there isn’t many companies that I can work for. But After watching your video I feel a little lost. I’m going to be a senior on high school this year so if you have any recommendations about what should I study instead plz let me know 💓💓🧚🏻🧚🏻
i've always struggled picking a laboral path, specially anxious at the moment since i'm only a year away from graduating ! recently i've been interested in studying animation but wow i'm terrified, it's almost like you gotta really hit that pot to succeed and have a balance between personal well being and a stable income :( thank you for sharing your perspective, really makes me re-evaluate what i truly want and plan out my future better :) i don't know if you'll happen to read this but, have you got any tips to figure out what i would truly like studying?
Hey Mitzi! I just put my website back up (I was in the middle of transitioning it over to Shopify!) but the store is disabled since I want to keep my focus on the kickstarter campaign :) I'll announce it here on youtube when the kickstarter goes live!
i love animation i love creating whatever i like a bringing it to life but as a job i kinda hate animation especially how the animation company tells you what you can and cant make all you do is work on others ideas with no say you get paid for it but feel like you're suffocating.
Is it okay for me to ask what art school you went to? I’m actually working on my apps rn, I’m looking at SAIC or DePaul in Chicago but I’m not set on a single college :00
i couldn't tell you, it was done on my sketchbook which is unbranded! Just got it from a local art store here in Canada, but it should be fairly generic sketchbook paper :)
100 percent yes to making your own job when you cant rely on people/studios giving it to you. However, looking at your pay, you mention 1000cad PER WEEK. in uk that's close to 600gbp p.w>2400p.m I've been trapped working retail and hospitality bouncing around jobs for 10 years, unable to break into those easy jobs you mention while being more than qualified to get them, particularly storyboarding, and have learnt to survive on far, far less. I'm talking under £800 p.m. Maybe the cost of living in Canada is high, i dunno, it can't be different to London/u.k costs but, in some way, it does come across as entitled. If you think 4000cad a month is not enough to save anything to build for yourself I can only imagine how you would feel working minimum wage retail while trying to keep your art habit alive... I fully 100 percent understand your sentiments and where you're coming from though Chris. go get what you feel you are worth. love your work
that's totally fair, I can definitely see how it can come off as entitled and privileged especially to people from other parts of the world! I'm not sure how it compares to the COL in UK either (from what I hear people in the UK are much more comfortable spending a big bulk of their paycheque on rent.. ) but I was definitely factoring in my long-term future when I said 1000/week isn't enough, since I had hopes of eventually being able to buy a house (not there yet!). There's a housing crisis in Canada, and being in Vancouver at the time, I knew it would have been impossible for me then (and even more so now) to ever dream of owning a modest home there on the trajectory I was on at the time. Now whether one considers being able to buy a house is entitled is another story lol... It certainly seems like a huge privilege to be able to do so in our current climate here in Canada!
yes I was actually in the process of transitioning over to another commerce platform, but decided to at least keep the personal website page up so people have something to look at! Thanks :)
It's not the Animation industry's fault at all. You were just not educated well about the animation industry and you learned the hard way but congratulations that you now know how it works. Unless you own the animation studio or animation company, you won't be able yo express your art in animation as an animator. That's why I didn't pursue it. I thought I was going to become an animator for the BIGGEST Japanese animation company. They already trained me for months but they made sure that they remind us about that. That you cannot express your own art in such company because you are animating for someone else not on your own. Why? Because they don't want their employees leaving abruptly because their reason is that they cannot express their art lol. And yes pay is not high. It is quota based and commission based so it will depend on how fast you work. Now I just paint whatever I want and I work for a different industry.
So impressed with how transparent you are with the financial aspects. It's still a stereotype that an art degree won't get you a decent pay check and it can as long as you're determined and aggressive just like any other field. But investing in education in any art field can give you quite a lot of flexibilty to work idependently, which is very intriguing.
I just want to add why is anyone "entitled" when they simply want a better QOL. I literally debated this with someone who had to admit his opinion was only fueled by never having the understanding that there was a better QOL than wage working. He honestly wasn't happy to live a paycheck status lifestyle...he was taught that was the best but no one exposed him to other options.
that's such a great point, I never understand why say that when someone is simply wanting something different for his life, wondering and choosing what's worth for them to work for and what's the value of their time and labor it's a normal thing, everybody should have this choice. Sorry for any mistakes, english isn't my first language.
Hi Chris, I’m a 38-year animation industry vet and I’m here to tell you that you made the right choice. Well done 💎
Are you still working this job?
So interesting to hear your perspective and how you arrived to where you’re at now!! Congrats on launching the art book I’m sure it’s incredible!! And this portrait is beautiful 💖
I think about this often! The fact that society has pushed us to a point where we are basically slaves to these corporate companies(not just in art). We are expected to work so much! Most of our life is spent working. Meanwhile, the people at the top running these companies get to sit on their millions. You know what, weekends need to be changed to 3 days instead of 2. People need more time off!! Ugh sorry I always get so heated thinking about this.
Some countries give their employee's 3 months vacation. Not my country haha
I do not think that knowing your worth makes you arrogant and full or yourself nor that realizing how unfair your work experience was turns you into an "untitled millenial". When you mentioned you thought as yourself as a "good artist", I downright went "THAT'S RIGHT, YOU ARE" and I was so glad you knew!! You know your potential and I see you know well where the line between that and egocentrism is (even if you did have that "boy i'm gr8" phase back then. That's pretty normal, I guess 😂). You are contributing to the world to the best of your ability just by being yourself and showing it through your art. There are so many people looking up to you and I think you are showing us all a good example by always speaking so honestly, always challenging yourself, always pursuing your dreams earnestly.
haha I laughed out loud when i read your comment (in a good way XD) thanks so much for that vote of confidence, Aria!! T0T
I empathize so much! It means a lot to me to hear someone else came to the conclusion that the 9-5+ work schedule in an art position that isn't even your main passion isn't sustainable. I use to work as a graphic designer but for very similar reasons, I switched to self employment as an illustrator because that's my main passion and the job was sucking my soul away. Thank you so much for sharing your story, it's super encouraging! I can't wait to buy your art book!
i'm happy to share my experience, thanks for watching! :)
I feel the exact same way! Right now I'm working as an animator in norway, and I also feel like I'm wasting away. The projects we work on doesn't even begin to challenge me as an artist. I'm always making these super simple things, and it breaks my heart also seeing other amazingly talented artists who have to make this super simple stuff, just ignoring that they have sooo much more talent. You are an AMAZING artist, and I wish everything you want will come true 🙏
I'm also in the middle of a salary negotiation, and hopefully I'm going to be able to raise it, because now I'm just making enough to afford food ^^;;
But yeah, hopefully we can change this in the future, go artist rights ✊✊
seriously thank you for speaking up, this is such an important video. nobody should be forced to exhaust themselves until the point of depression. toxic workculture.
This happens to all creatives. Working for someone else will make you miserable they will not understand the way you think, but they want to use your talents.
Hey! I live in Montreal and I’m also studying in the 3D animation field. I am just like you I’m a painter and a pencil crayon girl so ive been super worried about not loving my job for this exact reason. I’m glad someone else feels this way it’s honestly making me feel normal! Love seeing Canadian artists on the platform!!
hopefully i don't poison anyone's wells! Just thought it would be an interesting perspective to offer, since I know it's definitely the road less traveled! I also love seeing canadian content on YT so happy you stopped by! :)
Thanks for shedding some light to what it's like in the animation industries, and admitting your faults too. I think we all think how we only want to work for big names and want to be the best, but once in a while we get that reality check. You were super honest, and I appreciate that!
You literally narrated my story! with animations and everything, however, I haven't achieved the part of giving up on my full-time job to pursue an art career. Haven't done it yet. Wish I could...This is constant war in my head and I'm going mad!
don't beat yourself up.. i will say it was not a quick transition and it took me years to be fully self-sufficient! if you want it enough, you can do it! :)
You’re not wrong, and what you’ve decided makes perfect sense… if you’re young and single. But when you’re married and have kids, that’s a luxury. Many people have to work full time jobs (and sometimes work overtime) to pay the bills and provide for their family - and most of the time it’s not even an art-related full time job!!
I work full time as a UI/UX Designer… but I would LOVE to be able to quit and just do freelance illustration (my true passion) instead. But again, that’s a luxury my family and I can’t afford - so for now, my illustration remains a hobby I seldom have time for.
Anyway - enjoy being able to do what you love, and don’t take it for granted while you’re able to do it! You’re an amazing artist, and your art is very inspiring! 😊
hey, how is ux? Im thinking of transitioning for more pay. though I work full time in my chosen feild, they basically rest everyone's pay 5 years back and it wasn't much to begin with. I'd rather work for better pay and have more free time to do what I want than to come to hate my hobby since I'm burnt out from work and have little in my bank account to show for it.
@@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel it’s not bad! I do enjoy the work, and the pay is good. I’m self taught and have been doing this for about 2 years now - previously I came from a graphic design background
oh totally, I definitely took that into account at the time as well, I knew being single and without dependents would be the best time to take the risk! thanks for watching and sharing your comment! :)
@@sanejack good to hear! I'm on my journey to self teach the process.
Hi Chris!
Thank you for putting up this video!
It helps me feeling better about my plan on resigning from my current office.
I live on a still developing country so it's 8-6pm with low salary and no insurance or benefits for me, and now they change my position (i applied as 2D Artist, but after 2.5 year, they put me in QA which have nothing to do with visual development). I've been thinking on resigning for more than a year now, yet keep being held back by the bills ('cause well, the pay is barely enough, and i can't save up), but watching artists like you speak up about work life balance and ultimate goal in the future really helps me feel confident about my plan.
I'm still desperately doing side jobs outside that 8-6pm to be able to save up money, but hopefully I can find or make better opportunities like you do!
Again, thank you for sharing and making me feel less of a bad guy for thinking of resigning 🤗
Aw, I’m sorry I won’t be able to buy the art book, since I’m saving up for college :(
that's alright, it means a lot to me that you're here nonetheless!
Your description of a 9 to 5 and what is does to you is spot on. I did the same thing when I decided to leave my well-paying 9 to 5 and start my own business. It's a lot more work by yourself but it is so much more fulfilling and healthy IMO. Also not being able to save money or have mobility in life. But as you said it is a privilege to be able to make that decision and most people can't. Also adjusting for inflation: Yea! Good luck! lol
when I was younger I would think "doesn't everyone want to be self-employed?" lol and try to encourage my co-workers at the time to also jump ship lmao. But now I know that we're definitely the anomaly and it's not for everyone.. for reasons that make complete sense for them and their lives!
I adopted the 'earn to live instead of live to earn' mindset when I was made redundant from a 48+hr/week at a college. If you can handle living like a student for a while until you establish yourself as an independent artist, it's a far better way to live for creative types imo.
I am looking forward to having your artbook!! I can't wait to see all the work you have done over the years!
I’m so excited for your art book!! 😭🖤
it is a perfect description of any job.
im gonna get it of course 🙏i love your art , so this is almost like a little dream come true!
Oh my!! I can't wait to have your artbook 💖💖
I will order your book after been available on store! Even if Toronto is far away from Saudi. Me and all my friends love you and we’re always been inspired by your works.
❤️❤️LOVE YOUR STYLE…… adore it.
Oh my goodness, I feel like I can relate a bit… I was over booked, under appreciated and completely losing my morals in the process. I had NO TIME with my children and was constantly locking myself in my studio coming up with new ideas and making art, while managing hand made Step packets.. and a senior ART outreach program I put my heart and SOUL into because that is who I am… I wasn’t aloud an assistant or they would take it from my paycheck. I lost 10 pounds and was struggling with SLEEP. I was possessed with this little world, and had a boss that was all about cheap ways to make money and disregarded all the potential of students and programs. This almost broke me DOWN.. mentally and physically.
THIS IS ART! It’s not supposed to be A LIFE SENTENCE and run by ROBOTS. ARTIST need to be cherished and encouraged to grow creativity and kindly. I am SO HAPPY YOU DID YOUR THING. I LOVE YOUR WORK, seriously stay true to you, I idolize it. Thank you for making this.
You are literally one of my favorite artist! I love how honest this video is and I can’t wait to have you’re art-book when it’ll be founded! 🥰
thank you Alice!
YES! Another artbook to add to my collection! Woo! Will there be signed versions available?
to make it easier for me I think i may go ahead and just sign all of them :) that way I don't have to look up if a backer wanted a non-signed or signed version!
lol just wanted to come back to this comment and say that I did end up making two versions of the book available (signed and unsigned) at my artist friend's recommendation who has experience with kickstarters....! it's up on kickstarter now and already fully funded!! :D
@@ChrisHongArt Congrats, Chris. Quite an accomplishment in such a short time. Would LOVE a video walk-through of HOW you did that. KS and GFM perplex me.
@@ChrisHongArt This is a really late reply but I have backed the signed version! I'm super happy you went through with it. Thank you for all your hard work!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Your thoughts and feelings sound so VALID!!!!! You don’t come across as arrogant or entitled!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I had no idea you were in the animation industry! I always thought your art would look amazing if they get animated. I admire your decision and confidence in your career as an artist. I've been working in an animation studio for few years and realising that a job in animation can really eat you away if you don't pause and look after yourself. For me, the worst part of full time job is blaming myself for not working on self improvement. Forcing yourself to do personal art after a long day at work wasn't a good idea either.
16:00 preach it! I totally agree with everything you said, It's nice for other artists' to hear that they're not alone in feeling this way 👏💯
I related to this so much. It was like someone else telling my story. Thanks so much for sharing, it gives me the courage to follow my dreams like you did
Thanks so much for this video! What you shared it's very useful and inspiring for many people like me. It would be amazing to hear about your experience after you quit that job and how you made it through to your actual artistic recognition. Still thanks a lot and keep creating so much beautiful art 💪
It's interesting because your reasons for leaving are my reasons for staying. I like having a 9 to 5 (sometimes even getting off earlier if I get work done early which is often lol) so that I have ample free time to work on personal projects, spend time with my boyfriend, cook and workout, explore other interests, and have a similar work schedule to friends outside the industry. Being in the industry humbles you into knowing you are apart of a pipeline and even when people become art directors or directors.... they can't take all the credit for a film and the decisions that went into it. If anything it's people's egos that drive me out of the industry, even production is a team effort! Working in preschool animation in Toronto allows me to still be in the industry but have a life beyond work and the Western "hustle culture" that glorifies working beyond 40 hours a week or that every hobby should be something to make money off of. Of course I absolutely do not want to be only doing preschool work for life but I've grown more in my spare time by not killing myself at work and am more capable of doing advanced work since I'm not doing it in my day job & growing tired of it. And working for the lesser known studios or productions on a preschool show pays me the exact same as people doing flashier work at bigger studios in Vancouver. So I figured, why do all that harder work for the same pay? The answer is usually ego so I remind myself to be humble and remember that my job title and what I do for pay is a very small fraction of who I am as a person as well as who I am as an artist.
from what I heard salaries across the board are higher in toronto than in vancouver for whatever reason so that may have contributed even more to my frustration at the time! I also know that the self-employment route is definitely the road less traveled so I understand your sentiments are shared by many I'm sure :) everyone needs to make the decision that is right for them!
@@ChrisHongArt agreed!
I actually would like that too, but there gets to a point where you just can't afford to work for someone because of inflation and their refusal to give you a proper raise. when you can't cover your bills yet they expect over time or only hire you for contract work (which means its not stable or they'll just randomly lay you off), I find its hard to rest well after work knowing you have to take on more work to cover your cost. In fact, I'm going freelance just so I can hustle less.
@@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel I hear ya for sure. I definitely fought for my raises and will continue to. My studio gives yearly inflation raises to everyone but it still gets pretty political as I can know someone making up to $200 a week more than me or $200 a week less than me for the same work, it's insane. Studios play a game with their employees for sure. But I feel comfortable right now and like my lifestyle right now. I budget but the mortgage gets paid and I can do what else I need to do in life. What I just need is the consistency and insurance coverage provided my studio. I have my complaints about them but work is consistent and easy to manage for now. I would loooooove to animate freelance but it's so hard to find (I often only hear about freelance animating internally so often a lot of freelance doesn't even get picked up by people outside of the studio) and the consistency scares me. I'm constantly scouring job boards and it definitely isn't out in the open, it's getting a handful of clients that like and trust you, but building that up can be daunting. I also am definitely wanting to transition into design for that artistic fufillment, though I really love animating, as animators are pretty disrespected in terms of salary and the fact that I can make as much money doing preschool animation as someone who does more advanced, action based animating. It's the wild west in animation for sure. Keep in mind my opinion is based on someone who graduated/started working full time 3 years ago too.
@@friedbolognasandwich i considered myself lucky at the time because I knew i was getting hundreds more per paycheque than some people with the SAME job title! AND they would only get 3-month contract renewals at a time... this is why I personally advocate for having open conversations about this with other people in the industry! so I love seeing some of the discussions happening in this video! :)
I’m rooting for you !
I would love be self employed. I've been at my graphic design position for a local mom & pop shop working in the art department as a graphic designer going on 6 years this September, and it has been strongly killing my creative spirit.
I don't really have a solid plan yet, but I took the leap a year or so ago and started a patreon. So here's to hoping in my own time I can take my side hustle and dream as a career because working in this sort of setting for people that don't give a damn about you or your health sucks. I'm so young ( 28 ) and have a lot left to give, but often I can't help feeling so burned out out life in general ;;
I'm so happy for you that you've quit that slavery. Slavery in old times covered housing, food, clothing etc. plus it provided with the job security. In modern slavery however, they took away that security, many working people are homeless. In the U.S. there are so many people working full time and they're still homeless, or can't afford healthy food, can't go to vacation. The system makes you work, work, work and it makes you worry, worry, worry... Looking at your art, you obviously deserve much much better. You're very talented..! And you're inspiring as well.
This video made me feel a little better, rn i was working in concept but, it all felt so empty, just working barely to do better, instead stuck with ur boss' ideas, feeling unwanted and unappreciated.
And then theres no more job for me so i've been struggling to even find a job because i dont want to go throw the same thing.
I also wanna be a freelance artist but idont know whereto start im feeling overwhelmed and lost.
Thank you for the video tho
Literally feels like I am listening to somebody describing my story. Glad you're out of it
Thank you for sharing! Can't wait for the artbook! :)
It's so true.Thank for your sharing.💖
This all sounds so familiar. After working in an animation studio I've just realized how messed up their politics is. They just put people in this tight frames where you earn barely enough to stay alive and it's all presented under the sauce of working in a "fun" and "creative" environment. It's a rat race no matter how celestial the goal might be and it never translates into a better life or healthier work schedule.
The same thing happened with me but for years I would say it was a matter of months ...I was getting more than people around me but the job was just so hard and required my soul to be put into that and I felt like they were ripping me off ... Felt like I was doing nothing but working so I left and many people told me I had a very good opportunity but I would be working at my home for low income on my terms than be a slave for someone else
I love you and your videos! You're my favorite artist!
💜 Thank you for sharing its helped me think about my own goals differently. And congrats on the art book!!!
YEAAAH!! ! Your very first artbook are welcome!! I would buy it! 🥰🥰 i cant wait to see your artbook will launch soon!! Maybe your artbook have mini tutorial watercolor?
This book is more of a collection of my works, but i'm very interested in doing a tutorial-based book in the future!
Loved your video! I am in completely different industry and not a millennial. It is just how corporations work. They have to compete globally to push out products faster with very little regard to their employees. Being self employed has its own drawbacks but I think you’ll be better off.
Ong I LOVE YOUR VIDEOOOS!
What mechanical pencil were you using in the very beginning? I'd love to know. Beautiful art as always.
It's the staedtler triplus mechanical pencil, which I love using since it's slightly longer than the usual mechanical pencil and so I find it comfortable to hold :) thank you!
I’d be super interested in hearing you talk more about how you make it work and the pros and cons of choosing independent work. A lot of your thoughts and experiences sound very similar to mine (tho in the video game industry) and I am very tempted to quit the industry, but I just don’t think I could make enough money independently. I also live in the US and have extremely high monthly medical costs for medicines and therapies, so that adds to the reasons why I don’t think I could survive without a job’s health insurance.
wow an art book ? :) congratulations Chris on your continual success
😍😍😍😍 this IS so coooool, Amazing New's kickstarter
Chris you are another kindred spirit of mine. I seriously believe I know which school you went to as I went to that overly popularized school for Illustration. I too felt my skills were draining down a hole and maybe Ill share my story too because its so long I feel bad writing things here.
Sheridan college is the school I went to.. wonder if that's what you had in mind? XD
@@ChrisHongArt haha Academy of Art is where I attended. 😹😹😹.
Wow..really interesting to hear ur story about the animation job..(I luv that medium & always fantasize working in that industry)..sorry to hear of ur struggles but so Happy that things worked out for u!! Ur an Uber Talented & gifted Artist!! I just happened to come across ur channel randomly & I'm so glad I did!! Really inspiring work u do!! So keep it coming & Congrats again! the book looks really amazing aswell!! 👏🏽 💥💯💯
I am feeling drained with my current graphic design job as well. But living and supporting my family has to come first. Every time I reconsider I am told to think of the consequence... always the consequence. So I stopped asking for opinion. Hopefully things work out soon.
Yaayyy I'm early again we miss you!😭💙✨
missed you guys too!!
Your art is always so inspiring, you are just amazing ☁️🍀✨❤️
Watching this video, it seems like the most optimal role for you is very pre-production driven, but because of immigration challenges being a Canadian, you’re constrained to a lot of the asset production heavy jobs in your local labor market in Canada. Though I agree a lot with you a lot of the jobs in the animation industry are quite bad for ones health. I myself found a happy middle ground where I took my animation skillset for more tech industry related jobs vs entertainment which still allow me to use my skillset but with a better lifestyle. I can still write animated comics on nights and weekends but at a pace that is sustainable
Thanks for sharing, Chris! I would love to know more about how you took the leap to work for yourself! What were the steps? How scary it was.
Ah man I've had the exact same thoughts but not in an art field. My conclusion was to switch to the art industry at some point so I can finally work on art, but it sounds like the same scenario could happen. Guess I'd better think over my decision more carefully 😕
Taxes are too high with 1099 work for me, imo. I've added up deductions and I'd still make more curating. I'm happy for everyone else, but I just can't.
What brand of watercolors do you prefer/recommend? I’ve been experimenting with watercolors, I’m an oil painter generally, but I’ve been switching over to markers and watercolor/ink lately. I’ve been investing a TON of money on the marker end, I love your use of color with the watercolors so I’d like to hop right in and go that way instead of shopping around and dropping money where i don’t need to.
flippin' amazin!
do american studios really care about talented artists from the states considering that most studios hire underpaid artists from poor asian countries because it makes them a higher profit?
There are certain jobs that aren't outsourced, and some that are, like animation seems to be usually outsourced to foreign countries where the cost of labour is cheaper, but jobs usually in the pre-production part of the pipeline (design, story) weren't usually outsourced from what I could gather.
My point in the video (sorry if it wasn't clear!) is that it's easier for companies to look within their own country for talent because in order to bring on foreign talent they have to jump through hoops with visas. So it is more challenging for foreigners to find work WITHIN the states (not outsourcing), but certainly not impossible :)
communication, time zones, taxes and banking is the reason why a lot of work is not outsorced, especially work that requires creative thinking.
Try not to worry about the word "entitled". People will say anything to get what they want from you. Don't let them.
most animation jobs in the uk now are 9am -6pm now
Yayyy new video 😢🦋🦋
As an animator, these are the exact reasons I'm thinking of quitting the industry. Low pay, too high quotas, unpaid overtime, no pension, moving from project to project with little prospects of getting a higher pay. I love the actual work, but man...
Hello Chris,
Thank you for this amazing video as always.
I completly see myself through many of aspects that you mentionned.
I love to express my sensibility and it's hard to find those kind of opportunity in the industry.
In addition of that, we have to put so much pressure on us, up to make our health decline..
I had the same issue also with my family, because they were so worried...
Are you happy now and do you feel better?
Do you think you have a better balanced life ?
I still consider this opportunity but I don't know where I could start...
Thank you in advance for your time 🙏
Thanks for your comment Carmen, I definitely have so much to say about the actual transition period from working full time to going independent, so hopefully I'll be able to talk about that further in future videos! :)
@@ChrisHongArt You are very welcome, It's always very interesting to hear your feedbacks about your experiences. I understand that it's a whole process ^^ In the meanwhile, I wish all the best for your current situation, lifestyle and work.
You are doing amazing art
Very interesting video! happy to see you back :> I am someone who is studying animation at this moment so it was an interesting point of view. Still, I went into animation because I like the industry and the ability to switch between project but my views may be still naive. My goal is to be able to choose projects that I really believe in and care about and to someday make my own.
However I always wonder how it would be like to be independent and create what you want on your own instead of working in a team. So my question is this, do you feel like you have achieved your goal since becoming independent? Such as, do you have a satisfying salary that can support your future? I imagine it feels freeing being able to grow as an artist and get income from having fun but I would like to learn more about that period of transition and trying to figure out life outside of that nine to five job.
I hope it didn't come across as if I was implying having your views are in any way naive, because that wasn't my intention!>< and to answer the 2nd part of your comment, i feel like I have completely new set of challenges I'm working towards now, and the transition period was definitely not easy nor quick, I would say it took me 3 years to be completely self-sufficient and making "real money" as opposed to living pay-cheque to pay-cheque. Definitely a story for another time! XD
I love how sweet and soft Your drawings are 🤗 ｡◕‿◕｡
same in the uk, mostly production work than the creative side
I thi8nk the salary thing is the same in most professional industries. I graduated with an art degree but ended up in the IT industry my first job paid 45k a year and I worked 60 to 70 hours a week for 25 years. Part of that I owned my own company so when I sold it I had to retire because my health was just crap.. I ended up in a coma from stress so I retired at the age of 48 and went back to doing art. Im 54 now and in much better shape but still working on it. Yeah I think the world is working them selves to death.
Count me in! ^_^ ♡
YAYY
You literally describing my retails job but worst x'D They called u in at unexpected hours expecting u to cover for someone's else shift because they skipped their works. also what weekends off? we dont have any weekends off at all I remember one time I had to work like 13 days straight with no off day and I was really really burn out near the end and for what? just to get that one day off from work and then go back to work the next day. Man, it was horrible experience for me as of going back on time I always get frown on for getting home on time. x'DDD employer expected u to do as u said a few ots and depending on the hq sometimes we get the ot and sometimes we dont. I feels you girl :') after almost 2 years I quit my job oh gosh u were right all the time and hours I'd been missing man just mannn x'DDDDD
for me the worst part of all working in retails is the stupid rules of standing up throughout ur day idk whai everyone works just fine but for me it kind of taxing away my health and it hurts my back so bad till even my left leg could no longer support my body. Only after quitting the job did it get slightly better but unfortunately I cant bend or crouch as much as regular people do. So yeah, again folks do watch out for the job that is bad for u if u feels smg is wrong listen to it. All in all, all the points mentioned here is so true :') man I feels u pls dont be offended by this comment Im in no way meant to compare just sharing exp because this resonate so much with me and working life.
omg your back i miss you and youre video so much
I'm late to the party since I just found out you are releasing your book only NOW T_T
I've always admired your work and love watching your processes!
Is there a way for me to place an order for your book? I'm outside the US and Canada btw
Yeah, that's the norm. It's wrong. I'm glad you left the industry, both so you could pursue your real talent, but also because the more people who start their own companies, the less power big corporations have to abuse their employees.
I love your all vedios ❤️....... It's all are very impressive....... I love sketch 😍..... Your sketching style is an amazing 😍😍😍😍...... So encouraging 😍😍😍..... I want to draw like u 😊...... upload more......stay happy and well ❤️❤️
Hi Chris ! I was thinking about getting into an animation school and go to US or somewhere else where I can work for bigger companies because here in Turkey animation industry is so new and there isn’t many companies that I can work for. But After watching your video I feel a little lost. I’m going to be a senior on high school this year so if you have any recommendations about what should I study instead plz let me know 💓💓🧚🏻🧚🏻
i've always struggled picking a laboral path, specially anxious at the moment since i'm only a year away from graduating ! recently i've been interested in studying animation but wow i'm terrified, it's almost like you gotta really hit that pot to succeed and have a balance between personal well being and a stable income :(
thank you for sharing your perspective, really makes me re-evaluate what i truly want and plan out my future better :) i don't know if you'll happen to read this but, have you got any tips to figure out what i would truly like studying?
Hiya Chris! How do we purchase your book? your website has expired? Anyone knows? Please. Thanks in advance xx
Hey Mitzi! I just put my website back up (I was in the middle of transitioning it over to Shopify!) but the store is disabled since I want to keep my focus on the kickstarter campaign :) I'll announce it here on youtube when the kickstarter goes live!
i love animation i love creating whatever i like a bringing it to life but as a job i kinda hate animation especially how the animation company tells you what you can and cant make all you do is work on others ideas with no say you get paid for it but feel like you're suffocating.
Is it okay for me to ask what art school you went to? I’m actually working on my apps rn, I’m looking at SAIC or DePaul in Chicago but I’m not set on a single college :00
I went to Sheridan College, which is a school in Canada! good luck to you!
mmmm greeeen
hiiiii!
Beautiful ! what paper did you use for this piece?
i couldn't tell you, it was done on my sketchbook which is unbranded! Just got it from a local art store here in Canada, but it should be fairly generic sketchbook paper :)
❤️
Hey just wondering. Did you go to Sheridan? If not what school? Just curious
Yep, Sheridan College!
Where is the kickstarter link?
It's coming soon! will announce it here when it's available :)
I miss you .
100 percent yes to making your own job when you cant rely on people/studios giving it to you. However, looking at your pay, you mention 1000cad PER WEEK. in uk that's close to 600gbp p.w>2400p.m I've been trapped working retail and hospitality bouncing around jobs for 10 years, unable to break into those easy jobs you mention while being more than qualified to get them, particularly storyboarding, and have learnt to survive on far, far less. I'm talking under £800 p.m. Maybe the cost of living in Canada is high, i dunno, it can't be different to London/u.k costs but, in some way, it does come across as entitled. If you think 4000cad a month is not enough to save anything to build for yourself I can only imagine how you would feel working minimum wage retail while trying to keep your art habit alive...
I fully 100 percent understand your sentiments and where you're coming from though Chris. go get what you feel you are worth. love your work
that's totally fair, I can definitely see how it can come off as entitled and privileged especially to people from other parts of the world! I'm not sure how it compares to the COL in UK either (from what I hear people in the UK are much more comfortable spending a big bulk of their paycheque on rent.. ) but I was definitely factoring in my long-term future when I said 1000/week isn't enough, since I had hopes of eventually being able to buy a house (not there yet!).
There's a housing crisis in Canada, and being in Vancouver at the time, I knew it would have been impossible for me then (and even more so now) to ever dream of owning a modest home there on the trajectory I was on at the time. Now whether one considers being able to buy a house is entitled is another story lol... It certainly seems like a huge privilege to be able to do so in our current climate here in Canada!
@@ChrisHongArt we're totally not ok with spending a big part of our pay on rent XD haha
Yeah animating is tough
Your store page doesn't work...
yes I was actually in the process of transitioning over to another commerce platform, but decided to at least keep the personal website page up so people have something to look at! Thanks :)
It's not the Animation industry's fault at all. You were just not educated well about the animation industry and you learned the hard way but congratulations that you now know how it works. Unless you own the animation studio or animation company, you won't be able yo express your art in animation as an animator. That's why I didn't pursue it. I thought I was going to become an animator for the BIGGEST Japanese animation company. They already trained me for months but they made sure that they remind us about that. That you cannot express your own art in such company because you are animating for someone else not on your own. Why? Because they don't want their employees leaving abruptly because their reason is that they cannot express their art lol. And yes pay is not high. It is quota based and commission based so it will depend on how fast you work. Now I just paint whatever I want and I work for a different industry.
I remember being an arrogant 16yr old thinking I was gods gift to drawing, oh lol.
That's a good drawing. ^^👍👍👍👍Please stop by my room. ~ ^^❤👍👍👍
What are your pronouns?
she, her!
Good on you for going indie. But you're still drawing the same picture for the last 2 years. Are you progressing?
Try being a teacher.