Meet motion designer from Kaohsiung, Celia Hsu.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am Celia, a motion designer from Taiwan! I love telling stories through 2D animation, motion graphics, and illustration. The process of making things move is very satisfying for me.

In 2017, I left my hometown, Taiwan, and went to SCAD, US to study motion design. It was the first time I lived in another country while speaking a foreign language, which was quite a scary experience at first. However, being able to study abroad affected my life and career in many ways.

As a creative, I love to learn new things and share my feeling through my works and words. Now I work as a full-time designer in Boston.

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

Kaohsiung is the city I was born and raised in before I moved to Taipei to study for college. It is a pretty but hot city. In the summer, the sun feels like it can roast your skin! The cost of living there is relatively cheap compared to Taipei and most cities in the US. Food in Kaohsiung is also amazing. It is easy to find super delicious local restaurants or street food there– which I miss a lot.

Food in Kaohsiung is also amazing. It is easy to find super delicious local restaurants or street food there– which I miss a lot.

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

The best thing about living in Kaohsiung is the price. Everything is super affordable and the quality is great! For a meal at a regular restaurant, it would be about USD$5–7, and street food is around USD$2–4! The worst thing might be the pollution there. Since Kaohsiung used to be a city of heavy industry, the pollution from the past has impacted the air and water a lot. Although it is getting better, sometimes we can still feel its presence while breathing in the air there.

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

Inspiring, relaxing, enjoyable.

How did you start your career in art?

I have always loved drawing and doodling since young. But it wasn’t until I went to an art school (National Taiwan University of Arts) that I started learning about animation. The skills and experience I got during the four years benefited me a lot. I understood more about the industry and how to cooperate with people. That aside, I also met many talented students and kind professors there!

I have always loved drawing and doodling since young. But it wasn’t until I went to an art school (National Taiwan University of Arts) that I started learning about animation.

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

At first, my family was shocked when they realized I was applying for an art school. They thought I would more likely to study something in finance or education. But after recent years, my family have become very supportive of my choices and been very proud of me 🙂

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

My goal is to share how I feel and what I see with more people and encourage them to take the first step at something that they desire to. When I made the decision of going abroad, everything felt scary and I was nervous all the time. But now that I have learned a lot, I have also become (a little bit) more confident about myself. I want to cheer on the people who have the same anxieties I had, and tell them that everything is gonna be alright!

Also, I hope to collaborate with more designers from different fields (music, interactive, graphic design…) to create more cool works!

I want to cheer on the people who have the same anxieties I had, and tell them that everything is gonna be alright!

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?

Perfume is a Japanese pop girl group and have been my favorite musicians. The way they present music and live performances are really attractive and inspiring.  It will be awesome if I could cooperate with them and create some visual elements for their music or stage performance.

How would you describe the women around you?

The women that I know are from different cultural backgrounds and work in various fields of the industry, but they are all very independent, talented, kind and generous. They are professional as co-workers, yet superbly fun and humorous as friends.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

Not really, I was quite surprised when I realized that most artists I knew when I was young were all male! I do know many talented female artists and most of them are around the same age group as me. I noticed that in the past, male creatives were more likely to become successful or famous, but the shift for female creatives have become more and more equal recently.

Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?

Not as far as I have felt. I am lucky to work in an industry where people acknowledge the quality of your works and personality, rather than your gender.

Trust yourself and keep up the great works! Enjoy the creative life but don’t be afraid to step out of the comfort zone, because you will learn more than you thought 🙂

Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?

Trust yourself and keep up the great works! Enjoy the creative life but don’t be afraid to step out of the comfort zone, because you will learn more than you thought 🙂

Photos & videos courtesy of Celia Hsu.