Catia Chien - The Intuitive Illustrator

[Jake Parker]

In this episode, illustrator Cátia Chen joins Jake Parker and Lee White to discuss art school, balancing parenthood and a career, and how what you do matters more than what you say.

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Click HERE to listen and read the shownotes.

[LauraA]

@jake-parker I'm listening right now to Catia talk about giving birth to her son and how hard it is to take care of a child in NYC, especially how much it costs. I moved with a small child and an art career, supposedly just for couple of years, stayed 14, and it totally ate my career. I have been beating myself up these past few years about why I am getting such a late start as an illustrator, and she just reminded me why. Not an excuse, just a re-realization that it made no economic sense. I still wish I had stuck with it more.

Becoming an illustrator may not cost as much as opening a pizza parlor (as Lee says), but if you have to hire out anyone to cover household work you would have done, it becomes really hard to justify how little you're making. Even now, I need a housekeeper because I can't keep up (and as of now, don't have one). I think that no matter what our situation, we have to really want to do this!

I love how Catia called Lee's bluff on throwing out his books!

And who is the great concept artist that you went to school with and talked about in the podcast?

And last but not least---a publishing company?!

[Lee White]

@lauraa the concept artist we went to school with and mentioned in the podcast is Chris Appelhauns. https://www.froghatstudios.com/portemp.html

You may have heard of him without knowing it. He just wrapped up as director and writer of The Wish Dragon on Netflix. Here's him talking about that a bit: https://comicbook.com/movies/news/wish-dragon-netflix-director-chinese-authenticity/

He is REALLY GOOD at almost everything he does. If I didn't like him so much I would hate him! haha! Super gifted dude

[Annaaronson]

@lauraa I totally agree- The economics of having a kid and starting a career in illustration are SUPER tricky. I think illustration is like a "long game" career... and you really just don't make enough to justify childcare, housekeeping etc. for a while and that doesn't mean you aren't good or you won't have a successful career, its just the way it is at the beginning. The "short game" trade offs can be really frustrating especially because like... you need money to live lol. I think a lot of people get stuck right there and it's good to remember that it is really hard and not to beat yourself up about it. I LOVE your work and I am so happy you are still at it I always have to remind myself there is no normal timeline for people.

[Asyas_illos]

That was a great interview she was so real, which is awesome! Thank you! And love her style and books! I couldn’t read her latest book, my best boy of 16 years left me three years ago but it still feels like yesterday

[LauraA]

@lee-white I actually meant someone who had a name that sounded like Kang Lee, maybe one of Catia's former roommates? (If that doesn't ring a bell, I'll listen again until I find it.) But I might have been missing something. I have heard you talk about Chris Appelhauns on your storytelling video, though, so I'll be sure to check him out right away!

[LauraA]

@annaaronson Thank you!! There was a little more to it than just the sheer economics, but you're right that it's a long game, and how I'm hoping to compress that just a little in the time I have left!

[LauraA]

@lee-white Oh wow! Thanks for the recommendation! Such great work, fabulously knowledgable, stylish and spontaneous at the same time. Just added Wish Dragon to my Netflix cue!

[davidhohn]

@lauraa I think you are looking for
http://www.khang-le.com

[LauraA]

@davidhohn That was the person! Thank you! (Hey, I got two new artists for one question!)

[Jeremy Ross]

@jake-parker @Lee-White , just wanted to say that I really enjoyed the interview with Catia, and especially the point about doing the work and letting it speak for itself.

This reminds me of Cal Newport’s book, “So Good They Can’t Ignore You”.

[Lee White]

@jeremy-ross thanks! glad you liked her interview. She sure is talented!

[carlianne]

I just wanted to thank you guys for bringing a mom onto the podcast! I appreciate that the interviews give us the opportunity to hear from other successful illustrators and their challenges that the three of you don't face quite directly.

I currently have a 3 and 5 year old and like Catia I also had to make the decision to move to somewhere more cost effective as i was living in a city that was even more expensive than Brooklyn!

it was nice to hear from someone experiencing similar struggles, thank you!