I'll tell you guys a little bit about my self. My name is Chelsea Tang and I was born in the Woodlands, TX. I love drawing, watching movies (ghibli), listening to music (anything good, no specific genre), and learning.
My life story (its kinda long, and I didn't realize this wasn't what we were assigned to write about but its a really good ice breaker)
My life is really boring so I'll talk about my parent's story and how it led to mine. My parents lived in China during Mao Zedong's rule and lived there until my dad got an opportunity to study at a U.S. University. When I was little, my mom would constantly tell me stories of how tough they had it before in China. I vividly recall a story she told me of her childhood when there was no food available to eat and people starved so much they ripped bark off of trees and ate it. She told me this story to make me shut up about not liking the carrots in my soup (I ate them after wards). But I don't think her stories worked long term because I'm still picky about certain foods. Well anyways, after my dad and mom came to the US with my brother (oh yea they had my brother in China), they moved to New York City. They lived in a tiny, tiny apartment with a million cockroaches and probably some rats. Then (thank god) my dad got a transfer to Texas where everything is cheap.
This is the part where I come in! So I was born in the Woodlands, Texas and lived there for about 2 years until my family moved to Spring, Texas. When I was a child I'd say that I was outgoing but didn't have a proper filter between my mind and mouth aka I was rude (I think most kids are tbh). I had a very normal Asian childhood. By that I mean getting good grades, taking instrument lessons (piano), taking dance lessons (ofc ballet and traditional Chinese dance), taking art lessons (the only thing I liked), taking other sports lessons (ice skating and swimming), taking Chinese lessons, and SAT lessons (jk). But eventually I convinced my parents to let me quit everything but art.
In the summer between 6th and 7th grade, I moved to Sugar Land, TX where I attended Fort Settlement Middle school. This is when I took drawing seriously and started my love of Ghibli movies and k-pop. Studio Ghibli movies made me realize the importance of the environment and how beautiful it is (kind of ironic, seeing the beauty of nature through a movie). To me, Ghibli movies make me feel reflective and melancholy. If anyone has free time I strongly recommend watching either Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke. Although they are kids movies, there is real, deep meaning behind each. Hayao Miyazaki is one of my idols (the director) because of his unique point of view.
When you talk about plants, or an ecological system or forest, things are very easy if you decide that bad people ruined it... It's not bad people who are destroying forests... This is the complexity in the relationship between humans and nature. And since this is a big theme of this film, I didn't want it to be a story about a bad guy. - Hayao Miyazaki
What I really took away from Miyazaki's works were that although we, society I suppose, likes to decide people as good or bad, everyone is in between the scale. Although people cut down trees, the people doing so are hard-workers and, they are feeding their families (ofc doing so for greed is a different story). We like to antagonize especially in movies and stories and don't consider the other side of the story.
I think these movies were a place of salvation for me during my middle school years, so they have a special place in my heart. I even went to the Ghibli Museum in Japan! But I don't have any photos because the museum doesn't allow them so this is one of me in Japan. Also, sorry for fan girling haha.
Now I'm a junior at Dulles High school, and I hate it. Just kidding, its alright. 😁
Although the work load is tough, I love going to school here because of my friends and the interesting courses offered.
I'm not sure what I want to do in the future. Since I was a child, I've never really been interested in a particular area of studying or a potential career. All I know is that I enjoy making art, but we all know that a fine arts career path is uncertain. My parents forbid me from pursuing art, so I have no where left to turn. I know what my parents say is true. Art is a very hard journey and its not easy to make it to the top. And even then some of the best artist don't see a single penny from their works (looking at you, second hand art auctions). Here's one of my pieces above.
What I'm proud of
Here is me at the Houston Rodeo selling my artwork for auction in 2018. My piece sold for $5,000, and I was amazed that my artwork could sell for actual money.
4 Truths 1 Lie:
1. During a war, my grandpa was captured by the Japanese and escaped.
2. When I was little, I swallowed a penny on accident.
3. I threw up on a plane at the beginning of a 16 hour flight (sorry to the people who sat around me).
4. I had sleep paralysis and the first time I thought I was dying.
5. When I was little, I choose Columbia University as my dream college because it started with a C.
