On this episode, I chatted about my own artist journey, life’s major inspiration as well as how I pivot from an illustrator into a stand up comedian! You will walk away feeling more at ease with your own creative path, as well as some inspiration on your next big step! Enjoy the show!

My artist’s journey

I am an artist, author and comedian, born and raised in mainland China. I came to America when I was 22, pivoting my dream of working in advertising into running my own business as an illustrator. I spent 2 years in Maryland Institute College of Art and then 8 years in the creative business. I learned so much and learned the lesson that I didn’t need to fit in a box after all!

Food, a love story

I leaned into the “not so comfort zone” of my Asian last name “HU”, and made fun of it myself, not only did I take the power back but also discovered the perfect business name: Hu is Hungry! My grandpa was the original influence of my love language based food, followed by my culinary trained husband. Food has taught me that spoken language is not a barrier when two people get to connect with their taste and sense on a soul level. This discovery has also driven me in creating meaningful art and content that is “soul connected”!

The evolution of my style

I didn’t start out as a very skillful illustrator at all. However over the years, I have developed my skill set one step at a time, and have established a big library of work. The subject matter I’ve explored include food characters, human figures, story driven scenery, and ultimately world building. After spending 2 years developing my own book – Delicious Daydreams: a seek and hide book for foodies, I am feeling content after drawing everything I’ve ever wanted to draw. This intensive yet rewarding juicing process helped launch me into my most recent career pivot, Stand up Comedy alongside this very podcast!

Five Nutty Questions

What is your childhood favorite dish?
Zhajiang Noodle made by my grandpa, a dish that I only learned to cherish so much more after I left home.

What is your favorite thing in New York?
Dogs are the best thing in New York! Dogs are living the best life in New York and they are the best thing in New York, and New York is one of the best cities in the entire world for dogs.

Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving?
Friendsgiving, cause I don’t have family here. And I love that friends are like a second chance of having a family, and my husband has been playing that role in my life mostly.

Any plans for my last meal?
It’s gonna be hot pot! It’s part of my DNA and it makes me return to home on many different levels.

Tell me something nuts!
Do you know that everything is figureoutable? This is actually a book title, by one of my favorite public figures out there: Marie Forleo. And it is true, we can figure out how to get anything we want for real!!

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I loved recording my first ever podcast for you!! I hope you enjoyed listening to it!! I’d be thrilled to connect with you on instagram if that’s your cup of tea! If you enjoyed the conversation, please leave me a review to let me know, as it will tremendously help us reach more like minded folks!!

Thank you for stopping by, and remember you are a star, and you are ready to shine! 😀