By Ashley Trinh
Two of the most debilitating feelings come from pursuing a hobby or skill you are passionate about:
One of them is the suffocatingly dull state of feeling uninspired and unmotivated. The second feeling comes after you’ve accomplished a new goal or completed a challenging project that gives you an overwhelming sensation of pride and satisfaction—only to be paralyzed with the fear of judgment before sharing the results of your hard work.
Over the past four years, senior Pearline Truong has overcome many artistic blocks and personal fears to establish an online identity that proudly displays her meticulous pencil work—an amalgamation of 18 years of relentless practice.
“I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, and I think I’ve always had a love for it,” Truong says.
Her passion and commitment to traditional art—particularly drawing solely with pencil and paper—has been etched into her heart, ever since she was a little girl.
“I have stuck with traditional art for so long … I love the personal aspects that come with doing it all manually,” Truong says.
Despite growing up in a society rampant with technology, she refuses to adhere to the abrupt shift to digital art in the contemporary art space.
“I don’t really have any intentions of getting into digital art because it has gradually become less popular, especially with the rise of AI,” Truong said.
Rather than using electronics to create art, Truong uses her devices to exhibit her drawings on her Instagram account “@pearsatelier.”
“In middle school, [there was a time] when I stopped drawing entirely because I couldn’t find the motivation or inspiration to do so,” Truong said. “In high school, … I was worried to lose that spark again because drawing has been such a huge part of my identity. [So, I started] my Instagram account [to document] my progress and [give] me an incentive to continue drawing.”
Though this decision may have seemed simple on paper, there were also mental and emotional adversities she encountered while pursuing the creation of her platform.
“Posting online was quite intimidating because I was afraid of being judged, but … drawing was the thing I was good at even when I didn’t feel confident about anything else,” Truong said. “What helped me get over that [fear of being judged] was shifting my mindset and realizing that no one really cares whether or not I post some doodles online, so in a way it gave me freedom … the only thing holding me back was myself.”
Now, with her art account up and running, Truong has cultivated a stronger sense of confidence in her artistic capabilities, openly embracing her progress as a creative.
Her documentation of her artwork is a self-serving decision that has mended her relationship with herself and her self-assuredness.
“I feel like I have something super special to me and I want to optimize my [talent] as much as possible,” Truong said.
Although her priorities with this platform are to endow a sense of personal fulfillment, her goals do not fall short of leaving a positive and altruistic impression on younger, aspiring creatives.
“It pains me to see people that are so talented not share [their capabilities] with the world because they’re afraid of being judged or not being good enough,” Truong said. “By sharing my work, I hope to inspire others to explore their ability.”
What once seemed to be a daunting task for Pearline Truong turned into a fulfilling, hobbyistic commitment. So, before your academic journey comes to an end, kickstart that passion project—you will never know what good will come of it.
