Growing up, I didn’t know many people who did creative work. While I was very enthusiastic about writing and art, the possibility that a person was paid to make that work happen didn’t even cross my mind—let alone the fact that a person like me could do it. But even if I knew, how would I go about doing it? (I spent a long time figuring it out for myself!)
It’s really energizing for me to see the team at Maekan publish the Golden Generation zine, which highlights established and emerging Asian American creatives. Here are some of my favorite excerpts from the latest issue, North Star:
“If someone has a lot of doubt, you know they’re an artist. Because a true artist doubts everything. They doubt people’s perspectives, doubt their own beliefs, but it’s that doubt that creates new ideas.”
Justin Pichetrungsi
“I used to ask a lot of people, “How do you take a good photo? How do I be better?” Everything they would say wasn’t nearly as helpful as me doing it myself.”
Nori Rasmussen–Martinez
“When you’re passionate about doing something, whether it’s filmmaking or surfing, riding a bike, or doing photography, you don’t have to do it as a profession to find enjoyment and fulfillment. I think getting paid for what you love is the icing on the cake. It’s like a crazy blessing that not everybody gets. I thought I would spend most of my life doing a job that pays the bills which would then allow me to do the things that I love. Filmmaking is one of the things I love. I also love surfing, but I’m not a professional surfer. Am I going to feel like a failure because I’m not getting paid to surf? No, I’m just going to keep doing it cause I love it. It saddens me sometimes when people who have a dream of being a filmmaker suddenly give up after five years because they didn’t “make it.” It’s sad because there’s so much enjoyment you can get out of this process that now, more than ever, you can do for basically no money….
It was ten years. Ten years of not getting paid before I started getting paid for it.”
Destin Yori Daniel Cretton
“Recording video is just part of skateboarding. Everybody wants to get a clip [of you skating] and then wants to post it on Instagram…. I think the sentiment for the majority of skaters is to do it for yourself. We’re out here soul skating, you know? I say that, but you’re a real soul skater if you’re not filming.”
Eunice Chang
“Make sure to be 100% confident. Do you want to do this or not? ‘Cause you don’t want to half-ass shit, especially not this, or you’re not going to last. Make sure that it’s something that you’re confident you want to invest your life into, or that it’s something you want to do regardless of the money.”
Eric Kim
These are just a few of the really great bits from it.
P.S., My friend Eugene gifted me a copy of this on my recent visit to Hong Kong. (Thanks Eugene!) He was also the editor who commissioned my first few pieces for Hypebeast early in my career. Here was my debut post about the resurgence of print magazines.