At Cat Town, we’re lucky to have volunteers whose talents seem to know no bounds, and one of them is Olivia! We sat down for a chat with her to learn more about what she loves about making art, why she got involved in animal welfare, and how she combined these two passions to make an impact in her community.
Cat Town: You're an artist for a living, and have worked at a lot of big name companies in a creative capacity. Have you always liked making art? What made you want to pursue a career in visual design?
Olivia: Yes! I’ve always loved art. I started art school in third grade because I liked to doodle, and attended all through high school in China and after I moved to Houston when I was 18. Everything was so new to me, and my high school had no Chinese students, so I knew that I had to learn English to make friends. Luckily, my English as a Second Language class had people from all over the world, and I made friends with them, but communicating in a new language was still hard.
I had no idea what career to aim for, but I loved art, so I figured I’d study at the University of Houston’s graphic design program. It was a happy accident that I picked the right major. I learn better with visuals than with writing, and since English isn’t my first language, it's also easier to express myself through illustration!
“Don’t be afraid. Offer your support, and you’ll learn that all kinds of organizations need lots of help. They might be too busy to even ask, so take the first step, and make yourself available.”
CT: What artistic stuff do you do just for fun — and do you have a favorite medium?
OY: I actually make buttons for my friends for fun, and would like to make some to benefit animal welfare groups, too. All my friends have cool traits and hobbies, so I merged their names with their personalities for these buttons — for example, Sophie likes to sew, and I incorporated that into the illustration. I used Procreate to make the artwork, and bought a button maker.
I also draw for fun, and my favorite medium for that is pencil. I love how it looks on textured paper. I feel like I lose myself in a peaceful state of mind — I love hearing the pencil scratch on the paper, and I love playing with shapes and lines. I also draw in my sketchbook. The first thing that pops into my head when I grab a pen is to draw cats and people, so I draw them both a lot.
Buttons for Olivia’s friends
CT: What other artists inspire you?
OY: Lately I feel really inspired by Gemma Correll. She’s a really good comic artist. I do enjoy super colorful, perfect vector illustrations, but her style is the total opposite. It’s kind of like a doodly sketch, which feels really natural and organic compared to a lot of other art I see right now. I appreciate that there are still artists whose work feels organic and fresh in this digital world!
CT: Do you have a favorite project in your portfolio?
OY: When I was packing to move from Houston to San Francisco, I was cleaning out my stuff and found my portfolio, which had a drawing I’d made of Aladdin from when I was living in China. Back then, my dad was already in America. Even though he didn’t speak English, he’d wanted to follow the American Dream, and lived by himself for 4 years to prepare for moving me and my mom to the United States with him. I wrote him a letter, and at the time Disney’s Aladdin was really popular, so I included a color drawing of the movie poster art on watercolor paper.
Olivia’s prize-winning pencil drawing of her dad
I was surprised to like it so much when I saw it again! On the back I had written my dad a letter about missing him and hoping he was safe, healthy, and not lonely. It felt like I’d been transported to a time centuries ago. Ultimately, I gave it to my dad so it wouldn’t just hide in my portfolio. It wasn’t the art itself, but the time I made it and the meaning behind it that made that piece special to me.
Another piece that has a lot of meaning for me is a pencil drawing of my dad that I made a year after I moved to the US. There was an art contest in which I won first place and $5,000, and I used the money to buy my parents a second-hand car. It’s a very special piece to me, because I wanted to thank my dad for bringing me here.
CT: What inspired you to get involved with animal welfare?
OY: When I was little, I loved animals. I had a pet bird, but when she died, I became so sad that I never got another pet. I think I was protecting my heart. Then I started dating my partner, and his roommate had a cat named Muffin. Everyone in the apartment took care of her and bought her food and treats. She was really, really sassy. It took me 6 months to be able to touch her without getting scratched!
When I started hanging out with Muffin, I was scared of being heartbroken again, but I also remembered how much I loved animals when I was younger. Soon, I started to get close to her, and buy her presents. I made her a little bed out of a cardboard box I decorated. I finally earned her trust, and was even able to hold her and kiss her. When my partner moved in with me, Muffin stayed in his friend’s apartment. She’s completely forgotten me, but I continue to love her! I still buy her toys and treats anytime I go shopping.
Because of Muffin, I started thinking about how I could support animals again. I looked up some local animal rescues, and learned that Cat Town was looking for volunteers. When I reached out, Cat Town was excited to get support on some design work, and I pretty quickly started doing illustration projects — making signs, refreshing the windows at the Adoption Center, making stickers for Instagram, and other little things here and there.
Instagram stickers by Olivia
CT: Do you have any advice for artists looking to get more involved with their community?
OY: I think the biggest step is reaching out, and really thinking broadly about what you can do to contribute. You might not even have something in mind when you find a group you’d like to support, but talk to them anyway! Don’t be afraid. Offer your support, and you’ll learn that all kinds of organizations need lots of help. They might be too busy to even ask, so take the first step, and make yourself available.
I’m sure a lot of people are like me. Yes, I work with a lot of wonderful people in my day job, but it’s volunteering that makes me feel valuable and fulfilled. That’s why I reach out and put myself out there. It adds passion and meaning to my life!
“I think the biggest step is reaching out, and really thinking broadly about what you can do to contribute.”
Olivia’s illustrations on display on the windows of our Adoption Center. Photo by David Yeung.
Find more of Olivia’s work on her website and social media!