Hi! It’s Carly here, and I am new to Medium.
I am a Chinese Australian living in Vancouver, Canada. I am a little nervous starting on Medium, so I thought introducing a bit about myself to break the ice.
My life so far
I grew up in Sydney, Australia, but I was born in Auckland, New Zealand. I can confirm that everything is upside down on this hemisphere.
From as early as age 6, I always loved drawing and painting.
I never thought I would be interested in writing, as I found I visualized my ideas better than with words.
Childhood was tough; my family grew up poor, and I watched my immigrant parents work really hard to build a life in Sydney.
From Disney princesses to Pixar, I was drawn to film and animation. I would rent DVDs (I haven’t used that word in ages) and watch movies and even the second disc, which had all the behind-the-scenes content. Stories were so exciting; they were an escape from reality, and I reveled in it.
I was that arty kid in high school, doodling, painting, sketching. I even managed to paint using oils in my bedroom, which I would not recommend. Storytelling through art came easier to me than any other topic. I was terrible at math, English, sports.
Art was my identity.
Career
So I decided to pursue 3D and 2D animation in university. This led to creating a short film for my 4th and final year of class.
It was grueling, and I found myself struggling with animation. However, I enjoyed the final stage of creating the short film: the final stage of editing and compositing. Through that, I wad hired as an intern with a film studio and then began my visual effects career as a compositor.
I’m 28 now, and over the past 7 years, I’ve worked in 3 cities and have over 30 film and TV credits.
Time really does fly!
The visual effects and film industry has its ups and downs. As exciting and fulfilling as it can be to be a part of the filmmaking process, it has long hours and a level of instability with upcoming work. I am currently not working due to a lack of work, which is mentally and financially tough. But it has given me precious time and space for my mind to think deeply and take a break.
So why begin writing?
My career has always been my first priority.
I watched my hard-working parents grind, and I knew I had to put work first before everything else. And I did, work help me keep busy
Four years ago, I hit my lowest point. Going through a breakup, stressed, overworked, and unaware of my lack of emotional regulation, I was depressed but didn’t know it.
Since then, I’ve been through a journey of building my life and discovering my purpose. I wanted to understand what it means to live a fulfilling, healthy life. Therapy, reading, podcasts, and new friendships — I’ve learned about health, habits, and the beauty of the present moment.
Finally, I am at a point where I am ready to share some of my successes and failures, all of the things I’ve learned.
I do a lot of visualizing for work, so I find writing is a nice break from that. This is why I am on Medium.
Thanks for reading, and I hope to bring you along my writing journey.
I will be sharing stories on self development, career and health.
Please say hi and leave me any thoughts!
