Today we’d like to introduce you to Wen Song.
Hi Wen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My passion for art all started in my hometown of Fushun, China. My earliest memories are of me singing and moving to music at my neighborhood park and making origami with my grandma. I’ve always enjoyed creating with my hands and letting my creativity guide me. The rigorous education system in China left me little to no room for me to pursue my interests so when my mom and I, at age 7, immigrated to the US, my interests in art flourished.
I began taking singing lessons and performed at every given opportunity. I started my crafting business, now known as GoCraftLove, at age 10 selling my handmade creations. This included crafts you’d expect from a child like I was such as bracelets, hand-stitched bags, and other trinkets. I eventually attended the Creative Performing and Media Arts middle school (CPMA) where I was able to further my arts education with dance and acting. I took part in numerous choir, dance, and theatre showcases during my 3 years at CPMA. The vibrant and supportive environment there encouraged me to take both art and my small business more seriously.
I am currently a high school senior at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SDSCPA) where I am majoring in dance. The unmatched arts education at SDSCPA has shaped me into the dancer and creator I am today. The support of my teachers and peers constantly pushes me to be the best version of myself.
These experiences grew my appreciation for art and my passion for helping others has led me to teaching. I have taught small-scale workshops in my local community and assisted in teaching at the Elementary Institute of Science this past summer. I love to work with youth and help them grow their passion for art as my teachers have done for me. After high school, I hope to attend a 4-year university to further my education in performing and visual arts. I then plan on working towards a teaching credential to teach at public schools.
My journey has just begun and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Creating has its highs and lows. Sharing a piece of art, something you created from your own mind and hand is, well… vulnerable. I often find myself overwhelmed with my own self-doubt and self judgment.
“Is this really my best work?”
“Is this good enough?”
“Am I good enough?”
The list goes on and on.
The constant wave of my own negative thoughts have affected me greatly. This leads to me hesitating and not putting my best self forward or not trying at all. It’s exposing to know I have put a piece of who I am out there for others to see. I’m continuing to learn who I am and the role I play in this world. I just know that I must create.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I find art to be a way of expressing myself and my feelings or emotions because sometimes words simply aren’t enough. Expression Isn’t linear in the sense that happy is happy and sad is sad; rather, happy is energetic, bright, colorful, you name it. I need to express myself in a way that is bursting with possibilities where there is no right or wrong, there’s just me.
I really let my emotions lead where my art goes from the pallet all the way to textures and the way everything is constructed. One of my most recent projects and the one I’m most proud of is a dress made out of chip wrappers inspired by my frustration with plastic pollution. I collected chip wrappers from around my neighborhood and school to clean then assemble them into a dress, sounds simple enough right? This whole process took me over 60 hours, multiple broken needles, and so much experimenting with the fragile material. It was definitely not easy. There were moments of frustration but I didn’t let them stop me because what came out of all of that is my most prized work to date.
Giving back to my community and finding ways to help others is an important part of who I am as well. In my free time, I like to look for ways to give back to my local community by fundraising for the SD Food Bank and volunteering for Cards for Cubs. Through Cards for Cubs, I have donated over 150 handmade cards to be distributed to children in foster care. I also enjoy creating art for my local community. I have painted 2 electrical box murals in 2021 and was a part of the Mira Mesa Teen Fellowship, helping to design an amphitheater-like structure which will be built in my neighborhood park.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/gocraftlove
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/gocraftlove
- Other: Linktr.ee/GoCraftLove
Image Credits
Kristine Burgess
