Meet Andrew Phan: Graphic Designer / Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew Phan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
You are your greatest asset. Stick to what you do best and invest in your growth. For me, authenticity, kindness, and a dash of self doubt have gotten me this far! I never really understood what it meant to be authentic and initially compared myself to others’ successes in hopes of achieving the same goals. I had to turn off Instagram and ask myself: is this who I want to be or who everybody thinks I should be? Being authentic meant I had to embrace my flaws, be honest with others and really listen to my instincts. Once I was able to understand myself more, I began to create work that was personal and unique to my own experiences. I became kinder to myself and leaned more on my peers for support. I accepted that I didn’t have to know everything and started investing more in skills I already had. And that little voice of doubt in my head that questions everything I do? It pushes me to step out of my comfort zone and also keeps me grounded to who I am.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always been surrounded by music and creativity ever since I was young. My mom started out as a singer in the church choir and pushed my siblings and I to learn more about music. Whether it was taking piano lessons or performing home talent shows, music opened the world of self expression and brought so much joy into my life. Later on, I was introduced to the magic of Photoshop through my dad, who started his own photo developing business ironically called Magic Image. Located in the mall, he would interest many casual shoppers into a personalized portrait. My photography interest also started to grow and I remember using my basic Photoshop skills to create my own campaign for 5th grade Presidency!

Fast forwarding to college, I never thought I would be pursuing art as my career but wouldn’t regret any decisions that I made to get here. I laugh every time I think about how I started as an engineer struggling to crunch numbers.. Who was I kidding honestly?? All I knew was that my true passion pointed towards self expression and digital art. After my freshman year, I had jumped headfirst into the CPP Art Department and found myself spending all my money on art supplies.

This would not be a complete story without some hurdles. When I decided to switch majors, my parents were apprehensive about the design industry and how it could be financially unstable. I was not going to become a projected “Asian pursuing a medical degree” and this added pressure only motivated me more to create my own path. After graduating a couple months before the pandemic hit, I was also left with a big question mark of what would be next for me. The world was just put on pause, and I ended up taking the time to reprioritize my life (and adopt 2 cute bunnies as support animals.)

As an artist, my work tends to blur the line between reality and fantasy. I like to combine multiple mediums such as graphic design and photography and try to push myself further with every project. I believe that inspiration can be found anywhere and sometimes the best ideas are right in front of you.  My process usually starts by viewing multiple perspectives of a certain concept and then narrowing down what is most relatable to my experiences.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Honestly I’m such a foodie.. I’m always down to try new restaurants (even if it means driving through hills and valleys.) Growing up in the 626 area, there are tons of spots that never disappoint! I love starting my morning with an iced coffee, so I would recommend grabbing a Cold Brew at Klatch Coffee! Their baristas are always so accommodating and they have a wide range of options to get your caffeine fix! During the afternoon I usually take the Metro to Pasadena and enjoy having lunch at CAVA. Their Mediterranean food is hearty, tasty and just *chefs kiss. As for places to hang out, I loooove a low cost activity and would suggest driving up to the Azusa Canyons. I especially like taking photos up here because there is always something to look at with every turn. This is a perfect spot if you enjoy scenic views, deep conversations and a getaway from the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to thank God first for all the blessings in my life, my orgs, Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement, West Covina and AIGA CPP for providing me community, my family and my friends Tiffani Ho and Darleen Ralota for supporting all my wild ideas. Honestly if you have taught me a keyboard shortcut in Adobe, celebrated with me after a long day with boba, or hyped me up on Instagram, I am FOREVER GRATEFUL.

Website: www.phandrew.com

Instagram: @phandrewz

Other: my bunny ig acc: @behoppy510

Image Credit:  
Andrew Phan