Meet Issie Wing: Magazine Editor and Artist

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

Hi Issie, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
At the age of 30, I finally have the answer to THE question – What makes you happy? My dream job brought me temporary happiness. Owning an extravagant car brought me temporary happiness. Connecting with someone I admire, mastering skills, receiving approvals and compliments… The list of pursuing temporary happiness goes on like a checklist and they continued to make top priorities in my life. My scale of happiness and motivations were based on the outcomes of these experiences. Yet, I wanted more. While chasing my dreams, aka “I’ll be happy when…”, my fatigued mind felt foggy and drained. An unproductive day turned into a week, and eventually a month. My mental state went from pressured, stressed, chaotic, to unstable. I decided to put everything aside and focused on my health by finding the calm in chaos. The answer to what makes me happy, is Balance – an important piece that I had been overlooking and undervaluing. The balance between perfectionism and recklessness is knowing that I am doing my very best, while living in THIS moment. I learned that happiness is a choice, and it involves hard-work, just like everything else in a career, personal development, relationships, family, spiritual, etc. Genuine happiness requires putting down my pride, ego, selfishness, and overcoming fears. But when I found genuine happiness, I realized that it doesn’t run out and it helps me appreciate things in life. If I have to describe happiness, it is the feeling of peace, rather than a sensory enjoyment.

What should our readers know about your business?
My career is composed of creativity, passion, and mental health, which helped created Allen & Houston Magazine. The mission of the media platform is to break the mental health stigma through our art, passion, and experiences. Collaborating with talented artists, we utilize our creativity and skills to turn our experiences into something beautiful, like painting on a canvas with our different journeys in life. It took me a really long time to break through barriers put up by society, my upbringing, and myself; accepting and connecting with my passion was one of the most uncomfortable things I needed to endure. Allen & Houston Magazine empowered me, allowing me to believe that my voice is enough, and helped me overcome my mental blocks that I thought I would never be able to. I can be proud to say that I found who I am, a place where I belong, and the courage to pursue what matters to me. And now it is my turn to help my fellow creatives through Allen & Houston Magazine, to be more confident in who they are, and find the courage to follow their own passions; even if it only gives them a small chance to flourish in their own way. The power of passion is incredible. It brings people together, it drives us to move forward and form a brighter world, a place where we can expand social perceptions and inspires true empathy. You Are Enough. If you would like to learn more about Allen & Houston Magazine, go to https://www.allenhoustonmagazine.com or find me on Instagram @allenhoustonmagazine

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are lots of things to do and interesting neighborhoods to explores! Here are some of my favorite places in the city: Winn Slavin Fine Art, art gallery (Beverly Hills) – The awe-inspiring art gallery that is filled with collections of fine paintings and sculptures by modern masters, contemporary masters and emerging artists. Each piece showcases the masters’ innovative approach and their mastery of the medium. https://winnslavin.com/ The Upper West, restaurant (Santa Monica) – always have a good time here with friends and the food and drinks are incredibly delicious. The Upper West also gives a charming vibe making it my LA go-to place whenever I feel homesick for NY. https://theupperwest.com/ Fugetsu-Do Bakery Shop, family-operated confectionery store since 1903 (Little Tokyo) – they have a great assortment of beautiful crafted traditional Japanese sweets. Their mochi is handmade and I always pick up extra for my friends! https://www.fugetsu-do.com/ Studio Steeds, horse rental service (Los Angeles County) – Studio Steeds is a place where making your photoshoot dreams come true. If you are looking for engagements, themes, or whimsical photos just for fun, I highly recommend them! They are professional, friendly, expert handlers, and well-organized. https://studiosteeds.com/
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be where I am today sharing my journey and work without the support from all the creatives and mentors I met and worked with along the way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone I have crossed path with – you’ve made a difference. A special shoutout goes to Lyena Kang (@kitsuneghost), a creative genius and a powerful healer. The love and compassion in her heart has encouraged so many artists to be their best, including myself. Thank you for inspiring me to be authentic and giving me the courage to use my personal experiences to help create positive change for others.

Website: https://www.allenhoustonmagazine.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/allenhoustonmagazine
Twitter: @allenhoustonmag
Facebook: @allenhoustonmagazine

Image Credits
Image Credit This Valentine’s Day Love Yourself Photographer Amelia Romulo @ameliaromulo Talent Kay’La Bowden @kayla.bowden Fashion Stylist Issie Wing @issiewingzstylist Passion To Create Photographer Vico Velez @vicovelezphotography Creative Lyena Hironaka Kang @kitsuneghost Makeup Artist Nicholas Gonzales @werkhunty Hair Stylist Lizette Garza @silverscreenvanity Fashion Stylist Issie Wing @issiewingzstylist A Genderless Future Photographer Vico Velez @vicovelezphotography Creative Sean Chong-Umeda @seannyboy808 Zuse with Studio Steeds @studiosteeds Makeup Artist Nicholas Gonzales @werkhunty Fashion Designer Wiwa Blue @wiwa_blue Fashion Stylist Issie Wing @issiewingzstylist Hair by Jay Sableovale Portrait of Empathy Photographer Tiffany Tran @tifftranphoto Creative Lupe Juan @hid3ous Makeup Artist Summer Sun @summer_sun_beauty Fashion Stylist Issie Wing @issiewingzstylist