Meet Jessica Wu | Animator and Visual Artist

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

Hi Jessica, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always loved drawing since I was a kid. On paper, I created my own rules. I could create a world that I didn’t have to think about exams and grades. Whenever our family would go out for food, my parents always brought crayons and paper. When there were no smartphones and Ipads, it was the best way to keep me busy. In addition, watching movies is also a significant interest of mine. I used to go to a Blockbuster near where we lived every weekend. I watched every genre that I could find at the store. They weren’t all marvelous movies, but it made me realize the power of filmmakers. The power of taking away hours of a stranger’s life and make them watch the story you want to tell. It was in high school that I realized I want that power as well.

In the end, I finally realized animation was the perfect medium to combine those two interests. Moreover, visual storytelling excites me more than any other subject at school. I decided to apply to animation programs for undergrad. And I’ve been animating ever since! ✿

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I feel like I still haven’t fully figured out what “my art” is. But I definitely have a better idea now comparing to when I first started creating my own films in undergrad. I was so afraid of the feedback and comments I might receive during that time. The idea of putting my work out there and the fact that I was responsible for the entire outcome terrified me. As a consequence, I ended up overthinking everything and the film didn’t represent what I’m passionate about. In other words, it didn’t show who I was.

Back to “my art” and “my brand”. I think I’ve realized that the best works that I’ve created are the ones that I enjoyed the process the most. I enjoy creating vibrant colors, snappy/expressive character animation, and highly-stylized characters. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The mistake that I’ve made in the past is that I was presenting what I think the audience would like. But how could someone making their first film know what that is? Now watching my earlier films, I can definitely see the struggles that I was going through. If I could say something to myself at that time, I would tell her instead of focusing what other people might like, why not focus on what story you want to tell?Recently, my friends started commenting that my work gives similar energy as my personality. And that has made me more confident in the direction I’m going. ✿

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m still relatively new to the city, but I have some spots that I really enjoy. One of my favorite things to do in LA is going thrifting, so we’re definitely going to Melrose! We would probably also go on a picnic in the afternoon because I love watching the sunset. My favorite spots to do that are Barnsdall Art Park and Manhattan Beach. After that, if we’re still feeling a little bit crazy, we’re going dancing! Downtown or West Hollywood are both great for boogie nights. ✿

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

✿ Taiwan. My home and favorite place in the world ♡

✿ My good friend Wei Wang, who I can always count on for emotional support and feedback on my art even though we’re 15 hours apart 

✿ My LA friends, who’ve helped me stay sane this past year. Especially my dear friend Ros Fiol for nominating me to do this interview 

✿ All of the precious and lovely human beings that I’ve encountered along the way!! You know who you are ☆

Website: wujessica.com

Instagram: instagram.com/tyw_art

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tingyunwujessica/