Is comfort the enemy of creativity?

In this episode of Making It, we sit down with Yuho Chang, a former jewelry designer turned abstract painter who describes herself as a "free bird" and a "bold, fearless soul."

From finding traditional landscape painting "boring" to obsessively learning abstract techniques via Google and YouTube, Yuho shares her reinvention story with infectious energy. We dive deep into her creative pivot—moving from fine jewelry to large-scale ink and acrylics—and her philosophy that "once you are in comfort, you are in a problem." Yuho opens up about the vulnerability of facing critics who claim "a kindergartner could do that," and shares the practical hustle required to knock on gallery doors in Hong Kong.

If you are a creative looking to pivot your career, or an artist struggling with the fear of rejection, Yuho’s advice on why you need to "dive 100% in" is exactly what you need to hear.

🎧 IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

The Pivot: Why Yuho left jewelry design and found traditional painting "boring."

Self-Taught Hustle: How curiosity, Google, and painting day and night launched her new career.

The Critique: Dealing with the "my kid could paint that" comments and turning hurt into growth.

City Energy: How the hustle of Hong Kong, Tokyo, and New York inspires her "Cityscape" series.

The "5 Nos" Rule: A practical mindset for handling rejection from galleries (and why you should keep knocking).

Breaking Barriers: Challenging ageism in art "open calls" and advocating for local Hong Kong talent.

Start listening to challenge your own comfort zone.

CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro: Why we are having this conversation

02:33 - Who is Yuho Chang? (Abstract Painter & Free Bird)

04:15 - "It was boring": Why she rejected traditional painting

06:19 - Being "Bold and Fearless" with color

12:18 - Cityscapes: Finding inspiration in the hustle (and capsule hotels)

14:40 - The "Little People": What brings a city to life

21:02 - The Philosophy: "Once you are in comfort, you are in problem"

23:40 - The Obsession: Painting day and night

26:05 - Advice to her 16-Year-Old Self: "You talk too much"

30:50 - The "Kindergarten" Critique: Handling bad reviews

36:40 - Sales Advice: Go out and get 5 "Nos"

40:50 - Does Hong Kong support local artists enough?

43:05 - Fighting Ageism: Why art has no expiration date

QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE:

"Once you're in comfort, you are in problem... I always want to challenge myself and to be better." - Yuho Chang

"I am a free bird... expressing myself on the canvas. That's who I am—bold and freely free soul." - Yuho Chang

"Believe in yourself that if I can do it, you can do it. And it's just simple as one, two, three." - Yuho Chang

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Yuho Chang is a Hong Kong-based abstract artist and former creative jewelry designer. Known for her bold use of ink and acrylics, she describes herself as a "free bird" who transitioned from traditional influences to fearless abstraction. She combines the hustle of a city girl with an unshakeable belief in self-expression and the power of diving 100% into your passion.

ABOUT THE HOST:

Alex See is on a mission to make Hong Kong a place where artists and creatives can thrive. Through Making It, Alex interviews the minds shaping the culture to uncover what it takes to succeed in the creative industries.

CONNECT WITH US:

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