Introduction: A Soul That Loves Creation and Freedom
Hello!
In this article, I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine who, like me, loves to draw!
Interestingly, before we even started the interview, I discovered that Shanna‘s MBTI is ENFP, just like mine!
This made us click instantly, and the whole interview felt more like a deep conversation between old friends.
We talked about our entrepreneurial journeys, from the suppression within the system to the craving for freedom outside of it, and I saw in her eyes a persistent passion for artistic creation.
Shanna’s story is one of “searching” and “becoming.”
Through a life of constant moves and transitions, she has rediscovered her truest self, step by step, through her art, and she shares this strength with so many others.
From Hong Kong to the UK, a Journey to Find a Stable Home
Shanna is from Hong Kong, but what’s special is that she attended university in Taiwan!
For her, Taiwan was a significant milestone in her life, a place where she met many different people and experienced new things.
However, the changing situation in Hong Kong in 2019 led her and her family to make the major decision to immigrate to the UK.
Everything was a new beginning.
To survive in a foreign land, she worked in food service, as a packer, and in other jobs.
It was a challenging and difficult period.
Though tough, this experience forged her resilient character.
The Last Straw: Why She Decided to Leave Teaching for Good
After settling down in the UK, Shanna took a teaching position at a local school, teaching students how to draw.
It seemed like a job that perfectly matched her interests.
However, she quickly found that the school’s rigid and uncreative system clashed with her free-spirited nature and her desire to inspire others.
They might say they encourage you to grow, but it’s still a system.”
Shanna said during our interview.
She longed to use her artistic skills and creativity to truly help students, to show them that there were possibilities beyond just studying for exams, but within the system, there was very little she could do.
The final straw was the unfair treatment she felt in a predominantly white work environment.
Although the discrimination was subtle, the feeling that “the opportunity just won’t be given to you” was very real.
This solidified her decision to leave, and she told herself:
You have to keep shining and do what you’re capable of.
One day, you’ll look back and realize you no longer need the opportunity you once craved.
I can completely relate to Shanna’s feelings, as I was an exchange student in the United States for a year.
I know what it’s like to be an Asian person facing unequal treatment in the West.
This is also why I love her piece “We all pee in the same colour.” so much.
It’s Shanna’s way of expressing that despite our different races, we are all the same.
This is a social observation, an inner feeling, and a concept she wants to bring to everyone’s attention, conveyed to the public through her painting.
Art as a Mirror, Reflecting Inner Truth and Strength
Shanna’s art is an extension of her inner world.
Her work has a strong style, full of narrative and emotional tension.
She often features figures as her subjects, using distorted or surreal strokes to outline the fragility, struggle, and resilience of human nature.
In her paintings, we see rich colors and symbolic elements.
Each piece is a fable, inviting the viewer to dive deep into the protagonist’s heart.
The core of her creation stems from “empathy.”
Whether it’s the identity issues during her immigration, observations on social issues, or explorations of her inner emotions, they all become fuel for her brush.
For her, art is not just an aesthetic presentation; it’s a language of communication, a way to heal herself and others.
She doesn’t chase styles that please the market but chooses to be true to herself, painting the moments that touch her soul with the most sincere strokes.
What’s the Biggest Challenge of Being an Artist?
Dedicating yourself to art full-time sounds romantic, but the real-world challenges follow closely behind.
Shanna admits that she is still in the “zero to one” startup phase, and her biggest difficulties are “vague brand positioning” and “customer acquisition.”
“When people ask me what I do, it’s hard for me to give a clear answer,” she said.
For Shanna, her work is not just painting; it’s a vessel for her personal story, life experiences, and beliefs.
What she wants to do is inspire and heal others through her creations.
However, this multifaceted core concept is hard to explain to the market in just a few words, which leaves her feeling confused when trying to develop her customer base.
She feels anxious about managing social media and understands that the number of followers doesn’t equal actual income.
Finding a Breakthrough Between Online and Offline
Facing these challenges, Shanna hasn’t stopped moving forward.
She chooses to focus on what she can control—building direct connections with people by hosting physical sharing sessions and workshops.
She has found that the partnership opportunities and networks generated from offline events are sometimes faster and more direct than online management.
During the interview, I also shared with her the importance of running my own personal website, learning SEO, and building an email list.
Attracting the right potential clients through content marketing and gathering this traffic into your own “traffic pool” is a more stable and long-term strategy than relying on social media platforms.
Shanna acknowledged this and, although she’s not yet familiar with this area, she is willing to take the time to study it.
Creating to Challenge Frameworks and Live Authentically
Shanna’s creative style isn’t about pleasing others; it’s about being true to her own heart.
This honesty is also reflected in her communication style.
She is happy to share her inner feelings and struggles, and she expresses herself with an infectious energy.
For her, the creative process is a journey of continuous inner exploration and facing herself honestly.
She never limits her possibilities.
Whether it’s painting, racial issues, or sharing on a psychological level, these seemingly different aspects ultimately form the unique personal brand that is “Shanna.”
Her goal is to challenge the tradition of “art can’t make a living” and to one day open a multi-purpose art space that can bring a community together.
What I Learned After Interviewing Shanna
For me, this conversation with Shanna was more than just creating a piece of content; it was a profound moment of self-reflection.
I’m used to and skilled at building a predictable and replicable online system through SEO, content marketing, and automation.
However, Shanna’s experience is like a mirror, reflecting three things that my current model lacks but are incredibly important.
The first mirror is the depth of “human connection.”
I focus on expanding the “breadth” of my online reach, but Shanna, through her in-person workshops and sharing sessions, builds an irreplaceable “depth” between people.
After just one face-to-face exchange, she can trigger high-quality commissions and even connect with government projects.
This makes me reflect that although I consider myself an introvert, perhaps I could strategically add small-scale, high-quality offline connections to my system.
The trust and opportunities that arise from genuine interaction are difficult to replicate with even the most sophisticated online funnel.
The second mirror is the courage of a brand centered on the “individual.”
My brand, Drawwow!, has clear themes: drawing, bullet journaling, focusing on sharing the “how-to.”
But Shanna’s brand is “Shanna” the person.
Her nomadic experiences, her struggles, her outcry against issues—all these things together form the core of her brand.
This authenticity and vulnerability have become her most captivating strength.
It prompts me to think: have I been too focused on sharing the “how” and neglected to share the “why”?
The original intention that drove me to leave the system for “freedom”—that story itself is perhaps the deepest connection between me and my followers.
The third mirror is the wisdom of embracing “serendipity.”
I’m used to planning a path and an expected return on investment (ROI) for everything; my business operates within a finely tuned system.
Shanna’s growth path, on the other hand, is full of “serendipitous encounters.”
Opportunities arise from the natural fermentation of her social network, not from deliberately designed processes.
This made me realize that my recent decision to leave a certain business association was a craving for this kind of “serendipity.”
I need to intentionally leave some “blank space” in my calendar for those explorations and exchanges that have no clear purpose, to allow for unplanned surprises to happen.
So, this interview didn’t just help me complete an article; it brought valuable insights to my business.
It’s not telling me to abandon my current successful model, but rather reminding me to inject more warmth, humanity, and a flexible embrace of the unknown into this efficient system.
For that, I am sincerely grateful to Shanna.
Conclusion and Learn More
Shanna’s story is a reflection of countless brave dream-chasers.
She shows us that even on a path full of uncertainty, as long as we stay true to our original intentions and honestly face ourselves, we can find that irreplaceable freedom and strength in creation.
If you were moved by Shanna’s story or are interested in her art, feel free to follow her through the links below:
- YouTube: @shannaarea
- Personal Website: Muran Space
- Instagram: @shanna.area
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