LINKS: LYENA KANG IN LOS ANGELES

SCG sits down with Lyena Kang, an actor, model, published writer and all-round creative spark from Los Angeles, USA. She has two Instagram accounts — one for her public persona, a colourful feed of 35mm portraits, and the other full of self help resources for creatives, bridging the gap between therapy and art. Based on her own experiences coming up in her career, Kang has a natural want to help people and share her resources, which is a far cry from the stereotype that you need to be a bitch to work in fashion. 

“You can’t sit around for jobs to come to you. It's not enough, you should always be creating and growing with others.”

How did you start, and what age were you when you started working as a model and artist? 

So, I began my modeling journey way back when a high school friend asked me to model for her makeup academy final. We were both creatives who didn’t want to work for someone else or have a typical 9-5 career. We also didn’t want to live for our parents approval. It’s tough to go against the grain, but following our own path meant choosing happiness and breaking transgenerational trauma. With the support of each other she got her makeup certification and I realized how powerful a photo could be. Her parents didn’t see her potential until we won first place together. At my senior graduation her parents awarded me with a huge canvas of my face framed and thanked me for believing in her. 

I didn’t know anything about modeling, but discovered I thrived in the supportive  team environment on-set and to my delight, I was offered a part time job at the academy — after working together for a while, they became my second family. 

A couple years later, I decided to venture out on my own and discover other opportunities in LA. I used Instagram to collaborate with artists and build my portfolio and was quickly offered beauty campaigns and other creative work. So many people ended up referring me because of my work ethic, and it all went from there. I’d dreamed of living and working as a full time artist and I never stopped hustling to make it happen. 

I’ve been pushing myself ever since I started to be better, do better, and never stop improving. That’s why I have all the opportunities at my fingertips right now. I’m also not afraid to share my resources and contacts with others — just like how others kindly did for me as I was starting out. 

It hasn’t been easy getting here. I’ve done a lot of free work, stayed up many long nights, and taken so many last minute calls — but it was all worth it!

 What attracted you to choose the life of an artist, instead of a stable 9-5 corporate career?

I could have easily chosen a 9-5 corporate career after getting my bachelors degree in psychology, but I realised I didn’t want to settle into that so early in life. I deliberately didn’t try hard enough to get into grad school because I knew it wasn’t meant for me. I would still ace my finals, but I would rush quickly so I could go to a model casting in the city. When I did that instead, I’d feel so alive.

I’m pretty academic, I studied really hard all my life; but I’ve never had a normal job, and I was always drawn to creative outlets. I didn’t have any interest in climbing the typical career ladder, it seemed so constricting.  

Which apparent failures in your career so far, actually led you to success?

Every failure, rejection or being taken advantage of — and as a result not feeling good enough — led to my eventual success. I learned to grow with my early failures, instead of repeating them during more important jobs. In this industry I’ve learned you can’t attach your sense of worth to any job or casting. The more I detached myself from it emotionally, I was able to submit more and more. 

I became known amongst those I worked with for my positive energy and kindness, that even if I experienced a failure, I could still create my own abundance. I’ve built such strong relationships within my industry over the years, there’s no failure I can’t handle now, because I have such a great support network. 

What is the most high pressure aspect of your work? How do you handle pressure — for example, do you meditate or have any other daily habits that help you perform at a high standard?

I feel the most high pressure aspect of my work is the anxiety that comes with applying for freelance jobs, going to auditions or callbacks, and then finally booking the job. It’s that waiting period where I have to be patient for a client to get back to me that causes a lot of anxiety. Whether it’s in the beginning phase or the negotiating phase, sometimes I have to rearrange my entire schedule and mindset to make things work. Being in this industry you have to learn how to adapt quickly or you won’t make it. You can’t be too greedy, but you should also fight for your worth, because you can get taken advantage of pretty easily if you really need the work. 

To combat this pressure, I share my struggles with peers, I journal to reflect, and I collaborate and play with amazing artists to take my mind into a dream world. 

I’m a Pisces by the way — and if I can’t bear the reality that I have to face I simply escape until it’s time to come back. You can’t sit around for jobs to come to you. You should always be creating and growing with others. I’m always in between these two worlds and that’s how I stay balanced.

What advice would you give to your younger self, when you were just starting out in your career?

Remain true to yourself and create your own path. Nobody will have the best intentions for you, only you will. Listen to your intuition. Keep growing, helping others, and working on yourself no matter what level you’re at. Mastering your craft is more important than your social status. You will get to be where you want to be, keep going, stay consistent, and be persistent.

When thinking about the word “China,” what is it that you think about?

I think about my father who is Chinese. He taught me the values of family first and that there is more in life than monetary riches. You can be rich in love, rich in integrity, rich in wisdom, and rich in empathy.

Who do you link us to for the next interview and why?

Hon Hoang is an amazing photographer and storyteller. I feel he would have incredible wisdom to share with you and I would also like to know his answers!