HII, I'M HUYEN! 🎀
What's the point of having money if you're miserable?
I grew up drawing for fun but never thought art could be a real career. It wasn't that my family pushed back. They were actually really supportive. But when you grow up not seeing anyone around you pursue art, it just doesn't register as an option. Doctor, lawyer, accountant. Those were the paths I could picture. So I declared accounting as my major and figured that was that.
Two years in, sitting in class daydreaming, I had a very honest moment with myself: if I can barely stay awake through these lectures, how am I going to do this 8 hours a day for the rest of my life? Hard pass.
So I took an intro to graphic design class just for fun. I stayed in the computer lab for days drawing and designing and genuinely forgot to eat. When I met with my counselor to switch majors, she warned me that accountants make more money than artists. I told her: what's the point of having money if you're miserable? And if you're good at something, you'll figure out the rest.
Still figuring it out as I go, honestly. But turns out that's kind of the whole point.
PLOT TWIST: I QUIT MY JOB
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PLOT TWIST: I QUIT MY JOB ✨
Not bad for someone who was almost an accountant.
I graduated with a graphic design degree but always had this itch to create something more personal, something that felt like me and not just a client brief. So on the side I taught myself hand lettering and illustration through YouTube and Skillshare, staying up late, filling sketchbooks, watching the same tutorial four times until it clicked.
Eventually I burned out at my agency job, always daydreaming about my side projects instead of, you know, doing my actual job. So I quit and went full freelance. That leap led to brand collaborations with Canon, LG, and Adobe, murals painted on real walls in real places, and a book published by Chronicle Books that debuted as a #1 Amazon New Release.
Not bad for someone who was almost an accountant.
THE HEART BEHIND THE ART
I make work that's meant to make people feel something.
Happy, seen, inspired, or just really really delighted by how cute something is.
The projects that light me up are the ones with a little soul behind them. A brand that actually cares about who they're talking to, a mural that turns someone's ordinary Tuesday into something worth stopping for, or an illustration so cute it makes a stranger smile for no reason. That's the goal every time.
I also make work for the girl scrolling through art wondering if someone who looks like her could ever do this too. I was that girl sitting in an accounting class pretending to pay attention. Everything I create is my quiet way of saying: yesss, you can. Come on in. 🌸
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER
I bring the same energy to every project. Clear communication, zero ghosting, and a collaborative process where you're included every step of the way. My clients describe working with me as seamless, which honestly is the best compliment you can give a creative person.
Whether it's a brand collab, a mural, or something completely new, I'd love to hear about it.