At the UCDA Design Conference at Tamaya, New Mexico, 12 of our members will share presentations that consist of 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds. Shook Chung is presenting about her participation in the 365-day challenge. Here, Shook talks about how this project impacted her, both as an artist and as a designer. See Shook and the other presenters at the conference in October.
I grew up in Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia. When I migrated to California 23 years ago, it was fascinating to see the rolling green hills go for miles, colors in nature changing from season to season. The landscape of mostly rainforests and mountains in Malaysia is quite different than what we have in the Bay Area. The picturesque Pacific Coast seascapes I used to admire in stock photo catalogs became a reality that was now only 40 minutes from home. I learned to enjoy walking and hiking on nature trails and in parks. The names of trees and plants were all new vocabulary to me.
Twenty-some years ago, as a young designer, I was intrigued by the relationship between mathematics and arts. I created concepts and layout designs based on the golden ratio and divine proportion. I became more aware of the things in my surroundings, whether artificial or natural, that were influenced by these theories.
My second major at college was photography. I fantasized about working for National Geographic and Life Magazine in my 20s. Of course, we all know that is not how it works. You do not just send resumes to these places! The photography I learned at this time barely scratched the surface of this vast subject, but I have kept that basic knowledge in my back pocket throughout my career. Although never a formal job requirement, it has come in handy when art directing photo shoots. However, there have been times when people introduced me as "the one who takes good photos" or "the college's photographer," which made me wonder if I had an identity crisis.
I constantly seek satisfaction and purpose in my work to keep going. In 2011, I desperately needed to adopt a better working routine for my mental health to avoid burnout. At that time, 365 projects were an ongoing trend. I stumbled onto some artists doing a painting or a collage a day. That got me thinking, what can I do to shift my thinking and be present in the moment? I decided to start taking photos. It gets me out of my office, allowing my consciousness to come out and giving me a reason to walk in nature and be present at that moment. I challenge myself to find beauty in everything I come across. It opened my eyes to patterns and details I had never noticed before.
As my photo-a-day project kick-started, I quickly realized it was a commitment. Sometimes I needed to dig deep to find the motivation to carve out time each day and keep going. I needed an audience to keep me accountable for this daily practice. So, I started to share my daily photos on social media, but not for the likes and comments. I want others' participation in the process because it gives me a reason to continue. I am seeking a response in the minds of the audience. When they see my photos, what do their senses tell them; how do they feel in response to the visuals?
As this year-long project progressed, my composition skills improved. Out of instinct as a graphic designer, I composed my photos with fundamental design principles. I captured lines, shapes, colors, and sometimes I kept it abstract to invoke the audience's imagination. I want my images to captivate interest, carry emotions, and perhaps present a purpose. It is up to the audience to interpret. I have people telling me that they look forward to seeing my daily photos, how they brighten their moods or how they resonate with them. Sometimes I did not have any intended concept of the image. The audience perceives a message they can relate to; the image speaks for itself. To me, that is what visual communication is about.
Because I did this daily, most days on campus, the walks and locations were limited. I had to look at things differently to create fresh and exciting visuals. I walked the various routes, looking at things from different perspectives and hours of the day. After completing the project, I had subjects that I photographed in different seasons and moods, many in repeat locations. I was intrigued by the array of moments in life caught with my viewfinder—plant life, birds, feelings, and many other aspects of life. To my surprise, this photo-a-day project has not only influenced and inspired my design approach and creative processes but also changed how I see life—to live in the moment with a purpose.
I believe design is a way of living. My career is a big part of my life. To be a good designer, I desire to live, breathe, and practice every waking moment; it is part of my being. "A professional does his best work when he feels the least like working." Frank Lloyd Wright.
I am a snap-happy person who does not have expensive camera gear. I started out using a Canon PowerShot prosumer camera. I picked it for convenience. It is compact to carry on walks and handy when I need it. As camera phone technology improved over the years, I began using my iPhone most of the time. Because of the camera phone's limitations, I could not play with a wide range of lenses. Sometimes, I could not get close enough to achieve the composition that I had in mind. The limitations forced me to capture a broader view, not always composing around a subject.
My goal in photographing is not to capture the award-winning moment or once-in-a-lifetime kind of photographs. I want to capture what is in front of my eyes at that very moment. Over the years, many people have asked what camera I use, if my gear is expensive and complex (it is not.) I think a good photo does not just rely on quality tools. It takes being at the right time and place and an eye for details. That is all you need to carry for your photos to have meaning and transcend emotions.
Sometimes I can walk past a subject or the scenery many times, but at a particular moment, something stands out to me. It is random. I do not usually go out with the intention to "take today's photo," I just let it be part of my day-to-day living. Occasionally, I art direct the photos or wait for the right moment. For example, I would move a stick to get the shadows how I wanted them. I would clean up the surrounding surface if I wished to capture a leaf with the desired depth of field. I would stand and wait for a ladybird to walk up the stalk, so the photo was better composed, then wait for the bird to take flight.
After I completed the first cycle of the 365 project, I stopped for a while before deciding to start a second cycle in 2017. Following the second round of 365, I decided to keep it going with a new cycle in fall 2019. I wanted to make it different than what I had done before. I used only my camera phone throughout the challenge. I joined the online 365 Project community knowing this would expose me to a broader audience and allow me to explore other photographers' perspectives—both professional and amateur. The knowledge exchange has been intriguing and inspiring.
At that point, taking photos had become part of my daily practice in life. If you see it as something you do every day, then you do not wake up thinking of it as a task to check off on the to-do list; you just do it! It was no longer a hobby project. During the pandemic, the parks and trails closed, my walking routes were now limited to my neighborhood community park and streets around my home. Once again, I had to get creative with what I saw and encountered.
Like many people, I was adjusting to the new working-from-home lifestyle. The constant changes in the situation added more stress and anxiety to an already hectic and saturated work schedule. I did not want to give up on the project. It was the only stable, unchanged thing at that moment. It got me out of the house, took me away from my home office, giving me the much-needed daily separation between the two mindsets. It was one of the essential things that kept me going.
The 365 Project made me a better designer. It constantly challenged me to look at things from an unfamiliar perspective and be creative, turning a mundane situation or a project into something more interesting. I have fun with it! I do not have a formula for how to see things differently. It is about pushing the boundary of all the boxes and allowing myself not to be bound by a common standard. Of all things, I am too afraid of being ordinary.
I am pointedly conscientious of my surroundings. While walking, I see the same landscapes from paths my feet have ambled along repeatedly, but I attempt to view what is before me from a unique perspective. Observing a setting with deliberate intent to consider another viewpoint pushes me to get creative and see new details. Fascinating tactile and visual textures emerge, which inform my process of tinkering with composition and color choice. The resulting patterns, shapes, textures, and colors all reflect emotions and feelings drawn from my surroundings.
I am most looking forward to exploring yet another new set of surroundings at the design conference in Santa Ana Pueblo; I have never been to that part of the country. Besides the change of scenery, I am looking forward to reconnecting with like-minded people. It is one of the most inspiring parts of the conference. I am grateful to UCDA for providing a place where designers can connect and become part of each other's creative journey.
Shook Chung is the senior creative designer at College of Marin in California. She has worked at advertising and graphic design agencies since the 90s. Later in her career, she chose to continue her service in the education sector because she firmly believes what we do matters; nothing is too small to make a difference!