Interview - Trisha Rae Wong - Type by Trish

I met Trisha in a pretty funny way. We were both in Newark Liberty Airport, waiting for a flight back to LAX, which was continually delayed - on the hour, every hour - eventually postponed until morning. Whilst in line for free, yet stale end-of-day donuts, Trisha commented on my Away suitcase as she too had one. Deliriously tired and pepped up on sugar and the last burgers left at Burger King, we sat and chatted at the first of about five gate changes. It was a ridiculous ordeal, but out of it came a fast friendship, ironically just as Alex and I were set to move from LA to New York. Regardless, we bonded over the shared experience and stuck together overnight in the airport trading face wipes for iPad viewings of Bridesmaids in an empty terminal.

I’m excited for you to read about Trisha’s unique career and learn more about her experiences as a Chalk Artist & Graphic Designer. Trisha’s work can be found here: www.trisharaewong.com and her socials: Instagram & Twitter are @typebytrish 

x Lucy

The Questions:

Name(s): Trisha Rae Wong or Trish

Current location: Los Angeles, California

Where are you originally from/what is your family heritage? Silver Lake, California

Current occupation, industry and title: Chalk Artist & Graphic Designer. Advertising.

Business name: Type By Trish

Years in current industry: Nine years in Advertising

Total working years: Working professionally for twelve years. 

Trisha in her natural element, creating art by hand.

What did you study or train or get experience and where? School of Visual Arts (SVA) New York City. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. I also received a few scholarships to the Art Center in Los Angeles when I was in high school for figure drawing.

What is the best and worst part about your job? This is a tough question for me since I genuinely love my job. Perhaps there’s always be a part of the job that is less favorable, however I love practically every aspect. I enjoy it all from receiving the first call or e-mail inquiry to drawing and design, to cleaning up and reorganizing the studio. If I do have to choose, the worst part might be dealing with clients who don’t have knowledge or background in advertising, art, or not familiar with the creative world and therefore have no clue about process & pricing, but worse are those who aren’t able to comprehend the demand, specialized skill, and production. 

What do you think needs to change in your industry? What a loaded question. There is a lot of room for change. Ethically I believe there needs to be more integrity and consciousness in the way we approach people and projects. There needs to be more attention given in regards to safety as much as there is to making something look really good. Now that I’ve shifted to hand lettering, murals and large installations I am very involved and very concerned with safety. Most of the time people are rushing to get something done and thankfully I am that person who will communicate and make sure that my safety measures are met, however there are a lot of artists who might not even think to have that discussion for whatever reasons. However, I believe it should be a concern to both parties, but most of the time they are only concerned about legally protecting themselves and not necessarily protecting the artist. It’s of course important to have legal protection, but also equally important for them to have your safety taken seriously and accommodated appropriately. To that I believe artists and designers need to stop being afraid of losing a client, they need to feel comfortable enough to have discussions about the project, safety concerns, budgets, and anything under the sun that is relevant to their relationship with the company or project. Having a discussion and bringing forth any concern should be encouraged by both parties, it’s so important to communicate as this can be the difference of feeling confident and making an overall smoother execution versus feeling unsure and not heard. Also, I think it’s wonderful that people are becoming more aware and conscious of how they treat others, that’s incredible, however I do believe people need to be reminded that they will inevitably hurt someone either accidentally or intentionally, but people also need to be ok with having that dialogue with others. There are some that believe it’s a sign of weakness to say sorry, even if it’s to deescalate a situation, I can assure you it’s not weak, sometimes it’s necessary even if you were 100% right and did nothing wrong. It’s a part of the process of moving forward. 

Is your industry female or male dominated? Male dominated. It’s just how it is for now, but things are constantly changing, sometimes we make progress then other times we regress a little, as long as we’re moving forward and it’s generally getting better, then we’re headed in the right direction. I am happy to see that there seems to be more support across the board for everyone, but we still have a long way to go.

What is the biggest misconception people have about you and/or your job? Most people who aren’t a creative think that I do this for free or that this is my “side hustle”, and it’s fun to share that this is my full time job as an artist and designer, and all the pieces come together when they learn about who my clients are. It’s all about educating people, and most people don’t realize that every single thing in this world is someone’s job. 

What's something you wish people told you about your industry/job before you dove into it? One..People can get nasty and play dirty. Two.. focus on yourself. Three… know when to stop. 

Is your industry generally supportive of individuals and peers? I’m going to get in trouble for this, but here’s my two cents. I’m supportive and want everyone to succeed in life. Also I’m very trusting and I believe that trusting someone off the bat is putting your best foot forward. Generally, from an outsiders perspective it appears there is support in the creative world, however my personal experience has been a little bit of this a little bit of that. I have received some of the greatest love and support from colleagues and have built promising relationships on a personal level, and on that same token I’ve been thrown under the bus or at least some have tried to throw me under the bus. But why? That’s a question I’d like to know the answer to as well. After talking to other artists and designers who are in a similar position as myself where we sometimes need to contract other artists as an assistant or build a team for larger projects, it’s safe to say that it’s nothing personal. I just wish everyone would get along, I also wish everyone would realize that there is plenty of work to go around for everyone. I think a lot of people act out of fear. We would all work better once there is true camaraderie, but I’ve accepted that it may take a long time until everyone is on the same page. I’ve learned that what I think are social norms such as being sincere and having good morals and ethics are either something different to others or completely non existent. Who’s to say what is right or wrong. Also people face different situations. In example, I'm rather conservative with my finances and I don’t have any kids, so I believe that those choices effect how I treat others and how I do business, versus someone who might, for example: be living beyond their means and as a result becomes desperate and are willing to undercut their services as well as treat their fellow competition poorly. Friendly completion exists and it’s probably healthier for everyone. I believe people need to remember to treat themselves, their peers, the environment with care and practice gratitude. Jobs, friends, family, material things all come and go and that is ok, people need to accept that and let it go and move forward. It’s not my responsibility to change anyone and their lifestyle choices, so I choose to live and let live. 

Have you ever considered leaving your industry? If you have, what other industries did you work in and why the change? Not at this moment, I love my relationship with this industry and I see so many different avenues. It’s so exciting to meet with different people and create something special together. However I am open and willing to change if I feel that spark.

What's the favourite thing/item/project/person you've worked on? Oh gosh I can’t just pick one, practically every project is my favorite. If I must, here’s my top five in no particular order. Valerie Henderson, Westfield. Valerie is so outstanding. I loved working with her because she was able to handle everything so thoughtfully, graciously, and promptly. Valerie is fair, she has such integrity and the biggest heart. She’s someone who made me feel safe, valued, and treated me with such high regard throughout every project. One project was pretty ground breaking at the time, it was an ad with Amazon. Amazon was making their first chalkboard advertisement for Tumble Leaf at Westfield’s premiere property, Westfield Century City Mall. It was such an honor to be selected as their chalk artist for this project. It was an even bigger honor to work with Valerie on these pieces. I’m happy to say that we are friends and that we have built more than something visually appealing, but we built something with substance and meaning. I love that we both went on a private tour at Warner Bros. Studios when we were working on a project there together. Also how wild is it that I ended up in the same office building as one of my dear friends, Nathalie Paluch where her law office is, Century City Twin Towers. I’m so thankful for this rare gift, Valerie is such a gem. 

Tracy Lee Stum, she’s absolutely remarkable. Our relationship began back in 2016, at the time I was receiving requests for 3-D Chalk Art, which is funny because I don’t have any 3-D work on my website or resume. If I’m not able to do something I like to be able to pass along that person to someone who could. I reached out to Tracy and introduced myself and asked if it’d be ok to send people her way and the rest is history. She’s more than a friend and colleague, almost my spiritual wellness guru because she is down to earth and very wise, she cares for the environment, humanity, and herself. She’s one of the hardest working people I know as well as the most inclusive, she is the real deal. We both enjoy sharing fermented and preserved goodies, home made meals, skincare and beauty, and enjoy nature together too. We’ve been privileged to have such a blessed relationship with each other and our husbands and our fur babies! Tracy also has a wicked sense of humor and is very knowledgeable about the world. She gives so generously and I’ve learned so much from her, it’s priceless. I’m proud of her and all of her accomplishments. I was also recently part of her team for the American Dream project where we worked on DreamWorks Water Park, Nickelodeon Theme Park, and Angry Birds Mini Golf, Team Tracy Lee Stum painted about 30,000 square feet of artwork in total. This was one of the largest projects I’ve ever been a part of, and it was such a wildly enriching experience which I will always cherish. I can’t thank her enough.

Google. What an eye opening experience. I remember getting the call and listening to their pitch, a 1,000 foot long chalk art piece. I was completely blown away at the sheer size, I knew I had to get an assistant. They were impressive with how they conducted everything. This company set the bar so high and gave me a new perspective on company culture. They treated me and my assistant with such prestige and class. Every detail was so easy and classy, totally unmatched. It was an experience I’ll always have with me forever. I am so honored that I was chosen to work for them, it was simply unforgettable. I hope everyone gets to experience working for Google at some point. I’m so thankful for this experience. 

Hill’s Science Diet. This was my first breakthrough commercial project. Hills was one of the two main sponsors and they gave over 200k dollars toward the second annual Cat Con. They asked me to draw on their custom made chalkboard. I miraculously rendered a 20 foot wide wall that was 10 feet high by myself in two days all hand drawn and hand lettered with chalk. It was a beast, a test to my endurance and perseverance. I loved the advertising team, they loved my work, trusted me and gave me so much artistic freedom. The energy was so electric, it was such an ideal creative environment. Thankful to have worked with them for Cat Con! 

The Garland. They’re one of the few privately owned hotels in Los Angeles that curates every part of their hotel. Their retro Los Angeles summer of love aesthetic is like something out of Architectural Digest. Everything was carefully selected to help transport you to a mid century, retro, chic moment. They have a lovely restaurant called The Front Yard that I worked on too. Their vision and style is something that resonates with me personally and we had an instant connection, they really let me have a wild and fun time creating some hand lettered pieces throughout their hotel. I really appreciate how they put forth so much thought and effort into every design decision. I also love that they’ve also worked with some of my beloved friends and colleagues, Nichole Blackburn Manthe & Claire Ouimet. I really appreciate their approach to creating a comfortable and very classy place to stay. 

What's something you had to do earlier in your career that you're relieved not to have to do anymore? Try to please everyone. I didn’t have to do this, but I think when I was starting out I felt that I had to do more than I was assigned. I’m still like that now, but as time passes I am getting comfortable saying no time to time and listening to my mind, body and soul when it needs some self care and love. No one can get it all, no one has it all, and that’s ok! There’s a difference of having the company’s best interest in mind versus trying to be a superhero. 

If you have your own brand/business, did you start it right away or work for others first? Worked for others first. I started legally working at 15 with a workers permit. I’ve worked as a paintball referee, Brazilian bikini salesmen, restaurant host, bartender, waitress, catering, mosaic tiling, salesmen at Rampage, lifeguard, swim instructor, yoga studio, and so on… at some point in high school I was working three different jobs at once (lifeguard / swim instructor, restaurant host, and in retail at Rampage) on top of being on the swim and water polo team. In college I always had an internship and I was also a teachers assistant at SVA for professor Sara Giovanitti. Then I worked a bunch of different internships at places like Conde Nast, NBC, RKS Design, and more. With all that work experience, it helped me in many ways, helped build strong work ethics and helped me see where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do. 

If you have your own business, what made you decide to go for it? Realizing I wanted to hand letter, work with different businesses, and work on multiple projects. For me, I grew tired of working on one single account via computer design, it was not the right fit for me. I knew I had to take a chance on myself. 

What are some pros and cons of working for yourself? Pros: Get to sneak in some of my personal work into each project. It’s also nice meeting new people along the way, like the way Lucy & I met at the Newark airport! Twinning Away bags & Apple Watches, and we became friends like that. So much love and gratitude for you Lucy. Also I like that it’s always fresh, I have yet to come across an identical project. Cons: not enough time to do everything you want to do.

What did you think you wanted to do career-wise when you were a teenager? I wanted to be a very romanticized and cliche artist and or muse. Sometimes I think I’ve manifested a little bit of that dream especially whenever I happen to be in Renaissance Florence sketching feeling like Michelangelo. Recently I modeled for this insanely talented Artist, Julia Grayson at her studio in Brooklyn. She composed her largest life size drawing from our shoot. I’m very happy to call her my friend, and to be considered one of her carefully selected muses. 

Do you like to listen to music while working? If so, what are your jams? I prefer to not listen to anything while I work, I only listen to anything when I’m either not in control of that or if there’s distracting conversations and noise around me. Some music and podcasts: Blonde Redhead, Interpol, Cardi B, Last Podcast on the Left, If I Were You, Malcom Gladwell’s podcasts any of them.. 

How has quarantine/the pandemic affected your job/career? It has given me new light, given me a chance to refresh my studio and work space. This pandemic has given me opportunity to improve and work on other areas. I’ve been able to spend more time with my husband and our dog. I’m able to cook more and try new things. 

Are most of your friends from your current industry? If yes/no why do you think this is? Most of my new friends are from my current industry. It’s probably due to the fact that I’m working with a broad range of businesses. I’ve worked with Maybelline, YogaGlo, different eateries, tech companies, corporate businesses, independent brands, events, it’s so broad across the board, I have met so many different people along the way. 

What would be your last meal? Savory til the end: Omakase from Matsuhisa, a few pastries from Du Pain et des Idées, Tequila cocktails from Gracias Madre or a bottle of Opus 1, Lyonnaise cuisine, Spicy Sczhuan food, or anything from Lotus of Siam. 

Trisha’s work can be found here: www.trisharaewong.com and her socials: Instagram & Twitter are @typebytrish