Debbie Millman has an ongoing project at PRINT titled “What Matters.” This is an effort to understand the interior life of artists, designers, and creative thinkers. This facet of the project is a request of each invited respondent to answer ten identical questions and submit a nonprofessional photograph.
Jenny Jiang is a New Zealand-born CGI designer and motion artist based in NYC. Her artwork involves crafting visual worlds that explores aspects of surrealism, joy and storytelling in the form of beautiful dreamscapes. You can find her work on Instagram @jennymjiang.
What is the thing you like doing most in the world?
The thing I absolutely love most is getting a Shroom burger, fries and a Cookies and Cream shake from Shake Shack on a Friday night, bringing it home, and watching a movie on my bed.
What is the first memory you have of being creative?
The first memory I have of being creative is imagining that the entire floor of my childhood living room was completely made from volcanic lava, and laying out air mattresses all over the floor so I can hop from mattress to mattress to couch in order to avoid touching the scorching hot lava.
What is your biggest regret?
My biggest regret over time would be to not tell people how much I’ve loved them until they’re gone.
How have you gotten over heartbreak?
To be honest, I have no idea how I’ve gotten over heartbreak. I suspect it’s a combination of time, writing my thoughts and feelings down, then making artwork from what I’ve written in order to process my thoughts, crying, talking to friends, and if that doesn’t work, talking to a spiritual psychic that I’ve found online (I would describe this as my unhinged phase) and then eventually making peace internally because I would realize that everything I have is exactly what I’ve wanted and I am where I need to be.
What makes you cry?
A touching movie, not onions, my loved ones passing away.
How long does the pride and joy of accomplishing something last for you?
On average, two days. I think I’ve fallen prey to the whole comparison thing, especially on social media, where sometimes I would feel like I’ve accomplished something, and that joy wears off because I realize that it’s not much compared to other people, and there’s still a long way to go. It’s something that I want to work on and get better at feeling proud of myself even if it’s a small accomplishment but brings me joy and happiness.
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, what does that look like to you?
To be honest, I have not thought about what my life would look like after thirty-five years old, much less what it would look like in an afterlife.
What do you hate most about yourself?
I think I’m quite embarrassing sometimes. Also, I don’t stand up for myself as much as I would like to, nor do I feel comfortable to be my “authentic self” in the way that I can freely share my thoughts and opinions with others because of the fear of judgment and rejection. I also hate my clicky bones and how my back aches all the time now that I’ve graduated!
What do you love most about yourself?
I love my creativity, and I really like that I’m able to enjoy spending time with myself, doing things that I like such as exploring different places in New York, or watching a Broadway show by myself, which is something that I learned to do this year.
What is your absolute favorite meal?
Shake Shack!