ANSWERED QUESTIONS 5

Answered questions 5

5.1.11

Hiiiiiii. Can't believe a new month is already here! HAPPY monster MAY!!!! I know there has been a lack of updates, because I've been so busy with these last weeks of school. Here are the long overdue answers to the questions my readers have been asking me through the formspring.me account! I've narrowed them down to 15 questions for this post. Thank you to those who just submitted a comment instead of a question, but it was still sweet of you to let me know that you are inspired by what I have on my blog. My blog is honestly just a documentation of my growth as an artist, and if it happens to inspire you in any way; that's more than I could ask for! There are many exciting things ahead, let's go forward while looking back together! :)

1) Hi lovely! I need some advice on how to gain self confidence. I am such a shy and insecure person. People think I'm a stuck up and I am seriously not one! It's so hard making new friends and I'm majoring in fashion! I need connections! Please help me!
— Hi there. Sorry for this extra late reply!
Here goes my advice on how to gain self confidence, and believe me, confidence itself is a very hard thing to acquire and maintain, but once you have it, you will feel the power of it, and whether you choose to feel its positive or negative power, that's up to you.

Please don't feel bad if you're a shy and insecure person, I used to be very insecure and hated myself too. I would always be very conscious of what I say or do, because I'm scared people might think of me this way or that way BLAH BLAH BLAH... but sometimes we are our own worse enemies. So, I was my own worse enemy at that time in my life, the truth was, people didn't care about what I say or do, but in my mind I thought too much into it... so, what I'm saying is, sometimes you just have to GET OVER YOURSELF! like I finally decided to get over myself and tell myself to just stop over analyzing things and just be true to what i want, and go from there!

It's hard to make friends in general, it's even harder to establish a genuine connection with another human being, but if you open yourself and be social, active, and have interesting things to share, you will make new friends in no time. Also, connections are from knowing people, the more people you know, the better your connections get, but remember to choose wisely who you get to know! Good luck! :)



2) I love your post w/ the LB photos! I was wondering where did you get your fox tail?! I also liked how nicely you responded to a person's comment of it being offensive.
— thank you! I got my fox tail from eBay
yes, I didn't want to offend anyone so I try to be as mindful as I can, I just think people are so hyper-sensitive nowadays, I mean if you really do think about it back when we first evolved, that's how we survive, it's part of life, love it for all its dirty, beautiful, offensive glory! :)



3) Did you use a pattern for the red bag?
— I didn't make a pattern but I kinda drew out what I wanted it to look like and went from there.



4) Quan. U're amazing! I cried reading your "Do you think you can find it?" entry. It reminded how much I miss the simplicity (black & white) of life, long forgotten. Did you find what you were looking for? Or still looking? It is easy for you to forgive?
— Thank you so very much! I'm happy knowing it connected you on an emotional level. I wrote that entry in the thought of simplicity of life and its rural bliss.

I have yet to find what I'm looking for. Actually, I don't really know what I'm looking for. I'm still looking, I suppose. But I think now, instead of looking so hard for it, just enjoy what you've already found, and more treasures will reveal itself along this journey.

Forgiving is hard at first but very necessary, you must forgive so you can move beyond whatever that troubled you to greater things.



5) Who took those jumping shots for you? they're so cool. tips on taking self potrait pics?
— Thank you! My little sister takes all my "What I Wore" jumping shots, and then I retouch and edit them. Haha! I know, I'm training her early! ;)

I think self-portraits are great. It somewhat forces you to face yourself, accept your flaws, and get over it, so you can continue to take that photograph and perfect your vision. Tips? Well, I think a crisp, well-lit self portrait is always a good start. It all depends on your aesthetic though.



6) Any good movies you would recommend?
— yes of course. I actually answered this question before, and I listed out my top 10 favorite movies, here they are:
1) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2) 2046
3) Bad Education
4) Ghost World
5) Amélie
6) Volver
7) A Single Man
8) Closer
9) The Wedding Banquet
10) The Holy Mountain



7) What's the font you use on the 'Calm Chaos' title? it's really pretty, I never thought a script font could be so pretty. xx
— I didn't use any font. That was my handwriting, I wrote the words "Calm Chaos" and scanned it in the computer to trace it and made it red. My handwriting is a mixture of script and sans script at the same time. It's weird. I'm weird. But I love it though.
Thank you so much! ;)



8) If someone see's you and recognizes you from your blog, how should one approach you without looking/sounding weird/creepy, lol?
— lol. They should just come and introduce themselves and say they recognize me from my blog. That wouldn't be creepy right? It would be a great conversation starter actually!



9) Do you have a date for Valentine's Day?
— nope I didn't have a date for Vday. I was alone and busy with school and projects, but I'm happy and focused. Plus, I refuse to be told when I should express my emotions to people by greeting cards company! Any day can be Vday and I'll go on million more (better) dates in the future! :)



10) I honestly love you're blog! I love the clean minimalist style you use in you're pictures! Ever consider trying to do a real life magazine?
— Thank you so much. Well I'm quite messy in an artistic sense, I love mixed media, but thankfully with digitalized things I can keep it as clean and minimal as I can. Real life magazine as in working for a real life magazine or starting my own?! My won would be too much to worry about. However, I will definitely want to freelance for magazine firms, etc.



11) Hi Quan, what do you tell your hairdresser for your new hair? Did you show reference pics? I will cut my hair soon and I want the style exactly like yours. Side short.. and.. idk medium length on top? Hahaha
— Hello! There isn't really a name for this hairstyle, or not that I know of... I just describe it has a coiff meets faux hawk, short on the sides and long in the center. I think the person who wears it the best is male model, Ash Stymest.



12) Wondering where you bought those spikes to embellish your GaGa denim jacket? If not online do you know of any good hardware sites where I can get similar? -- LOVE that DIY by the way it looked fantastic! And that platinum do is too haute. Werk!
— Thank you! hahaha I literally searched in Google for "studs and spikes" and this was the website that came up: http://www.studsandspikes.com/ so yes, I bought my studs and spikes from that website. Happy DIY!



13) Tell me about the process of going blonde. did they get you from black to blonde in one sitting? how was your hair after?
— The process of going blond took me about 2 days... and I had my hair bleached 5 times in total of those 2 days. Then I started to use purple shampoo+conditioner (for blond hair), any purple shampoo would do, mine is Clairol's Shimmering Lights, it helps take away the orange/yellow and becomes more platinum after each wash.



14) Things you do when you feeling down?
— I love this question no matter how many times I've been been asked. Whenever I feel down, I contemplate and reevaluate all that I've done up til now and all that I will do in the near future. Thinking about the future excites and inspires me. I've come a long way. I also think about friends back home in Vietnam who doesn't have the chance to express themselves like I can right now, or a chance to live the American Dream, etc.

What my mom always tell me is that, I should always be grateful even though looking up I'm not there yet, but looking down, I'm more fortunate than a lot of people out there.

Or I always go for a long walk, listening to my favorite tunes, or write long emails to my dear friends and share my sadness with them, because I believe in sharing not only good, but bad too. Embrace everything.



15) How are you now compared to your younger self? Any regrets back then (besides the obvious we've all done before).
— Great question.

Well, certainly how I am now is totally different than my younger self in physical appearance, but I am still the same boy with the same dreams. The things I wanted when I was a kid, I am still pursuing them: to be wrapped in art and creativity, to live on my own, find love, have a stable life, and travel.

I have become more aware of myself and my needs, and I think that's a must; to know what you want so somebody else don't have to make the decision for you! One thing I'm really working on right now in my life is Patience and Balance; Patience because I'm always one for instant gratification but of course being older now I think that patience and hard work brings greater satisfaction. Balance because I believe that too much of a good thing is bad for you; there has to always be a mediation so we don't get too comfortable or suffer too much. That's why it's also a balance to be a grown-up but still have a child's imagination. I want to be a kid with adult tendencies! :)

Of course we all make mistakes and have regrets... but I feel that as I grow older, I realize more, I know better. Now, I always say I rather regret doing it than NOT doing it... that's one positive way to look at regrets.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thank you to everyone who asked me questions so far (see I used them to make a blog entry, so you didn't wasted your time asking! hehe). You can go here (click!) to see the original links of these questions. And there are some that's too short, so I didn't include it. If you need to vent, I'm always here. Ask away!

Remember: even if people talk shit about you, or say negative things, you have all the rights to feel self-important! LOVE YOURSELF. FREE YOURSELF. BE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR SEXUALITY. BE YOU! :)

---

what I wore;

Topman pants, H&M woven cardigan and tank top, biblical sandals, Urban Outfitters necklace

- - - - - - - -

“Men are born soft and supple;
dead, they are stiff and hard.
Plants are born tender and pliant;
dead, they are brittle and dry.

Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible
is a disciple of death.
Whoever is soft and yielding
is a disciple of life.

The hard and stiff will be broken.
The soft and supple will prevail.”

— Lao Tzu

ANSWERED QUESTIONS 4

Here goes the long overdue part 4 of my usual formspring.me questions and answers, this time we have quite a few thought-provoking and deep questions, and of course I tried to answer it as eloquently as I can. There were more than what is posted here, but I chose the ones that are worth reading and also many questions were the same so I just picked one. Read on to see if I shed some light on your question...

QUESTION: What type of camera do you use?
ANSWER: I've already answered this question on this formspring many times, but I use a Canon DSLR Rebel XS, with the basic lens that it came with.




Q: what's your fave movie?
A: hmm... well, I have so many favorite movies. This is a hard question! How about I list you my top 10 favorite movies?
1) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2) Devdas
3) Bad Education
4) Ghost World
5) Amélie
6) Volver
7) A Single Man
8) Closer
9) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
10) The Holy Mountain
lol, sorry I know you didn't ask for a top 10, but I just wanted to share those amazing ones, and there's still so many great movies that are not even in that list.




Q: Art is medium to express one's feelings. What if those expressed feelings were hurtful and offensive? Would you consider a limited form of expression when those artistic expressions are @ odds with society's evolving standards and sensitivities?
A: wonderful question, thank you for asking.

I think before viewing art, we must accept the fact that there will always be negative and offensive expressions in life. Personally, I always practice positive and self-fulfilling artistic expressions rather than hurtful or offensive.

You know that phrase "destruction leads to creation"? Yes, well... sometimes when artists feel destructive inside with so much anger, anxiety, sadness, so then... they create and translate those feelings into some sort of artwork.

We all have a choice to view something offensive or not. To consider a limited form of expression would be going against the whole idea of being limitless. I mean, there is a clear difference between producing hateful work and genuine artistic expression, and when someone who makes art genuinely because they feel the need to create, like giving birth, creation, that they must do it... then the viewers will definitely feel the artist's genuineness through their work.

I can understand that it's wiser to be aware of society's evolving standards and sensitivities but times are hard for dreamers/artists as well. There's this quote by Marshall McLuhan, he said: "Art is anything you can get away with." Andy Warhol also rephrased it to "Art is what you can get away with." If you think about it, art really has no rules. You can get away with anything by calling it "art" ...when the line is blurred, that's where it gets dangerous. Art is dangerous! Anything goes; all in its offensive, hurtful, truthful, sublime, eccentric, and eclectic glory.




Q: your blog's awesome, u have serious art blood in u. anyways, just wondering, i'm taking fashion as my major but i always seem to think that i'm the only one that thinks that fashion is more of an art rather than glamorous life. am i lame? cause i feel am
A: thank you so much! you are not lame, don't feel that way! I agree with you that fashion is another form of art. Art doesn't necessarily have to be the traditional painting, drawing, etc. There are a lot of ways to express your artistic desires, like Thierry Mugler, or Gareth Pugh, their designs have many sculptural pieces. That to me is art as well, because it's a form of artistic expression.





Q: I'm very inspired by your art and things you wrote in your blog! I'm currently majoring in Economics and thinking of taking a second major in either Graphic Design or Art History. Which one do you think has better prospects and future?
A: Hi. Thank you so much! I hope my blog continues to inspire you! As for the decision between Graphic Design or Art History. I'd say Graphic Design, but only if you are truly passionate about all things design/art, and have a drive for it, then I'd say go for it! Remember 1 thing, there's millions of people out there who are trying to do the same thing you do if you decide to pursue G.D. but since you are taking Economics, you should just finish that up, and then get a steady job, and have the money to pursue what you love later. Always finish what you started. BTW, I love Art History too, but only modern and contemporary art history, hahaha, I know, I'm so bias because I'm very modern.




Q: Love picking your brain and I admire the way you answer some questions. Here goes...How would you deal with a tainted past? Wouldn't it be nice if we can filter what to remember/forget? Have you ever been marred by an experience to painful to think about
A: :) Thank you!
Now, this is one of the best questions I've gotten. Very deep! With such a delicate subject as a tainted past... it's very hard to know how to deal with it. Different people have different approaches. It depends how was this ago? When was the past tainted, and how long has it been tainted? Sometimes people could just forget all together. Instead of worrying and trying to cover up the tainted past, I think you should just confront it, and say YES, I HAVE A TAINTED PAST, but keyword is "past" NOT "present"...and as long as who are you now doesn't match who you used to be then people will notice that. We all have a choice to make it positive, or negative, so why not use positivity to respond to everything even if they are bad.

I don't really have a tainted past per se, but it did took me very long to come into terms with my past as it wasn't something I'm proud of at first... but now as I'm growing older, you know I realize because of my past, because of all the agonizing metamorphosis, I am able to sit here and answer this question for you. I am able to stand on my ground.

A quote from Madonna: "If it's bitter at the start, then it's sweeter in the end."




Q: Of all the questions to ask, what does your daily diet consist of? You're quite fit yourself. And a more serious one, who are your artistic influences? I'm sure Gaga is one of them. ;)
A: I don't have an actual diet. I usually go jogging on Mondays and Wednesdays for 30 minutes, and then do cardio for my lower body, legs, back, etc. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I usually work on my upper body, chest, arms, with bench press and free weights, etc. I don't even follow an eating routine, lol... I don't really care, I just want to stay healthy and toned up.




Q: Where do you get all your clothes? You always look fantastic! :D
A: thank you! I get my clothes from all over the places, online, thrift stores, overseas, anywhere, everywhere! :)




Q: How'd you learn how to draw? do you know any good books or resources that will help me for a beginner?
A: I always loved to draw, even when I was very little, around 6 or 7 years old, I would always draw all over my mom's books and journals (and got in trouble for it ahaha...) I guess, it's in my blood. I was born this way. But I did went to school and take more art/drawing classes to sharpen my skills. I look up to James Jean and Audrey Kawasaki, they're amazing! I also look at a lot of art blogs like http://www.booooooom.com/ Good luck! ;)




Q: how does your parents feel about you being gay? i come from a Vietnamese family and they're not very accepting.
A: my parents doesn't know about me yet. I'm so sorry to hear that your parents are not very accepting. I'm sure you have close friends that you can find a sense of acceptance with. For me personally, the reason why I haven't told my family/parents yet is because when I was growing up, they always emphasize and wants me to be successful, have a steady career and life, and they'll die happy. So, therefore I'm focusing on myself, my work, and my future right now... and when I become successful and stable, I'll tell them about myself. By then, I will achieve what they wanted, so I'll tell them without any backlash... and even if they won't accept it, I'll still be happy that I let them know and I did my part as a son!

Good luck! If you need to vent, I'm always here, listening, reading, and answering! :)




Q: I'm not much of a spiritual person (except for karma and voodoo), but since I think we've hardly talked about your perspective on spirituality, can you tell us what you think about this subject?
A: Well, I am not religious, but I'm fascinated by religion.

I think it's fine to not be spiritual or religious as long as you are good to yourself and others. But if I had to picked, I'd say I'm NOT religious, but spiritual. I do believe in the universe and creation, but I'm not sure how/what/when/why... and it all gets too complicated. I'm also quite existential. All I know is that we are existing in this very moment of an infinite time span.

I also do believe in Karma, not so much voodoo but that can happen too. Simply put, just be free from whatever conformations people try to put on you, and believe in yourself first and foremost! I just think if you do good, you'll get good back. We get what we give.




Q: Hi lovely! I need some advice on how to gain self confidence. I am such a shy and insecure person. People think I'm a stuck up and I am seriously not one! It's so hard making new friends and I'm majoring in fashion! I need connections! Please help me!
A: Hi there. Sorry for this extra late reply!
I know you asked this questions 4 weeks ago! =X

Here goes my advice on how to gain self confidence, and believe me, confidence itself is a very hard thing to acquire and maintain, but once you have it, you will feel the power of it, and whether you choose to feel its positive or negative power, that's up to you.

Please don't feel bad if you're a shy and insecure person, I used to be very insecure and hated myself too. I would always be very conscious of what I say or do, because I'm scared people might think of me this way or that way BLAH BLAH BLAH... but sometimes we are our own worse enemies. So, I was my own worse enemy at that time in my life, the truth was, people didn't care about what I say or do, but in my mind I thought too much into it... so, what I'm saying is, sometimes you just have to GET OVER YOURSELF! like I finally decided to get over myself and tell myself to just stop over analyzing things and just be true to what i want, and go from there!

It's hard to make friends in general, it's even harder to establish a genuine connection with another human being, but if you open yourself and be social, active, and have interesting things to share, you will make new friends in no time. Also, connections are from knowing people, the more people you know, the better your connections get, but remember to choose wisely who you get to know! Good luck! :)




Q: what, in your opinion, is the key to living a happy life?
A: in my opinion the key to living a happy life is balance! I truly believe that. When you have a good grasp of where you wanna be or stand in life, then work towards that goal but still keep balance by taking it 1 day at a time.

Work towards the future, but live for today. Balance is easy to say but quite hard to perfect, just like in my work... the question that always come up is how do I know when to stop? I don't want to overcrowd the canvas, or leave too blank. That's where balance comes in, step back a little view it from far away, then close up, and if you think it's good enough and content with it, then you achieved your balance.

Also this article of questions that could free your mind is a must read: http://www.marcandangel.com/2009/07/13/50-questions-that-will-free-your-mind/
Stay balanced! :)




Q: If you were a milkshake, would you bring all the boys to the yard?
A: is that even a question?! BOY BYE! of course.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you to everyone who asked me questions so far (see I used them to make a blog entry, so you didn't wasted your time asking! hehe). You can go here (click!) to see the original links of these questions. And there are some that's too short, so I didn't include it. If you need to vent, I'm always here. Ask away!

Remember: even if people talk shit about you, or say negative things, you have all the rights to feel self-important! LOVE YOURSELF! FREE YOURSELF! BE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR SEXUALITY! BE YOU! :)

ANSWERED QUESTIONS 3

Hello! I just came back from my 3-day weekend in NYC, so tired but extremely inspired. I'll blog about that more in the next entry with photos. For now, I haven't posted any answered questions lately... so this is the 3rd installment. Read on to find out informations about me or anything you've asked...


These are in random order:

QUESTION: Quân ơi... What is the meaning of life?
ANSWER: I have no idea, but I can only answer with this quote by Samuel Beckett: “I don't know, I'll never know, in the silence you don't know, you must go on, I can't go on, I'll go on.”



Q: A "paparazzi" of your wonderful works! Just wanna say "RAWR." Honey child, you is sum'n fierce! My close friend is avoidn me and a lot of other people, too. I thought she needed some space, but it's been almost a year. What should I do?
A: ahaha thank you!
As for your close friend situation... how close are you with your friend? If you 2 are close, then she wouldn't be ignoring you for almost a year! Maybe she does need some alone time, but that's way too long to not talk to a "close" friend. Plus, who am I to say? I've ignored a few people in my life because they are stale and not appreciative, so that's OK! I think you should reevaluate to see what you've done wrong to make her ignore you, if you didn't do anything wrong then that's fine. You should put a closure to this as soon as possible. No more waiting. Just ask her how she's doing and if she's really still ignoring you, then you both should just keep it moving! On to the next one, hunny!



Q: in the "sustainably sexy" photoshoot i noticed there were 2 photos that were 3D anaglyph's. could you explain how you did it? i'm trying to do the same on photoshop, and it never turns out right..
A: I actually convert the image to black and white, then duplicate it 3 times, and each layer I fill it up with a red, yellow, and blue overlay. Then you can either set the top 2 layers to lightening, or darken. Then nudge each layer to the right or left, to make it offset and create the 3-D effect! I hope that helps!



Q: Love your blog and your style (we have the same hair lol). I've got my summer ball coming up, and i need some help. I have a skinny grey suit, but how can i mix it up so i don't look boring? what colour shirt etc? xx
A: YAY! thank you! lol
Skinny grey suit is perfect! I think you should wear a yellow button down shirt or tank top inside. The yellow and grey color scheme is always a winning combination, I actually have a yellow tank top dying to be paired with something grey as well! If you don't have yellow, a pink/purple/red/salmon color shirt would be great... they key is to bright up the muted color (grey) inside out! And a pair of white dress shoes would be dashing! If your pants fit you then I think you don't need to wear a belt, just keep it summery and fresh.



Q: If you were going to be reborn into an animal (excluding humans), what animal would it be, and why?
A: hmm... I've never got a question like this. Quite hard to imagine what animal I would want to be, I'd say either a bird, the exxxotic wild ones like a Macaw... or a big cat like Leopard! ;)



Q: What was the first ever picture you took which you were proud of? If not the first, any picture, which are you most proud of?
A: my first picture I took was back in high school when I bought my first digital camera that still used batteries, it was just daily snapshots of my baby sister. There are many picture(s) I love... however, the photos that I'm most proud of are from this very first photoshoot I did of myself with self-timer, http://www.geneticboi.com/photography/photo1.html



Q: I want to do a Graphic Design internship. however its require to have a portfolio and i don't have one. You can say i'm starting out new. i have a lot of art/graphic things but its not to a WOW factor. Any suggestions?
A: yes, it does require a portfolio, and even better, a strong portfolio! If you have a lot of art/graphic things then it's a matter of putting them together in a portfolio book or website, so people could view them.

As for the WOW factors, I honestly don't have much suggestions because everyone has their own aesthetics and approach to creating. However, what you can do is try to have a variety of work, and within that variety, it must all flow together. Say, you have drawings, photography, and design, as different as it might be, it should have a similar theme, color scheme, something that tides it together along with your artist statement. Your work should reflect what you you say as well. Another thing you can do it go on design/photography blogs and websites like www.ffffound.com to see what's new right now and try to keep up to date with that, and refresh your work. Good luck!



Q: Love is blind. Have you ever thought of loving someone so much that you're willing to change EVERYTHING about yourself just to please 'em? How willing are you to make this unconditional sacrifice?
A: Love IS blind. And yes, I have thought of loving someone so much, I was ready to settle down and be everything that was expected. But that was just a thought... a silly thought, you know? I think if you are willing to change everything about yourself to please someone, then you have no strong backbone, no sense of self. If there has to be a change, BOTH should change for the better to elevate the relationship, it should always be 50/50. I want someone who will love as much as as I love myself, and vice versa.

As of right now, I don't have any urge to make any unconditional sacrifices. We are young, we should be ambitious. I want to be alone for right now, because I realize I need to focus on myself, my work, and my future. However, I don't know what the future holds really, if love happens, I'll deal with it 1 day at a time.



Q: (had a longer message but word limit is evil) how do i achieve this hairstyle, which is kind of similar to yours? http://lh6.ggpht.com/_78wgd5ujqrc/S2-h71LDv6I/AAAAAAAAP2c/okA0udy_g-A/s1600-h/SimonNessman4ArmaniJeans.7 i have asian hair too! help! thanks
A: gosh, I hate word limit too. It's not fair because they only limit the question, and I can answer however long I want to. Equality for all! lol

As to the hair, OK, so you have asian air, as I do too. This is what you should do, dampen your hair a little, then run some putty through the dampen hair, then blow dry it, that way while the hair is being dried, the putty will melt and stick together to your hair creating more body and volume, then get some small hair clips, pick small batches of your hair, twist it, clip it in the the direction you want to wear your hair (backwards, side sweep) let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, remove the clips, slightly run your hand through your hair to loosen out the twists, and then continue shaping, sculpting the coiff hairstyle, while using hairspray to keep it in tack, spray a little with each move, blow dry it on low to help dry and hold shape.

lol I wish I could be there to help you out physically! look at this tumblr, it has some great men's hair too: http://coiffureshommes.tumblr.com/



Q: Are you going to have an exhibition of your fabulous artwork?
A: that's my future dream/goal. Once I have a solid body of artwork, I will try to apply to art galleries, to have solo or group exhibitions, that would be fantastic!



Q: are you a US citizen or studying on a visa? I really want to go to school in the US, but not sure how to as i'm from another country
A: I've just recently became a US citizen. You can always apply for a US school and then get a visa to study, I think that's possible! A few of my friends did that, they're still studying/working here.



Q: What's the most evil that you've done?
A: the most evil thing that I've done? in 2nd grade, I pinched this girl so hard her skin turned purple and she cried. lol, I think she was being a little bitch! UGH! I'm not an evil person, I'm very loving and friendly, I just want to make art and inspire others. So that's the most evil thing I've done.



Q: Quan, why do you have so many stalkers?
A: I don't know! I guess they wanna check up on it!



Q: youre so cute, how do i get in contact with you ? :)
A: lol thanks! I guess you haven't seen my portfolio website? there is a "contact" section: http://geneticboi.com



Q: Whenever Quân feels sad, what is the one thing (image/person/place/thing) that you would think of to make you smile?
A: Thank you for asking, I love this question, it made me smile already!

Whenever I feel sad, I think about how much I've done, and how much more great and exciting things I will do, and I think about all the people who are not as lucky as me to have a promising future, or those that are restrained from their freedom of speech. Therefore, I keep going to express myself and create, and do it for those who can't. That cheers me up and refocus my mind! :)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you to everyone who asked me questions so far (see I used them to make a blog entry, so you didn't wasted your time asking! hehe). You can go here (click!) to see the original links of these questions. And there are some that's too short, so I didn't include it. If you need to vent, I'm always here. Ask away!

Remember: even if people talk shit about you, or say negative things, you have all the rights to feel self-important! LOVE YOURSELF! FREE YOURSELF! BE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR SEXUALITY! BE YOU! :)

ANSWERED QUESTIONS 2

Okay, so here is the 2nd volume of the series of questions and answers people have been asking me on my Formspring.me... This time around, some of the questions were OUTRAGEOUS and SEXUAL, but entertaining! So much creepers and stalkerazzis... ahaha! I also added the VOL.1 answered questions under the question box on the right. Read on, and hopefully you'll find it funny or insightful... most of the things you want to know about me, I suppose! lol



These are in random order:

QUESTION: you're really cute ! have you ever thought of modeling? when can we expect your next photo shoot? i miss seeing photos of you here.
A: aww you're too sweet! No, I've never thought of modeling. For me, taking photos of myself is sorta an experiment to be more comfortable in my own skin and push my creativity... nothing related to modeling at all.

And I don't know when I'll do another self-shoot, I've been very busy lately with school and trying to get where I wanna be, perhaps when I have a break or when summer comes. For now, I just want to practice and shoot others instead of myself... but thank you for still coming by and viewing my blog! :D




Q: Hey Quan, how tall are you? Can you speak Viet, still?
A: Hi. I'm 5'8½" and yes I can still speak vietnamese, I speak vietnamese at home, and english at school, trying to preserve and balance!




Q: hey Quan. Can you please share with me the technical details of the camera you use. Like what brand, model and the focal length + aperture range. Thank you very much. I adore your emerging talent.
A: hello! thank you! yes. I use a Canon Powershot point-and-shoot camera for regular party pictures. Then I use a Canon Rebel DSLR for professional pictures, the lens I have for DSLR is the standard lens that came with the package, and I also bought this 50mm portrait lens for 80 bucks since I'm broke right now. But it all depends on your aesthetics and the vision that you want to bring to life. You don't need fancy equipments to make great art. When we are limited, we are forced to be even more creative.




Q: Excuse me, but looking at one of your jumping pictures I can't stop myself looking at your calves. They're huge and so muscular, do you work out in the gym or doother kind of sports? PS: go on with such a nice blog, I love every post concerning your hair
A: haha thank you! they're not that huge.
they're just more defined, you could say...
but yes, I run and jog at the gym.




Q: If you were coffee, how much cream would you like in you?
A: um... wow. lol. I don't know how to answer this question...
coffee is bitter, so I guess as much cream as naturally needed.




Q: Hi, I saw some of your pics in lookbook and some i see hair on your legs, and some not. Do you shave/wax your legs? Do you have any tips for guys who have hairy legs and want them gone? Thanks! You're my inspiration btw <3 :)
A: Hi. thank you for checking out my Look Book!
I have hairy legs, but not too hairy. I don't shave my legs at all, never have, never will. Maybe in some images you don't see it much because of the bright lighting, and far away view. Close up, you'll see it's moderately hairy.

I don't shave my legs, so I don't have much tips for getting rid of it, I think you can try to see the waxing and hair removal section at your local Target or any beauty store, it might work! good luck! :)




Q: where do u live? id love to just be a witness of your fabulous/glamorous life! Youre an inspiration <3
A: THANK YOU!!! your comment/statement means A LOT to me. I'm all about being glamourous without money, without bad intentions. Only 1 intention, it's to inspire others to celebrate their own life! I live for the priceless things like getting together with my friends having art parties, doing photo-shoots, designing, just creating, you know? Expressive is never excessive!
I live in the east coast, finishing up school here in North Carolina, planning to move to New York soon after, since my best friends live in San Francisco and New York, so I always visit both cities all the time!




Q: I have a big cock. I'm hot. Do you want to be my sex slave?
A: (⊙ˍ⊙)!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! WHY ME?!?!




Q: what qualities do you look for in a partner?
A: independent, ambitious, articulate, understanding, a decent trustworthy guy would be fine with me, I look for a connection, something we can build together in the long run. He'll have his own life, and I have my own life, but we come together and make a life for ourselves. Someone to love me as much as I love myself. :P




Q: i like your legs...what time do they open?
A: oh thanks! sorry, they were never in business.




Q: If you were chocolate, you'd melt because you're so hottt! Then people would scrape you off the pavement and eat your ass up! EAT YOUR ASS UP LIKE A RIM JOB! OMG I'M SO BAD! Quan, if you were a dog, would you lick your own penis? Nature of the beast!
A: AHAHAHAHA WHAT!!! WHO IS THIS!?!?! GET OUTTA HERE!!
By the way, I love how you constructed your question, with the weight of your text to show emphasis!




Q: How has Vietnam influenced your outlook on life (like values, beliefs, perspective, etc)? And how does it inspire and/or influence your artwork?
A: Vietnam has influenced in a lot of ways, but generally in the ways I view and interpret things, in 2 different point of views, from living there, and now living here in US. east and west.

Sometimes when I feel I'm stuck in a creative rut, I tend to look back on my childhood journals, or remember those times when I wake up to the morning air and getting ready for school in my uniforms, and just sneaking out during the humid nights to go play with my friends, those little moments when I was so full of dreams and ambitions, I remind myself to be that way and stay gold as much as I can. To push forward creatively, and also smart enough to make relevant work. Having traveling back and forth overseas, I'm attracted to creating things on organic brown paper, it seems more personal and earthy, I guess reminds me of the warm weather I grew up with. Also, one of my personal favorite projects was inspired by my love for these few places: http://bit.ly/bOsm4p




Q: What type of model defines your aesthetic/is your biggest muse?
A: Great question!
For female models, I am drawn towards demure but strong, soft but edgy models, like russian supermodel Sasha Pivovarova, or chinese supermodel Du Juan!
For male models, I also like a good balance of masculinity with a touch of softness, I love danish supermodel Mathias Lauridsen, or spanish supermodel Jon Kortajarena!

and I think Ash Stymest and Eddie Klint have such good hair!!! lol




Q: Have you ever hooked up with a "straight guy"?
A: Nope. I've never really hooked up with anyone.
Someone accused me in a hateful question a few months ago: http://www.formspring.me/geneticboi/q/78164710
nothing as pathetic as an anonymous hater, huh?




Q: if i asked you to be my photographer for the day? what rates do you charge? and for editing too? i want you to follow me all day like a paparazzi!
A: well a day would be quite expensive, however, it also depends on how many pictures you choose at the end to be edited, I don't have a specific price because I have never do something like that before, but sure... need that picture of you it's so magical... we'd be so fantastical.. I'm your biggest fan I'll follow you until you love me... papa.paparazzi!




Q: would u teach me some tricks in photoshop? i love the way u edit all your pictures and i love your styles too
A: Thank you! I've answered this question before, and this is what I said, I don't think I will... I'd rather you mess around on photoshop and learn on your own because that's how I learned my photo editing. You don't wanna learn it from me and then whoever asks you how did you edit your photos, you would have to always credit me, wouldn't that be such a hassle? There are many photo editing tutorial sites out there as well. Good luck! :)




Q: Hey there Geneticboi! This is Suhdillyah from Tumblr! I recently got your question! Thanks for asking. I just posted my response to Tumblr. I love your art. Where do you draw your inspiration from? I'm quite the opposite for you: words come easier :]
A: I saw. YAY! thanks Nate!
we get inspired differently, but we're still in the same creative spectrum! :)

I've answered this question quite a lot (in this form, and my old blog entries as well), but I'm happy you want to know. My inspirations come from many sources, but mainly music... when I listen to music, I close my eyes, and different design elements pops up, like organic shapes, with muted colors, or geometric shape with bright or dark colors, etc... so I write those words or draw those shapes out on my sketchbook and refer back later.

However, I also get inspired by words too (a la reading your blog/poems for inspiration lol) my work is very contradictory you could say, always have a duality, soft with hard, organic with geometric, futuristic but still vintage. Sometimes my train of thoughts is triggered by a single word or phrase. Inspirations come easy for me, but it's not always easy to express it, however, I still keep soaking in more inspirations... and eventually, it will flow out naturally when I'm motivated.




Q: Do your friends know how lucky they are? -- Est-ce que tes amis savent à quel point ils sont chanceux??? (I've translate in french for you to have the right version of my question if never my translation is wrong... My english is not perfect at all!!) ;
A: Oh, je vous remercie! Vous êtes bien aimable, oui, ils sont reconnaissants envers moi, mais surtout je suis heureux de les avoir. Votre anglais est assez bon!

Thank you! you are too kind! yes, my friends are grateful to have me, but most importantly, I'm grateful to have them! Your english is good enough!




Q: how would you describe your style?
A: My style varies on different days. I don’t think we should limit ourselves to just one style. Style is how someone carries themselves while being confident in what they are doing and wearing. Plus, think of it this way, everyday is another chance to get up, dress up, show up. You can be a different person everyday, depending on what you wear. But I really admire those who break rules and try to bend genders, androgynous styles.




Q: where do you find inspiration for most of your artworks(photography,design,and clothing)from?
A: I usually listen to music, and visualize color schemes, design elements, shapes, and all that... and I would make a note down on my journal. Also I have very vivid and lucid dreams, so I would wake up in the middle of the night and write down my dreams in my sketchbook and use those imageries for my work later.

Photography, Clothing, and Fashion, I look at Men's Non-No a lot for men's styling inspiration. I look at a lot of art and fashion blogs for color schemes and how to wear what with what, I mean... of course looking is 1 thing but putting together and adding your own personal touch is another thing.

In general, I find most of my inspirations from everything around me, honestly. When you have a creative mindset, you get inspired by almost everything.




Q: what are some of your favorite brands,stores to shop?
A: I love shopping at thrift vintage stores, I love H&M, Topman, Alex & Chloe, Opening Ceremony, overseas-brand clothing are great too, but I honestly couldn't careless about brands, I don't care for designer labels, but it would be nice to wear designers. Still, I always love mix and match, cheap and expensive things together.




Q: Any tips on wanting to get into photography? What type of lenses do you have?
A: Photography is a tricky thing. From my perspective, you don't need to take Photo classes to know how to take photos, the trick is learning and messing around on your own with your camera, practice makes perfect! I have a Canon DSLR which I use solely for HQ and photoshoots. I use the basic standard lens that came with my camera, and I bought a portrait lens for 50 bucks, but there's no zooming so I have to move physically! haha...

but like I said, I know people who have many expensive lens and equipments but their photos are not even worth viewing. I don't have much equipments but I make it work, and when I am limited in expenses, I'm forced to be even more creative!




Q: Someone asked you in the past how you get to know so many people in places like SF, NYC. How do you maintain your distance friendships?
A: well you see, only the real good friends stick around, and I've met some people before but they chose not to be in my life, so we don't keep contact much. But all of my friends I have, the good ones, I usually email them, FaceBook, or call. But with my friends, we can just pick up where we left off even if months have passed. Those are the good friendships! :)




Q: I have a very racy question. (Gay Relationship) My boyfriend sometimes won't satisfy me. He gets his and i'm left to my own devices. I know some guys get tired ofter the big O, but geez it's laziness and selfishness. What would you do?
A: it's not too racy! :) lol... I love that you use "the big O" haha!!!
well, I'm not a sexpert or anything, but I would suggest that when you guys are at foreplay, suck him off until he cums, so when you 2 are having sex, he will last longer the 2nd time around. OR... when you're having sex, and if you feel he's gonna come, switch to different positions, the process of changing positions slow down his erection so he won't come to the big O too fast.




Q: would u let me fuck your brains out?
A: who is this?! why are people asking me these sexual questions lately?! LOL. I don't just let anyone "anonymous" fuck my brains out, BUT if you can get it up... well, I'll let Rihanna answer the rest of this question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e82VE8UtW8A give it to me baby, like BOOM BOOM BOOM!




Q: WHICH DO YOU PREFER? A WHITE, BROWN OR BLACK COCK?? EXPLAIN WHY. BE HONEST!!
A: I'm an open opportunity, I don't discriminate. I like all kinds of flavors!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you to everyone who asked me questions so far... see! I used them to make a blog entry, so you didn't wasted your time asking! :) There were some that's too short, so I didn't include it. If you need to vent, I'm always here. Ask away!

Remember: even if people talk shit about you, or say negative things, you have all the rights to feel self-important! LOVE YOURSELF! FREE YOURSELF! BE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR SEXUALITY! BE YOU! :)

stillness of the mind

ANSWERED QUESTIONS 1

Hello! Hello! Hello! It's been a while since I last posted. I'm just busy being lazy or rather, soaking in more inspirations and hopefully have the motivation to create! I'm so grateful for the sunny weather lately, can you imagine what life would be like without the sun?! We take a lot of things for granted.


So I picked most of the questions I got so far from my question box on the right. There were some great, funny, and straight up hating questions. I am serious when I say I have (unknown) haters, and the sad thing is that, they don't even know who I am, even strangers wouldn't say nasty things like that to me. I think if you hate someone you don't know, it only means you're jealous. So, calm the fuck down, and wait your turn!

These are in random order:

QUESTION: You seem very self-focused and self-important. You don't really seem to talk about anything other than yourself. Do you think these qualities will turn people off from you in the long run?
ANSWER: As you've said, I "seem" to be self-focused and self-important... but truth is, I'm very selfless. I care for a lot of people and things. Still, I'm on a journey with myself, and in contemporary art practice, artists use themselves as part of their work... and during the process, I'm forced to face myself, my fears, my flaws... accept it, figure out what I want and don't want in life.

And I want to inspire others to be comfortable with themselves too. I can't live for anybody who's not willing to live for me. You MUST love yourself first, before you can love anyone else, I think.

Different people have different point of views. I think my self-assurance qualities could be either misunderstood or appreciated. Mostly, I think people would be relieved to know someone who are sure of themselves enough to move forward in the long run.




Q: If you are not self-absorbed, how come you never talk about anything other than yourself. Perception is the rule.
A: lol. I do talk about other things too, Fashion, Life, Existence, Art, Inspirations, Movies, Music, and D.I.Y. projects to inspire other people to try something new in their life. I guess you either haven't read my blog carefully enough, or don't know me that well.

Then again, it's a blog about me not about the latest news or who's fucking who, it's where I'm trying to build my identity. I don't know how other people feel, but I know how I feel. Therefore, I follow my heart... it's a very good place to start.




Q: Whatever happened to saving your virginity for that special someone? Did all the guys find out that you're a narcissistic depressing psycho so they all ran away and left your asshole dry? Now, you end up being a cum dump.
A: I'm still a virgin. WTF is your problem?! and where do you get all these information attacking me with these ridiculous questions! they are making me LMAO!!!! People like YOU keeps me going! Vanity is beautiful, and Success is the best revenge! and that's money, honey! :)




Q: What was your most expensive purchase?
A: my Canon Rebel XS DSLR camera... I guess that's the most expensive for right now since I'm a broke college student. But I don't like money, I live for priceless things.




Q: I feel like I'm stuck in a creative rut. The recession has zapped all my energy. What is your advice for regaining that inspiration even in the midst of dismal circumstances? Thanks.
A: First, you have to know that you are not alone. I think the recession has zapped out a lot of people's creative energy. My advice would be 1) go visit as much museums and local Art Galleries as you can, whenever you have free time. 2) Keep a sketchbook, doodle anything. 3) Watch more movies, whether it's stupid pointless comedies, or serious coming of age indie movies. 4) Look at other artist's work, so you can be inspired. 5) Listen to music, close your eyes, visualize how those sounds would look as design elements, what shapes, what colors, imagine the whole abstract setting, then doodle down those elements for later use.

All I'm saying is, you don't have to create right now, but it's VERY important to keep soaking in ideas, and eventually you will feel the urge to create and let it out. And I remember this quote: “If it's important to you, you will find a way. If it's not important to you, you will find an excuse.”




Q: What's your favorite font? :)
A: clean fonts; my favorite font would fall between Bodoni and Futura. any slim, geometric sans serif font. Nowadays I tend to use more sans serif fonts. I just downloaded these great 2 fonts called Lot, and Geo Sans.




Q: How do you have so many friends from all over to kick it with? (NY, CA, etc).
A: ah, well from my blog. notice this isn't my first time traveling, so whenever I go travel... I make friends in the 1st trip, then 2nd trip, 3rd trip, make more friends, etc. It's good to know people so you can stay with them, it saves hotel money! :)




Q: What made you become who you are today?
A: a lot of things. Meeting new people, having great friends and family, supporting them as they support me, the people you surround yourself with has a big influence on your characteristic. You are your environment. I used to be very insecure and hated myself, but from knowing good people with positive energy, I learned to love myself. So now I'm comfortable enough to express my creativity and explore my potentials.




Q: so do u use more photoshop to create those amazing graphic artwork or illustrator more?
A: I use both equally and combine them, illustrator and photoshop are good for different things.




Q: Where did you learn your graphic design tricks? Do you use tutorials, brushes, etc., or did you just learn in school?
A: I study graphic design so of course I learned them in school. I also learned from tutorial websites, etc... if you don't know, you go and try to find out, practice makes perfect! :)




Q: Where you usually find some inspirations to take some pictures, mix n match some clothes, draw some pictures, and arrange many words? Does inspiration come easily for you?
A: Yes. Yes. Yes. Absolutely, inspirations come very easily for me. I soak in a lot of things, but I cannot express them easily, however... when I'm motivated, everything will flow out naturally. I find inspirations from MANY sources. Mainly music, when I listen to music... in my head, I visualize the color schemes and design elements like organic shapes, or geometric shapes, bright colors or dark colors. So I write it down in my journal and use it later for my work.

I also look at a lot of other artists' work to inspire me, BUT to also know what's been done and what's in right now, you gotta keep up with the time. Look at other people's work, so you can create your own.

And if you can't create but you are inspired, it's good to start practicing. Nothing happens overnight, and hard work will pay off!




Q: If you were to give up something for lent, what would it be?
A: If it's lent, it will be returned eventually, so if anyone needs to borrow anything from me, I'll be glad to lend it to them.




Q: i love your blog. i noticed your hair and style is very Rihanna-esque. does she inspire you, or are you solely a Lady GaGa monster? :)
A: thank you! I love both Rihanna and GaGa VERY much, but for different reasons. Rihanna inspires me with her androgynous style, yes, her hair. I love anything Androgyny! But deep down I'm a little monster at heart, I love GaGa's articulate sense of expression in her knowledge about Art History, Pop Culture, and Fame, all of which I can relate to, because it's all about putting a voice to your vision.




Q: How did Alexander Mcqueen inspire you?
A: in a lot of ways. I know he began his career in 1996, but I wasn't a fan until 2006, even so, I was blown away by his shows, they are more than just clothes, it's a sense of artistic and self expression, so fearless, so unrestricted, and I found that to be very inspiring, don't you? Freedom of expression.

On top of that, have you seen his clothes?! MAGNIFICENT! Each show has a theme and a consistency, wild color schemes, galaxy bodies, neon lights, nature, technology, everything!

I was crying in the lab at school when I found out about his death, I had to go home early, even if I didn't know him personally, it just felt so sad. We're all creative spirits, and it just felt like one of us had left the pack, we're alone again. sigh... but who knows, maybe Death is the ticket to Life.




Q: QUAAAAAN :) Re-found your blog, love what you've been doing. What do you want to do with your life after school?
A: hey Sara! thank you! I want to possibly move to New York or San Francisco, anywhere from here! Work, Save, Travel, Give, and Inspire! :)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you to everyone who asked me questions so far (see I used them to make a blog entry, so you didn't wasted your time asking! hehe). You can go here (click!) to see the original links of these questions. And there are some that's too short, so I didn't include it. If you need to vent, I'm always here. Ask away!

Remember: even if people talk shit about you, or say negative things, you have all the rights to feel self-important! LOVE YOURSELF! FREE YOURSELF! BE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR SEXUALITY! BE YOU! :)

LOADED, RELOADED IT!

I bought ticket to New York for my Spring Break in march. I'm also making these little booklets I can leave behind after I drop by some design firms, trying to hustle! It's a self-promotional piece. As much as I love the people around me, those people will not get me to where I wanna be. I have to do it myself.

hand-made die cut for the cover!


Cut the slit to insert my business card


Hello! Hello!


Resume


Designs / centerfold


Photography / featuring my beautiful colombian vamp, Lina!


HOW Y'ALL DOING?!??! CALL ME! LET'S DO BUSINESS!! lol