October 17, 2016

Meet a Community Art Star: Ling Wang

"Meet a Community Art Star" is a regular feature showcasing ArtStarts' amazing group of volunteers who are passionate, enthusiastic arts champions. Read more posts in this series.

Ling Wang is originally from Yunnan, China and moved to Canada almost four years ago. After studying at the University of Victoria, she decided to move to Vancouver. Ling started volunteering at ArtStarts in June 2016 as a Gallery Assistant and now also volunteers as a Special Events Assistant. With a heart full of passion for education, she envisions a future filled with compassion. Ling brings her warmth and positivity to ArtStarts every weekend.

Hi Ling! Can you tell us a bit about what you do here in Vancouver?

After I received my Masters in Education from the University of Victoria, I decided to move to Vancouver to search for my professional career. I currently work as an Advisor Specialist for Canada Financial, which is a life insurance and investment company. Even though I didn't end up in the field of my studies, I feel that I can definitely apply all the research, problem solving, analytical skills and logical thinking from my degree to this position.

Why did you choose to study education?

I always promote the importance social justice. I believe how to activate social justice is to educate people to be more aware of the injustice in the world. Together we can break away from that and establish a new system for a better society. Education is an ongoing project for a country; if you invest in education, you may not receive the return in short term but in the long run, in the future, you can receive more.

Why do you volunteer at ArtStarts?

I volunteer at ArtStarts because of my degree in education, and my interest in the arts and creativity. Because I don't work in my desired field, I want to learn about education in BC so that I can come back to it one day. I also enjoy being creative in my own time through cooking, drawing, photography and film.

Do you have a memory from school that has had an impact on you?

My English teacher, Mr Xin Xin Mi, in Yunnan High School. He did his university degree in the States. He brought a lot of new and refreshed thinking into our school. Bringing in a Western perspective made us look at the world in a very different way. He encouraged us to think about things in different ways instead of just telling us what is right and what is wrong. He encouraged critical thinking; he's the first person who introduced critical thinking to my world and it really opened my mind.

What's your favourite moment you've had so far volunteering at ArtStarts?

My favourite moment would be when I was volunteering as a Special Events Assistant for the Rainbow of Colours workshop by Carolyn Sullivan on ArtStarts on Saturdays. I was the event photographer. I was capturing the beautiful moments and documenting the feelings that were going on during the workshop. Parents were not just guiding their children, families were doing the workshop together and collaborating. It was such a great family activity, it was wonderful to see everyone working together.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love cooking and watching movies. I like to cook traditional Chinese food, such as rice noodles, which my hometown is famous for. Every weekend I watch about 2 to 3 movies, in the theatre or at home. My favourite directors are Woody Allen and Quentin Tarantino, I've seen so many of their movies.

What is your definition of creativity?

Creativity is a path of looking for something new and something challenging in your life. Creativity is investigation, it can always help you stay curious about the world. My passion and enthusiasm for life is rooted in my heart and my curiosity encourages me to keep looking for challenges. I believe staying curious can keep you creative. "Stay hungry, stay foolish."

Thank you, Ling!

If you're interested in volunteering with ArtStarts, learn more about current opportunities at artstarts.com/volunteer

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