Meet Sofia Cha | Painter & Drawer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sofia Cha and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sofia, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
During the middle of my junior year, when COVID had all of us go virtual due to quarantine, I had a crisis of what I wanted to do. Since I was little, I had a plan to become an engineer. Just like my idol, Leonardo da Vinci and generations before me in my family. I had stuck with that path all the way up till junior year, going into the engineering pathway in my first year of high school. As time went on, I realized I wasn’t happy being in that pathway. The pandemic really showed me how much I was unhappy that I had been. I had been struggling with my depression since the year before and I realized that being in that one of the causes for it was that pathway. Even when I was determined to become an engineer once I first began, I never felt fully welcome in that field. Like something was missing and I didn’t really fit in with my classmates. I always liked to draw and paint. I first started painting the same age I wanted to go into engineering.

During those past years while I was learning how to do truss calculations, (which are horrendous)I was still drawing on the side, even during the classes I was more invested in drawing than the actual assignments. But I thought that my love for art was just going to be a hobby because making a career out of art wasn’t what I thought could be done. I also felt a lot of guilt for even thinking about leaving since I had put so much time and passion into it. But that ideology started to change when I saw other people on social media becoming very successful sharing their art and other friends that supported me into making my art into a career.

So, I continued drawing more frequently while in quarantine, and I just felt so much peace with that and out of everything that there was to do, art just felt like that missing puzzle piece that was missing in my soul. I had neglected it to focus on engineering, and once I nurtured art again, I felt more like myself, my truest self. And so I became happier and much more confident than before. My mental health greatly improved and it was a great outlet to express my feelings, ideas, and stories.
It was hard to switch from being so focused on engineering, I often felt bad for dropping it since I had been so invested into being an engineer for years. But honestly, I wouldn’t been a good one in the first place. I’m absolutely terrible at math! The arts were my true calling all this time and I wouldn’t trade it for anything and I don’t wanna do anything else that isn’t art.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’d have to say what I’m most proud of is how much I’ve improved since 2020. Back then, I was starting to try to draw and paint more realistically and trying to find my own style of painting. It was tough and honestly as time passes while you’re learning how to improve your art, you can’t even tell how much you’ve actually improved until you look back. ‘Cause sixteen year old me would’ve killed to have the skill that I’ve got now. Even now, I still have much to learn to be better. It definitely wasn’t easy since it can be difficult trying to master a technique, things not looking how you want them. But the main thing I’ve learned from that is to allow yourself to take time trying to find your own style, getting better, and trusting the process.
Trusting the process is the artists entire journey, life’s journey really. It takes time for masterpieces to come, but they come eventually.
It can be so easy to get stuck comparing yourself to others in your field that are better or more successful than you are that are your age or older, but the main thing is that you are at your own lane and I’m getting better every single day as I paint and draw more and learn more to become successful. Also, another thing to keep in mind is to give zero fucks. Art is very personal and its our own way of expression. So fuck those people that try to compare you to other artists. ‘Cause all of us are on our own lane in this highway life. The main thing is that you enjoy what you are doing and getting better at it. That’s what matters.
About me, My style is still improving, but I like to express different kinds of stories and people for viewers to make stories about. They just kind of pop into my head mostly through stories or music. Music is one of my big inspirations for creating new art works. I mostly paint portraits with oil or acrylic paint. I also draw with inks and charcoal. I LOVE incorporating metallics like gold or silver into my paintings that’s a big part of my style. I like how it can play with lighting and adds a nice pop into the paintings.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to Main street in Shelbyville since its a very historic place with lots of old Victorian buildings and a lot of good food and local art. I’d also takes them down to Bardstown Road in Louisville to try some Boba and some pho at Paris Bahn Mi, and some tacos of course. Its delicious. I’d have a bonfire to make smores and to burn some paper, I love bonfires they are so relaxing and it just uplifts the vibe of the party. The parks in Shelbyville and Louisville are both too beautiful to miss and its nice to just walk around and find some hidden gems within the trails.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Where I am today wouldn’t have been without the inspiration of Leonardo da Vinci. When I was about seven years old was when I first discovered his works and his life story. From seeing his paintings and his life, it inspired me to pursue art and oddly enough was another inspiration to become an engineer. His wisdom inspired me to never lose that child-like curiosity about the world and to live a life that you want and to always do your best which I live by. Another person would have to be my graphic design teacher from my senior year in high school, who always encouraged me to keep going and taught me new art techniques which has greatly helped my art improve. And finally, my mom. She was the one who gave me my first water color painting set when I was seven, and I’ve never stopped painting since then.

Instagram: sofia_de_cha

Image Credits
Sofia Cha