Most well-known for her blog – and inspiring Instagram feed – Chinese-Australian, Yan Yan Chan, is a young, creative talent working as a documentor and content creator. Her blog is a youthful injection of documentary-styled photographs and creative experimentation, working with mixed mediums such as paint, sketches and collages.
With a love for ‘raw’ and ‘candid’ imagery, her effortlessly chic, cool-girl aesthetic shines through this Sydney-based blogger’s work…
Your work is incredibly creative, it would be fascinating to understand how you bring your spirit/energy/inner beauty to every piece of art you create.
- Ohhh thank you!! I think it’s about reciprocation. There used to be a cloud of uncertainty and negativity that always hung above my head, a lot of insecurity. But, I’ve just learnt to let things go — things that don’t matter. If you have a positive outlook, you will attract positive people and opportunities, and when that synergy occurs, it will transcend into everything you do, like work, for example.
But aside from all of that, I believe in hard work and a good work ethic. There definitely isn’t a shortage of talent, but to be able to transform that hunger to create and collaborate into life, is something that not everyone has… you have to be passionate, you have to believe in yourself, and it has to make you happy. Some people create out of happiness, some people create out of sadness. It’s such a hard one, but I think it really comes down to passion, and I’m passionate!
You, along with your community, have grown up on social media. As you’ve matured, how do you feel your aesthetic has changed on your social channels?
- It’s shifted so much! I started creating content when I was about 17–18… and I was so much about pleasing and impressing. So, my work wasn’t genuine. People still liked it, but it wasn’t me and it wasn’t consistent.
I think it just comes with growing up. I’m 23 now and never thought I’d have so much confidence and comfortability in myself, and in my choices – and that’s come from who I’ve surrounded myself with – which has radiated into the way I think, and into my work.
You have over 125K followers on Instagram, do you feel a sense of responsibility to show your community that there is more to beauty than what can be seen in a photo, and if yes, how do you do this?
Definitely. I like raw moments captured on film. I have from day dot and it’s been my main ethos and aesthetic when it comes to what I portray in my work – and I feel like my followers respond well to that. Naturally as humans, we will always be attracted to beautiful people and beautiful things, but it wears thin. Like, facetune and photoshop – it becomes boring, people want a story, they want substance and someone they’re able to relate to, someone real. I guess that’s where the resurgence of film photography on Instagram has come in, nothing captures people and moments like film does… there’s always a sense of mystery. I try to incorporate that as much as I can into my content.
Is there a mantra or belief that is at the centre of your work?
Just do it!!! And keeping it real.
What does inner beauty mean to you?
Giving as much love as you do to your outer, if not more.
Can you give us an example of a time you’ve listened to your gut instinct?
Always. I think I am best at listening to my gut instinct when there’s little time to think. I’m a Libran, so I’m super indecisive if you give me time to ponder! As much as I dislike how fast paced everything is, I love it, because it’s when I make the best and worst (with good outcomes) decisions.
What do you do to get your daily GLOW on?
- Probiotics, probiotics, probiotics… and then repeat three times, with WATER! I’m extremely conscious about gut health and probiotics. I don’t notice much of a difference when I’m taking probiotics daily, but I do notice a difference when I’m not… especially with bloating.
I get lazy with vitamins, but I never miss my GLOW Inner Beauty Powder – every morning. I swear by it, I’ve been taking it for almost a year now. I mix one teaspoon with cold water and add a squeeze lemon to it. If I don’t have it handy, kombucha and kimchi are my next go-tos. Oh, and definitely a sweat out. I love exercising every morning, but if I’m having a rest day, I’ll steam for 15 minutes.
I’m having a… Flor de Naranjo evening.
I love Sundays like… I love my Spotify playlist. Which is an immense amount.
Life …is awesome
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