Today we’d like to introduce you to Beibei Champagne.
Hi Beibei, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I grew up in Suzhou, China, and have had a passion for drawing and design since kindergarten. I was always in the position to create decorations for classrooms. If it were up to me, I would have chosen to attend an art college and pursue a career as an artist. However, my family valued stability and financial prospects, so instead, I studied Engineering in college, which I did not enjoy. After finishing college, I chose to study film in the US, flying to Austin in 2017 to attend the MFA film program at UT Austin. I have stayed here ever since. Though I struggled to navigate a different country and life, I enjoyed the freedom from family expectations and looked forward to starting a career as a filmmaker. Studying filmmaking – directing, cinematography, writing, editing – was all new and focused on creativity, which I greatly value.
Fast forward to three years ago, the last year of grad school, I was suddenly diagnosed with cancer – leukemia. It caught me entirely off guard and turned my life upside down. I became a full-time patient, spent my days in chemotherapy, lost all my hair, despaired and depressed. After a challenging six months of cancer treatment, I received a stem cell transplant and was sent home to recover. It was fortunate for me to have the chance to recover with almost miraculous speed, but at that time, I felt awful. My life was halted, and I suffered immense loss. I went through hell with the treatment, and now that I was on my way to recovery, I still had to think about the career I never had the chance to start, which seemed impossible to muster the energy to focus on. I was in a weak state, but with the shadow of cancer fading away, anxiety about the future loomed.
Searching for things I could do when I had to spend most days sitting and lying on the couch, I thought of drawing. I hadn’t drawn seriously for almost 10 years then, but the thought of drawing, evening just doodling, brought me comfort. My Mom gifted me an iPad so I could easily experiment with different kinds of drawing and painting at the convenience of the couch. So, I began to learn drawing digitally and made progress in my recovery time. I even created some designs for the lion dance team my husband runs. The first Lunar New Year after I got better, I ventured outside the house and attended the New Year celebration at the Paper + Craft Pantry Lunar New Year Market. It was just last year. I saw many AAPI artist vendors selling their original arts and crafts there, and I was enthralled. It immediately hit me that I had wanted to do this all along. This could also be the answer to my parents’ question from way back then: ‘How do you plan to earn money by drawing?’
I began my journey as a vendor, designing small things and prints about Chinese lion dance and cute cats (I take inspirations from my two cats, Ramen and Udon). I opened my shop on Etsy and started to attend markets. It’s only been less than a year, but I’ve learned much and found myself vending alongside those who inspired me at that Lunar New Year market. I’m thrilled with the life I’m leading now. I’m still a filmmaker, mainly working as a set dresser and video editor. I’m also a graphic designer and run my little art business. Living on my creativity is living my childhood dream.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Since starting my art business, I gradually realized it’s more challenging than I initially thought. I once believed it was 80% drawing and 20% selling, but now I’ve come to understand that it might be the other way around, at least in the beginning stages. In addition to being an artist, I also have to take on the roles of a secretary, a bookkeeper, a shop runner, a social media manager, a content creator, a salesperson, a merchandise photographer, and more. I’m still learning a lot about roles I had never imagined myself taking. I often needed to catch up on seasonal events in the first year of vending. I’m also quite new to social media management and struggle to gain followers. And all of these are just a part of my working life.
As I’m also freelancing as a filmmaker and graphic designer, I sometimes struggle to maintain balance in my schedule. I often find myself working late at night every day, all the while worrying that I haven’t done enough for each of my career paths.
However, I do not forget how fortunate I am to be able to choose to do things that I want, and to be exposed to a broad spectrum of the art and entertainment industry.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
For my art business, I specialize in creating affordable merchandise inspired by mystical Chinese animals—specifically, Chinese lions and dragons. Exploring my cultural heritage brings me immense joy and serves as a never-ending well of inspiration. I also create cute designs involving cats and food, two of my primary sources of comfort! I hope to bring a sense of joy and coziness to people. I see myself as a storyteller, even with my drawings and designs. Each design is not just about a character but aims to convey emotions and movement. When making a design, I think about the characters’ story, leaving room for viewers to imagine more. It’s this interactive dynamic between a small piece of art and its audience that, I believe, has the power to lift spirits and bring smiles.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
My willingness to learn has been the key to my success. I believe that there are always things I can learn and the more I know, the more I don’t know. I am always a learner. I place great importance on studying and improving. When I discover the need for a new set of skills, I set goals to achieve them, regardless of the time it takes, as long as they are useful. My open heart and curiosity also play a role in acquiring new skills and knowledge, constantly pushing me out of my comfort zone.
Pricing:
- Sticker – $3.5
- Postcard – $5
- Keychain – $7
- Pin – $13.99
- Print – $18
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beibeibear.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beibeibear_design/
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BeibeibearDesign
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