This is day 166 of trying a new hobby to recover from burnout.

@vnessali

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Why it worked

The video combines a relatable personal struggle with a high-quality, aesthetic creative process, creating an emotional resonance that encourages viewers to watch until the end.

Summary

The creator reflects on her Chinese-Australian heritage while painting a semi-abstract piece. She discusses the struggle of balancing two cultures and concludes that one can embrace contradictions rather than choosing between them.

Structure

1Introduction to the 166-day hobby challenge
2Reflection on cultural identity and burnout
3Painting process showing the blending of styles
4Final reveal of the artwork and concluding message

On-screen text

Day 166 of trying a new hobby to recover from burnout When I first started painting I didn't think I've been facing for over two as an I grew up balancing two always trying to make sense of for most of my life I thought I had to decide which version of myself Asian or Australian strong or smart but what but what I've learned through art you don't have two opposites can coexist two opposites can coexist beautifully you can be traditional soft soft and strong East and West and that's the beauty we're allowed to be contradictions to exist and to create our own colours because isn't defined by fitting into it's defined by writing it's defined by writing your own story

Original caption

a reflection on my cultural identity ❤️ this painting is dedicated to my Chinese-Australian heritage 🪽 #hobbies #art #acrylicpainting #semiabstractpainting #asian

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Transcript

This is day 166 of trying a new hobby to recover from burnout. When I first started painting this year, I didn't think that it would help me solve a problem I've been facing for over two decades. As an Asian-Australian, I grew up balancing two worlds, always trying to make sense of who I was. For most of my life, I thought I had to decide which version of myself to be: Asian or Australian, strong or soft, smart or pretty. But what I've learned through art is that you don't have to choose. Two opposites can coexist beautifully. You can be traditional and modern, soft and strong, East and West. And that's the beauty of being human too. We're allowed to be contradictions, to exist in grey, and to create our own colours in between. Because who you are isn't defined by fitting into a label, it's defined by writing your own story.