Meet Hanh Bui | Independent Artist & Model

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

Hi Hanh, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I sold my first painting in Kindergarten and was awarded high rankings in local competitions. Every year I improved on my skills and picked up different experiences to add to my way of life. Pursuing creative work encourages me to have confidence in handling the challenges life throws at me by practicing patience, acceptance, mindful awareness, and decision-making to create what I called art. We can make our lives works of art. In other words, having an artistic lifestyle helps me “figure out” challenges.

Like how artists need to figure out the work as they improvise or follow a rough draft, thinking as an artist helps me move on from problems whether it was expected or not. This career sustains me to be a reliable person to solve problems in any medium.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from others is that art is ingrained in me, because I’ve practiced it my whole life. What makes sense for me is to apply it for the rest of my life. Even when it comes down to communicating with different clients and their needs, I’m able to comprehend and deliver. I’m continuing to develop further in my professional career as an artistic entrepreneur. My challenge was really finding an audience. Where can I find them? In today’s digital age, it allows me to find my clients across the globe. Which platform is best to find an audience? Will it be TikTok? YouTube? Fiverr? Upwork? Instagram? You may notice there are a lot of questions but do not let questions overwhelm you because you have the answers. I found clients through Fiverr, Instagram, and even networking in real life. I also have a marketing background, which comes in handy when I want to present myself to my target audience.

Getting over the challenges means figuring it out, and the process of figuring it out involves asking yourself a lot of questions. Why TikTok? Why Youtube? Everyone’s challenges are different, so maybe you don’t need help finding an audience. Regarding other problems, I wasn’t able to figure out parts of myself overnight, but practicing and giving yourself patience while you’re challenged is the best form of self-love, I believe.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would show them around downtown, Phoenix! There’s a lot of street art in this area, especially in the historic Coronado district. If they wanted to spend some time outdoors not too far from the city, I’d take them to A mountain at ASU. It’s a short hike with beautiful views. Camelback I’ll reserve for my outdoorsy visitors.

I love all kinds of food, but Vietnamese and Asian cuisine is my favorite. I’d take them to Pho 32, Da Vang, and Lee’s Sandwiches to eat. Liyuen is also a great place for quick Chinese takeout.

A good place to hang out after a long day can be found at the Pemberton. There are many small businesses there and you can support them with your friends, they have tables for people to sit at or small shops for people to browse. Entry is also 21+ for the beverages.

To visit the nightlife, I’d recommend Valley Bar for live music and an underground basement type of environment–the entry is in an alleyway! There’s also Club Downtown, Bar Smith, and Monarch if you want to dance.

If you want to get your hair done by leading hairstylists in the industry and have a glass of wine while you get a blowout or a fun new look, go to PHAN HAUS Scottsdale. There’s a wine-tasting establishment next door, called Carlson Creek Vineyard.

I’ve only lived here for a few years myself, I feel like there is still so much more to explore.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give a shoutout to my high school art teacher Mr. Villim. Without his classroom, I probably wouldn’t have been able to practice my passions at school. In that classroom, I learned many different techniques and learned a lot about myself and my capabilities. I also sat next to my creative friends as well where we shared laughter and knowledge. I want to shout out my long-time best friend Faith, there is so much depth to her and our friendship, it helps make life more artistically fulfilling than it is. Most importantly I’d want to shout out my family, mainly my dad. I had a lot of metaphorical growing pains growing up, and he’d help me manage the challenges with perseverance. He helped me see the light at the end of tunnels, perserverance was necessary to not give up on a project.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanhtbui/

Image Credits
Main Display Picture: Photographed by Andrei, found on Instagram as: Ferrata_IV Model Portrait and Hair Artist: @AlyssaMikaylaHair