Miggie Wong – Artistic Creativity as a Survival Skill

Creative Flow: Thinkers and Change Agents

Our 39th episode of the Creative Flow: Thinkers and Change Agents Podcast Series features Miggie Wong, a museum professional and artist who creates situation-based performance projects exploring ideas of social interaction, a sense of belonging, and acts of sincerity. Born and raised in Hong Kong and later migrating to the United States, Miggie was creative from a young age but did not have a way to describe her process to others. Studying the Science of Creativity at the Center for Applied Imagination, SUNY Buffalo State, helped her understand how to utilize Creativity as an artist and have a common framework and language to promote it in others.

One example of how Miggie uses Creativity as a survival skill is a project she did when studying for her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts. She created a participatory art project by playing Mahjong for 24 hours to help her make friends despite the language barrier. In 2021, she withstood the enforced isolation of quarantine in a hotel room for 14 days while visiting Hong Kong during the pandemic by working on a creative art project that resulted in her publishing a graphic diary called ‘14 Days Quarantine Meal Drawing Project’. Her current work uses participatory art to connect with her audience and encourage them to tell her stories about the community.

Don’t miss our discussion of Miggie's wish for the future of Creativity as “using scientific and artistic creativity to continue to maintain and improve our well-being.” This concept of art as essential to mental health is aligned with her Creative Flow of making art that encourages a connection with the viewer. Find our podcast today on all of your favorite platforms.