In the Eyes of Joanna Lin
Joanna is brilliant. Intelligent. Creative. Behind the exquisitely polished and perfectly composed photos of whimsical cocktails and surreal meals she posts on her "digital journal," aka @joanna.lin, thrives the desire to show a reality longing to be shaped and sometimes finely redesigned. "Instagram was created to show life, but it is up to us to create how we want it to be. I am a documentarist at heart. Throughout childhood, I've kept volumes of handwritten journals that stored my doodles and dreams. I entered NYU for Journalism and wrote for NYU News, but throughout it, I yearned to write about a world of my own. I eventually graduated with a major in Economics because I felt it was the more pragmatic approach for a career. All in all, I am a storyteller enticed to express myself by exploring humanity through different mediums." Browsing readysetjo.com provides an accurate taste of Joanna's background in descriptive journalism and photography.
Eventually, Joanna found herself at a nexus. Discovering and learning firmly embedded in her personality, she gave in to an old desire: wandering the world. Europe was too easy of a target for her, so why not push to Ghana and Morocco… on her own. What a life-altering experience! Recently, before the world froze, she went on a solo trip to Kenya. "Kenya is vibrant; the culture is so multifaceted." She logged on to her journal. "While at the Masaai Mara Reserve, I watched the men perform Adumu (a traditional song & dance) in their shuka (colorful African cloth) and spend time with a family. Many projects have begun to help tribal communities find ways to preserve their traditions while providing education to their women and children, such as @maasaigirlseducationfund."
Learning? Tell her about it! All the graphic design tools? Pff! Done a long time ago. Animation? Give her some time and she'll teach herself! Just check her timely and very much on-point animation on her feed. There are not enough hours in a day to stop her. It's hard to believe she's also a gamer (she admitted in a laugh). Does the girl ever sleep?
Class, beauty, focus, candor... Joanna has them all genuinely wrapped around her finger in every photo of herself. "If I'm sharing a photo of myself, it's often through the lens of another photographer. I don't do it very often; I want to be the creator, not the other way around, but sometimes you have to be the subject in order to know how to portray others." This is her as a witness and an actor in the forever evolving play that is reality.
Behind the wide sparkling eyes, there is the soul of an introspective woman constantly reflecting on her place in the world and the importance of having role models. "As an Asian-American woman in the creative field, I often wonder what actions I should engage in to help right the wrongs. Uplifting and amplifying is a part of it, but also I believe in the power of being a role model for the next generation. Growing up, we had Hollywood brainwash us into believing who or what we wanted to be, but now, it's what we do with our influence and how we inspire and impact others that matters more."
When walking away from a conversation with Joanna, one can't help but wish more people were like her in the world. Compassionate, genuinely amazed by life, a fantastic listener, curious about everything and everyone that comes her way, savoring life. It’s no wonder she’s our very first Dahlia Crush.
Cheers, "Jo"!