A STROKE OF CREATIVITY
Moving to a new country with hopes of getting a degree is no easy task. It takes courage, toughness, and a lot of hard work. Lawrence Liang is no stranger to any of the aforementioned traits. Originally from Shenzhen, China, Lawrence moved to San Francisco in 2015 with hopes of playing collegiate golf. He enrolled at the University of San Francisco, where he took time to decide his future while beginning a degree in Business Administration. After one year, his dream of playing golf remained, so he transferred to Academy of Art University. “I was looking for a school to transfer to and I preferred to stay in the area. I looked at San Francisco State but they didn’t have a team which is why I ended up at the Academy.” After studying economics in high school, Lawrence and his father never envisioned him attending an art school. However, they are both happy with the opportunities that have unfolded.
Lawrence has been playing golf since he was six years old. Dedicating his life to a sport not only landed him a scholarship but also taught him a valuable lesson. He has learned how to tap into his creative side to help him under pressure. “On the golf course, you never get the same shot twice. Each shot is completely different. It forces you to get creative to face the challenging circumstances. Creativity definitely helps my golf. And golf helps my creativity.” Collegiate athletes must learn how to manage their time early in their careers. It takes hard work and dedication to juggle being successful on the course and in the classroom. Lawrence says the key to his success has been time management. He lives according to a quote his Dad once told him, “Time is just like toothpaste. You have to squeeze every last drop out.”
It takes time adjusting to the lifestyle of a college athlete. From early practices and being late for class to traveling for tournaments and missing class altogether. It is difficult to focus your attention towards anything but golf when there was a tournament ahead. Now in his final year, Lawrence has found his balance. “We have a lot of time every day, it just depends on if you want to do it. Balancing school and golf, it’s not too hard. It only takes good time management and a little bit of sacrifice.” He chuckles then finishes, “I don’t get to watch television or play video games.”
Lawrence spent a semester in Young & Hungry where he was able to spend time on his passion for videography. He was encouraged by his instructors, Jim Wojtowicz and Terry Jones, to pursue his passion. ”I feel very thankful to them for giving me a huge opportunity to work on some really fun and incredible video content for our clients.” The class gave him essential experience which will help when he enters the workforce. He was able to expand his passion for videography even further by incorporating a drone into his shots. Shooting with the drone, he says, “Has given me a chance to be a little adventurous and sneaky in order to get the perfect shot.” The agency class offers so much to students beyond what anyone could imagine. According to Lawrence, the best part was “having the chance to work with so many talented creatives in Young & Hungry. It gave me so much energy every single day.”
Lawrence will be graduating from Academy of Art at the end of the semester. After school, he plans on pursuing both of his passions, golf and advertising. No matter what he ends up doing, he says, “Whether it be a golfer or a content creator. I will always strive to practice and get better.”
Client: Young & Hungry