In The Beginning
There was a God named...
Welcome
Hi! I’m Cheeyang and this is Passport to Joy: Becoming Who You Were Meant To Be. A written compendium to my social media series, where I offer an intimate look on my experience and life — past, present and future. I discuss philosophical ideologies that shape my outlook on the world and welcome your thoughts and debate.
Through our community, I hope that these discussions will eventually encourage you to have an honest conversation with yourself and ignite a mindset shift in you, my dear reader, to live a fuller life.
Perhaps you’re an artist trying to figure out how to authentically show up as yourself online. Perhaps you’re currently navigating a huge life change and actively rewriting the story of who you’re allowed to be. Or perhaps you’re looking for some inspiration, motivation and courage to help you step into your power. This is for you.
Why am I starting a Substack?
On my end, it’s my first step towards achieving artistic independence. A little context: I have been a full time artist while working a full time job for the last 6 years. I now stand on a precipice. My artistic journey is blossoming and I’m about to have to choose between this great unknown — a cavernous void of infinite possibility — or hang on to the stability of knowing where my next paycheck will come from. Choosing the former is extremely scary. I’m not at a place of impasse yet, but I am actively taking steps to figure out what I need for myself in order to cross that threshold.
You being here acts as a witness to new beginnings, and also as a pillar of support as I inch towards my new reality. I am a writer. So I write.
To hold myself accountable, I will publish a new article on Substack every Thursday.
I want to keep the focus of this first article on a recurring conversation I have had with my mother for many years. For the first time this week, I finally found the vocabulary to articulate our dynamic and I wanted to share it with you too.
The Moon vs. The Sun
My mom’s name contains the essence of the Moon (Yüè 月), while my name contains the essence of the Sun (Yáng 阳). For people who are unfamiliar, the concepts of Yin 阴 vs. Yang 阳 also comes from the juxtaposition of the Moon and the Sun.
I remember very distinctly three turning points in my life, where my mom reacted like the Moon, and I, the Sun.
