science is a creative field, too
an interview with artist & storyteller Eleanor Wang
Eleanor (@micronsized) is a dear friend of mine from our undergraduate years, and I was beyond thrilled when they agreed to chat about art, science, and everything in between via a lil’ shared document. Thank you, Eleanor! <3
FILTER FEEDER: First! Can you share a little about who you are and what you do?
My name is Eleanor Wang, and I’m a non-binary Taiwanese American artist and scientist. I’m currently getting my PhD in Microbiology at UC Berkeley studying environmental microbes. I’ve also been making art ever since I can remember, and have explored a pretty wide range of different media.
FF: When did you first fall in love with art?
I don’t think I remember there being a specific time of my life that I first fell in love with art. It just feels like something that has always been a part of my life. I was one of those kids who really liked drawing and I guess it’s just stayed true for the last few decades.
“Science is a creative field, too, even though we don’t always think of it that way.”
FF: I know from our years of friendship that along with being a scientist, you’re also many other things — can you tell me about how your wide range of interests guide and influence your art?
I feel like it’s somewhat difficult to explain. I’m sure my role as a scientist definitely influences the way I make and think of art, although not in the sense that the art that I make is specifically about science, if that makes sense.
Once in a while I do make art that is specifically centered around a scientific topic, but it feels like a small fraction of what constitutes my identity. I’m a big fan of nature so I think that definitely comes through in what I choose to draw, but I don’t necessarily feel compelled to only make art about science.
Identity is so fluid and multidimensional. I think it makes sense that I would want to make art about the many aspects of my identity, and that I enjoy exploring new forms of media. Science is a creative field, too, even though we don’t always think of it that way.
FF: When did you first start getting involved in the zine community?
I would say I really started engaging in the zine community toward the latter half of 2023, so pretty recently, but it’s been an incredible experience! Everyone is so kind, welcoming, and supportive.
FF: Has your art practice influenced or changed how you connect with your in-person (and/or digital) communities?
Definitely, and in many ways! Interacting with the world is such a strange and confusing experience.
In terms of my online community I have two accounts — a private personal one and an art one. I frequently wonder whether I should just merge my accounts into one (since I’m one whole person), and my identity and what I believe in also has such a strong influence on the kind of art that I find myself making.
It becomes extra confusing when I make artist friends and I’m not sure what “version” of myself to present. In academic settings sometimes I also feel hesitant to talk about being an artist because I worry that some people (likely the wrong people) will take me less seriously as a scientist. I also feel like as someone getting a fancy degree at a fancy university, putting my identity as a scientist first will alienate me and make me less personable
I am glad that nowadays, it feels like there are more and more folks in science carrying themselves proudly with complex identities, but there’s still a lot of progress to be made. I definitely still struggle grappling with my own artistic and scientific goals and what to make of it all, but it’s a work in progress.
In general, though, my art community has been such a grounding force during graduate school. Doing a PhD can be incredibly isolating and it becomes very easy to forget that there’s more to life than my degree. I think maintaining connection and community in the different spaces that I occupy really helps me keep everything in perspective
FF: I’m curious about your involvement with the broader zine community in particular: How do you envision yourself engaging with zines moving forward?
This is a great question! It’s something that I feel like I’m almost always thinking about and the answer is never quite set in stone because I always have so many different ideas — which can be a bit of a double-edged sword as someone who has ADHD. I think what really drives me to keep making art is a love for storytelling. I feel like the essence of what zines are for is stories. I have many zine ideas, both big and small, and in the long run I’d like to get to a point where I can also help other folks tell stories and share art.
In general, I think I’d like to make a mix of zines that are fun & silly, informative, and personal, but these days I try to take the inspiration as it comes. One of the long term projects I’d like to pursue has to do with a mix of science fiction/fantasy and climate storytelling, but it’s still very much so an early work in progress.
Originally, I was imagining that once I became better about regularly making and printing zines, I could help uplift other artists who may not have the means to print their work or table at events. I definitely struggle with executing long-term projects, but I guess I just have to be patient with myself and the process.
FF: What advice would you share with aspiring artists and zine-makers?
Let’s see … I think if I were to give one piece of advice it would be to let go of the expectation that what you make has to be “good.” I feel like the pressure of making something good has plagued me for my entire life, and I’ve gone through many periods of my life where I kept myself from doing things because I felt like whatever I did would never be good enough.
Typically, when I get in one of these art blocks, I try to remind myself that (1) no one has to see what I make if I don’t want to show it to them, (2) the individual things that I make will never represent me as a person or my abilities as a whole (so it’s okay if I make mistakes because I can just try again), and (3) it’s all a process!
FF: Where’s the best place to find and support your work?
For now I would say I’m the most active on my Instagram @micronsized but for the last couple months I’ve been taking some time to focus on my degree (gotta graduate some time!). I think I’m still figuring out how to balance it all, but in general things come in waves. I have periods where I need to prioritize getting research done, and periods where I’m really actively making art.
FF: Thanks so much for sharing a piece of your story — is there anything else you’d like to add at the moment?
In the context of everything that’s happening in the world, I sometimes question whether it’s appropriate for me to just be going about my life like normal. Especially because posting art is one of the few ways that I am active on social media, I’ve been hesitant to post since I worry it will detract from the attention that the people of Palestine deserve. I don’t know if there’s a “correct” answer for whether it is okay or not for me to post regular art during this time. I know that many artists depend solely on their art and their platform to make a living.
I’m incredibly fortunate to make enough on my stipend as a PhD student to afford my basic needs, so I’ve been telling myself that it can wait.
The world is a very disorienting and heartbreaking place to exist sometimes, but I’d like to believe that what we do matters, and that there are better ways that people can coexist with each other and with nature.
