What Happened When this Artist Left Her Tech Career for Art

For our Women In Arts Network artist interview series, we sat down with painter Karen Chang, whose journey has taken her from the world of social psychology and tech research at Google to a studio practice that has become both her profession and her way of living more fully.

Karen talks candidly about how she found her way back to painting, how it changed the course of her life, and what continues to keep her curious in the studio. She shares the methods and materials she uses, what signals to her that a work is coming together, and how she keeps her practice alive while still making space for the rest of her life.

What stands out most is how Karen sees painting as inseparable from growth and possibility, not just for herself but for those who encounter her work. From her beginnings in mixed media layers to her refined use of oils, she brings us into her process, her sources of inspiration, and the vision she holds for the future: to create work that stirs connection and hope.

This conversation is about more than career milestones. It’s about taking risks, starting before you feel ready, and allowing the creative path to reshape how you see yourself and the world around you.

Karen Chang is a contemporary painter from San Jose, California, whose vibrant, emotionally layered works blend realism with surreal abstraction to explore themes of transformation, resilience, and inner awakening. Working primarily in oils and mixed media, her paintings are known for their luminous colour palettes, layered symbolism, and dynamic, introspective figures. Formally trained at the Milan Art Institute and holding a Ph.D. in Social Psychology, Karen brings a unique synthesis of emotional insight and painterly technique to her work.

Each painting begins with expressive underlayers of acrylic, ink, and spray paint—bold, intuitive marks that lay the groundwork for deeper exploration. Through meticulous refinement in oils, she coaxes clarity and form from chaos, creating rich surfaces that mirror the complexity of the inner self. Karen’s imagery often features women and animals as symbolic reflections of her emotional landscape. Drawing inspiration from travel, nature, and her journey of reawakening, she channels deeply personal moments into visual metaphors that resonate across cultures and experiences—her subjects—whether mid-transformation, contemplative, or boldly self-expressed—embody the spirit of becoming.

Her use of vibrant, unexpected colour is a celebration of aliveness: a reminder that beauty and possibility are always within reach. Karen is currently based out of Snoqualmie, Washington, and her work has been exhibited in the Seattle area and is held in private collections across the U.S. and internationally. With each painting, she invites viewers to pause, reflect, and reconnect with their inner light—offering art that doesn’t just decorate a wall, but awakens the soul.

1. How did you get started in your art career?

I’ve always been drawn to art. It was my safe place growing up. But like many people, I took a more conventional path for a while. I spent years earning a PhD, working in the tech world, and doing research at Google. And while I learned a lot, I always felt like something was missing. For a long time, I followed that practical path—but somewhere along the way, I lost myself. I didn’t realise how disconnected I had become, how quiet my spirit had gone, until one day I suddenly remembered how much I used to love painting.

At the encouragement of my therapist, I picked up a brush again. It was like something cracked open. I felt alive for the first time in a long time, and I knew, deep down, this was what I was meant to do. It wasn’t just a career shift. It was a return to who I am. Sometimes it takes your soul nearly going numb to realise how essential it is to live authentically. That contrast gave me the clarity and courage to pursue something that once felt impractical. In many ways, art saved my life. And now I’m building a life around it.

Our job isn’t to control the outcome. Our job is to make the most honest work we can, and then release it.

Karen Chang

2. When you’re creating something new, what makes you pause and say, This is working?

It’s rarely about how something looks. It’s about how it feels. I can get to a point where the painting is technically beautiful—the proportions are correct, the colours are harmonious, the composition is balanced—but even then, it can still fall flat. For a painting to truly work for me, it needs tension. It has to surprise me. There has to be contrast, something unexpected or unresolved. A little wildness. That often means letting go of the polished or obvious choice in favour of something more raw and personal—rough edges, exaggerated colour, expressive marks, a bit of chaos.

It’s hard to explain the feeling, but it needs to carry a piece of me in it. That’s when it starts to feel alive. I usually know I’m on the right track when I feel a shift inside myself—when the painting begins to reveal something I didn’t think I was trying to say. Sometimes it’s just one mark or a single bold colour choice, and suddenly the piece has presence. It’s not about perfection. It’s about resonance. If I feel more awake, more curious, more connected, I pause and listen. That’s when I know it’s working.

3. How do you balance your personal life with your art career?

This is such an interesting question because, honestly, the boundary between my personal life and my art life is blurry. Painting isn’t something I clock in and out of—it’s woven into how I move through the world. Even in my “free time,” I’m often going to art walks, browsing through museums or fairs, journaling, or listening to podcasts about creativity and self-growth. It all feeds my work. But I’ve also learned that I need experiences outside of art to keep that creative well stocked.

Life has to come first, or the art dries up. I try to make time each week to be fully present in the other parts of my life—hiking in the mountains, cooking or playing games with my partner, spending unstructured time with friends and family, watching great films, knitting, and travelling. Those moments of joy, stillness, or surprise often sneak into my paintings later in unexpected ways. So I don’t think of it as balancing two separate things. It’s more like tending to the soil that my creativity grows from. The richer and more intentional my personal life is, the deeper my art becomes.

4. How do you envision the future of your art and its impact on the world?

I once attended a colour workshop with Kaffe Fassett, and he said, “Beauty can change the world.” That stayed with me. I believe it. My art came into my life at a time when I felt utterly disconnected from myself. It was an awakening—a return to aliveness. And now, I hope that my work can offer a glimpse of that same possibility to others—especially those who might feel as numb or shut down as I once did. If my art can help someone feel just a little more seen, a little more hopeful, a little more connected to their spirit or sense of possibility—then that’s the impact I care about most.

I want to create work that evokes a genuine response in people. That reminds them of their humanity. And by extension, it helps them connect more deeply with others. Imagine a world where everyone is so awakened! Over time, I’d love for my work to reach more people. I’d love to collaborate with organisations that share values around healing, empowerment, and emotional growth. I’d love to see my paintings in spaces where people go to reflect or imagine new futures. This isn’t just about building a career. It’s about contributing to a more beautiful world, in the most profound sense of that word. A world where tenderness is a strength, where authenticity is encouraged, and where beauty isn’t superficial but transformative.

It wasn’t just a career shift. It was a return to who I really am.

Karen Chang

5. What mediums and techniques do you primarily work with?

I work primarily in oils on canvas, which I love for its richness and depth. But most of my paintings begin in mixed media. I build up layered foundations using acrylics, spray paint, and ink before refining the piece in oils. This process allows me to satisfy both sides of myself—the part that’s impulsive, impatient, and wild, and the part that craves slowness, depth, and beauty. That contrast shows up in the work. Expressive beginnings paired with thoughtful, deliberate refinement. It mirrors how I move through life, and the dualities I often wrestle with. Every mark has meaning, even the ones that get painted over. I also draw inspiration from my Chinese heritage, from nature—especially the wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest—and from my inner world: the reflections, insights, and emotional work that shape who I am and how I see.

6. Do you have any parting words of wisdom for our readers or aspiring artists?

Start before you feel ready. That’s been one of the biggest lessons for me. For a long time, I listened to the scared voice in my head—the one that asked, “What if it doesn’t work? What if I’m not good enough? What if I fail?” I needed a perfect plan and perfect skill before I could take action. I believed I had to keep practising, keep perfecting, basically reach god-level before I could start calling myself an artist and do “real” artist things. But then I watched peers—many of them no more “ready” than I was—putting themselves out there. They were applying to shows, entering competitions, sharing their work online, and building community.

One of them finally told me, bluntly and lovingly, that I had no excuses. And she was right. “But I’m scared,” I said. “Then do it scared,” she replied. So I did. I started applying, even when I doubted myself. And to my surprise, I’ve received nearly everything I went for. I’ve sold more paintings than I ever imagined I could. It taught me that I’m not always the best judge of how others will receive my work. Art is a profoundly personal and unpredictable experience. What moves one person might not move another—and that’s okay. Our job isn’t to control the outcome. Our job is to produce the most honest work possible and then release it. Give people the chance to love your work. Let the world surprise you. Dream bigger than feels comfortable, and act like it’s already possible. That’s how you create the conditions for something beautiful to happen.

Karen Chang’s paintings carry stories of change, resilience, and a search for aliveness. Through layers of mixed media and the richness of oil paint, she builds works that speak to both struggle and possibility.

From her journey, we learn that creativity is not only about technique but about staying open to surprise, risk, and the willingness to start even when fear is present. Her path shows us how art can bring us closer to who we are and connect us with others in meaningful ways.

To learn more about Karen, visit the links below.