Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Dinh.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My story begins in Saigon, Vietnam, where I was born. I don’t remember much from my childhood in Vietnam, just being brought over to America at age 6. Growing up in America was a struggle for my family and I, we never had much and survived on very little. I was a shy timid little boy, being picked on by my peers for not having the name brand clothing or popular gadgets and toys. From being bullied throughout my childhood to a broken home by 6th grade, my heart grew colder, I felt very empty and insecure.
I was never an outgoing person, I always stayed inside and kept to myself. I felt safe. I purchased my first camera (Canon Powershot SX120) using money I had saved up from hustling $5 iPod jailbreaks for kids at my school. I started making YouTube videos with my alter ego “andysipodstop”. I made jailbreak tutorials, photoshop tutorials, and iPod/iPhone case reviews. I grew pretty popular in a short time. I even made it as a “YouTube Partner”. I had well over 3000 subscribers in less than a year, which to me is a pretty big accomplishment as a middle schooler. I felt the creativity spark every time I went to make another video and felt connected to such a cool tech community on YouTube. This feeling did not last long. Since my insecurity took over me, some kids found my videos and started poking fun at me for having a “girly voice”. They bullied me out of making anymore content and completely ditching all my videos and YouTube channel entirely. I know. it’s tragic.
Fast forward to freshman year of high school, my cousin started picking up videography with a Canon T2i.
Upon learning and seeing what he was up to, he convinced me to buy one of my own, so I did. I started messing around with photography. I developed some skills while I practiced shooting sneakers. I created an Instagram called “9fivestudio” where I would post creative photos of sneakers. I also built a following of over 3000 followers. Eventually the love for sneakers died down as I was transforming into a less materialistic person, so I deleted the account for a fresh new start. You can still find some photos on Flickr if you look up “9fivestudio”.
As the years progressed, I started dabbling more with videography and photography. My high school had a weekly student produced show called “CBTV” I was heavily involved in the shooting/editing process of many videos. I fell in love with media over the course of 3 years in high school. I took that love and continued my media ventures at Texas Tech University, where I was able to experience many opportunities such as; making videos for the University, making highlight videos for Texas Tech Athletics that would be featured on Fox Sports Southwest, and recording live broadcasts of basketball, volleyball, and baseball games.
Today, I am in Dallas, TX working as a cybersecurity analyst and fulfilling my free time with creative media ventures. I have recently been blessed to meet great people who have offered me some awesome opportunities to utilize my media skills. My time in Dallas has been short so far but being in this city allowed me to grow as a person and mature into a young adult. My creative flame is burning alive and well here. So much so that I started a lifestyle brand named “Pacifist Love”. This brand is about love and uniting people together to experience something that we can all share despite cultural background or religious beliefs. I am so grateful for my past experiences in media and this chapter in my life. I will continue to chase my passions in media for as long as I live.
Please tell us about your art.
This is hard to really explain since I consider myself a “swiss army knife”. I don’t really have a certain style that I stick to. In my media portfolio, I have done many projects that are unique in itself, just as art should be. As an artist we never want to keep stagnant and uninspired by new creative ventures. In photography, I mainly do portraits, I love portraits because it is a freeze frame in someone’s life, being able to capture details and facial expressions that can translate into pure art for the subject is something special. I love being able to capture precious memories like graduations, weddings, engagements, etc. As an artist, knowing that these photos will last a lifetime for the subject, that’s an incredible feeling.
As far as my media work, I try to tell stories and mix it with some creative flare. Whether that be color correcting tweaks or photoshop layouts, each photograph/video has a story to tell. I hope that the message you get from seeing my work is positivity, love, and fun. Since those are the most important feelings that we can express as humans.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
As an artist, I am proud of my work and how far I’ve grown as an artist. As I continue to grow my skillset, I don’t really have an end goal or a point where I would say “this is it, I am successful, I am done”. I think in order to be successful as an artist, we must always stay hungry to keep reaching new heights, and never become stagnant with our work. Being driven and motivated as an artist is a key characteristic of reaching “success”.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I have a few media outlets that I use. You can find my work on the following websites.
My Instagram (where I post most projects)
https://www.instagram.com/andyhdmedia/
My website (to keep up with my projects/ventures)
https://www.andydinh.me/
My YouTube channel (vlogs & fun videos)
https://www.youtube.com/user/andyhdinh
My lifestyle brand
https://www.pacifist.love/
https://www.instagram.com/pacifist.love/
If you like my art, the best way to support me is allowing me to capture your media needs. I would also love to help Pacifist Love grow, through the sharing of the brand and the message I am trying to convey to the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.andydinh.me
- Phone: 832-713-4414
- Email: andydinhh@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyhdmedia
- Other: www.pacifist.love
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
