Let's Draw Anime - Totoro and how i became an artist

You are watching, the Horizonbear. Let's Draw Anime. Hey Guys, this is Cuong Tran From Horizonbear. I wanted to do something different today and tell you a little about my life and how I became an artist.I was born in the streets for real... My mother had me in the streets of Vietnam in 1989. That might explain why I did not have a birth certificate or a way to find out exactly when and where I was born. My mother and I were really poor and our family didn't want us around because mom had me when she was 16. So we were not only poor, but we were homeless. But then one day, somehow, we had the chance to go to America. It was a new experience all together. I remember being on the airplane flying over America at night, thinking the moving lights below us were toy cars moving around. So I asked my mother if she could buy me a toy car when we get to America. My mom, 17, no money, no job, no education, didn't know what to say but yes. And then we got to our house thanks to some really kind charitable people. They took us and shared a room with us until we could get on our feet. I remember when my mother did get a job, she left me at a day care, and the daycare was so fun. We sang songs, played games, and that was the first time I met other little kids. Then it was TV time and they showed us a cartoon. I don't remember what cartoon it was, but all I remember was that the lights in that window were magic. I was so curious about how those characters moved. I was wondering why I was having fun and feeling so happy from watching it. All I knew in Vietnam was staying warm and being hungry. And when we flew to America, it was a place of freedom, joy, happiness, hope, and most of all cartoons. And I think that so the first step that made me what I am now. 20 years later, I became an animator, illustrator, and graphic designer. I made it the front page of Newgrounds.com 3 times, I was part of the making 2 big and successful music videos, I am working on a video game, I dance, I teach, I make music, all this was possible because my mother took me with her. You see, she had a choice to make, because the deal was only for her to go, but she told them, that "I am not leaving without my son". Now she is a woman with a job, a family, and 3 son that loves her very much. I look up to my mother because she put herself through nail school with no education. The woman still doesn't know how to read, but she manages to find a job and a way to take care of her family. Success is only measured on how much you want it, so before you complain about no one is hiring, about how no one wants to give you a chance, about how your parents need to get off your back about finding a job, ask yourself this. If a woman from Vietnam who was homeless, who can't read, who has all the odds against her can find a nice paying job, why can't you. It was thanks to kind people that we are where we are at now. So I ask you what you can do to help someone that is not as fortunate. Thanks for watching. And if you like this story, please hit the subscribe button.