YeoMama Club:
Karyn Wong
Meet Karyn Wong, a dynamic artist known for her roles as a host, singer, actress and radio personality on LOVE972. Her creative journey took off during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading her to embrace her passion for performing and connecting with people.
In this interview, Karyn shares insights on balancing her diverse roles, her self-care rituals, and the inspiration she draws from industry icons.
Dive into Karyn's world to discover what fuels her artistic endeavors.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! I am Karyn. I am a full-time pursuer of happiness. I also host and sing, and you sometimes may spot me on the streets busking, or you may hear me on the airwaves of LOVE972, or some Wonder Shop advertisements on TV – these are the things that I do to make me happy!
When did you realize creativity was something you wanted to pursue?
COVID unleashed me. I had started doing virtual performances with my online friend at that time, Sheng Li (@guitarstreet), and with each performance, I found that I really enjoy singing to people, interacting with them, and it brought me to other platforms and spaces. Still super thankful to Sheng Li for unleashing the creativity in me haha.
What does a day in your life look like?
It depends! Because I work freelance, so I don’t have a day that looks the same. It’s a little tough to answer this question haha. But I’d always make sure that I spend a good time in the shower relaxing and spend time to drink a cup of tea!
Juggling responsibilities such as radio hosting, emceeing, performing at weddings, acting, and being a content creator can be quite demanding. How do you go about prioritizing and efficiently managing your time amidst these varied commitments?
To be honest, I struggle haha. I find that it becomes very manageable when I take an extra 15 minutes to write down my to do list, it makes me more efficient when I spend this extra time planning.
I am also learning how to say ‘no’, which is especially difficult for me. Because I know that by saying ‘no’ to things that are lesser of my priority, I am saying ‘yes’ to things that I can have more synergy with.
How do you recharge and take care of yourself on your days off? Are there specific self-care rituals or favorite indulgences that you enjoy?
I love love love to journal! On self care days, I would look through my photo album, print out happy moments on polaroid and stick them on my journal, reflecting on how blessed and thankful I am. I’m getting into the habit of reading too. Although I am only taking baby steps in reading, I am happy to have started. It’s always better than not to have started at all.
In your downtime, what kind of books, movies, or music do you gravitate towards? Is there a particular genre or artist that resonates with you?
I like acoustic, unplugged music. It relaxes my mind a lot. I don’t have one artist that I particularly tune in to each time. Instead, I would search for “acoustic cover” and play whatever comes up. I also listen to Symphony 924 sometimes for classical music, just to relax the mind.
Has anyone in the industry profoundly impacted you or served as a major inspiration? How did their influence shape your journey in the arts?
Hebe Tian! 田馥甄. I am very inspired by her, from seeing her as a girl member of S.H.E, transform into a demure, elegant, classy lady.
Her singing has improved tremendously, and I got drawn to her for her music and singing initially, and eventually when I found out how much she seeks peace in her life from nature, hiking, mountain climbing, I like her even more. She shows me that it is possible to still be me, to be authentic, genuine and true to myself, in the entertainment and media industry.
Are there particular projects you're especially looking forward to this year?
My little passion project – BUSKaryn! I have been wanting to this so I hope that I will get down to it this year. It basically is a video series created by myself and the introduction goes “Hi, I am a busker, my name is Karyn, you’re watching BUSKaryn!”With this video series, I want to get to know more buskers better by visiting them during their busking sessions and interviewing them. I also want to document my busking journey, and the very precious moments I get with people on the streets!
What would you say if you were to describe YeoMama Batik to a friend?
Comfy, functional, and most importantly, YeoMama Batik is a real conversation starter! I always get asked “your outfit is beautiful! Where did you get it from?” And some would even say “Is this from YeoMama Batik?”, and you know how the conversation takes off from there!
