The lucky interns of Minikino (including me) had the opportunity to meet Trevor Zhou virtually on July 14th, 2021. Born in China, grew up in Michigan, and now resides in Los Angeles, Trevor Zhou is a filmmaker who serendipitously got into acting when he was casted as a “real person” in a national commercial. Through the discussion, Trevor has helped me to gain a lot of new insightful points of view.
Trevor has loved art since young. Perhaps we already hear that most Asian parents think that a child who works in the art industry will never be successful, don’t have enough money, and won’t be able to start a family. However, Trevor proved it wrong. That is what brought Trevor here, sharing his beautiful story for us.
“My parents did not support me to become an artist, so I had to become my own supporter.” From an early age, Trevor continued to explore the realm of art, only armed with curiosity. It is not as simple as it might sound. Think about this quote: “Curiosity is the compass that leads us to our passions. Follow it and you won’t be disappointed. The future belongs to the curious.” I personally think it is a sign that we might find what we love to do, enhance our happiness, open new doors, and reveal fascinating new pathways if we started asking more questions in our own lives. That is exactly what Trevor suggests to us. He encourages us to do whatever it takes to gain a lot of perspectives in life. “Seek for other sides and perspectives so you can understand things,” said Trevor.
Trevor was interested in fine art. But his great curiosity led him instead to explore potencies within himself such as writing, acting, making films, even Trevor was once a flight attendant. Trevor is a living proof that curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. It leads us to understand exactly what we want, what opportunities should be taken, what mistakes should not be repeated, etc. Trevor managed to give birth as both writer and director to his beautiful short film works such as The Problem of Gravity (2013), The Waltz (2015), Layover (2017) and Out of Order (2020).
Within our journey of embracing curiosity and seeking multiple perspectives, we might be met with discomfort. That is how we know we are growing, exactly when we are in that uncomfortable situation, Trevor reminds us that everyone can be your mentor. The moment we decided to not be ashamed and instead embraced our curiosity of discomfortness to others, it might lead us to a situation called networking. Trevor thought that networking is to befriend, collaborate, and be helped by a lot of minded people. As time went by, Trevor realized that he was wrong. Now, he sees that networking is ‘just’ to be connecting with others, making new friends, sharing stories, laughter, and joyfulness. As someone who is really passionate about meeting new pals, I truly agree. It is indeed a tremendous experience to dive into one’s thoughts and explore one’s soul, gaining their trust, and being able to enjoy one’s existence without the urge to compare is a luxury we should all strive for.
One of my fellow writer interns, Azel, stated that she had explored herself but was still confused about where to go. I can fully relate with that statement because that is also happening to me. Trevor’s casual response to this comment was lovely. He reminded us that we are still young. The best is yet to be discovered, and we can still explore more and more. “Being stuck on something for many years doesn’t mean you have to do it for the rest of your life. Take it easy. Doubting yourself during the process is also okay because it will lead you to continue to explore your potential. When you are too confident in what you have, you may lose the opportunity to explore the potential that is within you.” Yes, Trevor. I’ll second that!
We shouldn’t be too harsh on ourselves if we’re lost, confused, or feel like we haven’t accomplished what we desire. If we had done everything and had no more room to develop and evolve, life would be terribly boring. Be curious, explore new doors, and remember that every experience will lead us to where we are supposed to be. Get lost, really lost, and then rediscover yourself again and again.
Hence, to wrap everything, I hope all of you fall in love with curiosity, along with growth, changes, madness, and the beauty of making mistakes. Have faith in yourself!
