Michael Yang '14 wants to be vivid. He craves spunk, recognition and inspiration. As a poster designer, photographer and Meddiebempster, Yang hopes to achieve all three. He also believes that reflecting upon his pursuits is beneficial to his creative process—a revelation that dawned on him while transitioning from South Korea to the United States.
Yang first tapped into his creative side in fifth grade. Frustrated that he could not draw as well as his sister, Yang turned to the digital realm and began experimenting with Photoshop. He also took photos, carrying a camera with him wherever he went. Photography attracted Yang not simply on account of its user-friendliness, but also its power to capture memories.
"Photo allowed me to save moments," he said. "I wanted to save all these memories—the moment, the happiness. I didn't want to lose them, you know? I wanted to savor them."
Although Yang took a hiatus from photography (he found carrying around a camera to be taxing), he continued pursuing Photoshop throughout high school. A sociable presence at his school, he designed T-shirts and bulletins.
Yang has continued this school-design trend at Bowdoin, creating posters for events such as the Maine Employers Career Fair and Quinby House's Cold War Party. He is currently drawing up a "super hip" design for the Class of 2014 T-shirts.
"I like design because there's a secret pleasure about being recognized," he said. "Once, when I was reformatting a poster by Houston Kraft '11 into a table tent, I saw his website at the bottom corner, and I was like, 'I want to do that too!' So I did put my name in the corner and guess what? The printer cut the margins out, so it was taken away. Talk about forced humility."
Although unable to broadcast himself via posters, Yang has found Bowdoin a cappella to be an excellent stand-in. Having not sung formally before this year, Yang mustered up the courage to audition for four groups. The Meddiebempsters accepted him as a member in the fall, and Yang has fallen in love with the group since.
"First semester, I was a social recluse," he said. "If I wasn't in the Meddies, I wouldn't have met anyone and would've become a big nerd. When I got to know the members, I was like, 'Wow, these people are cool!' I've made myself really comfortable with them."
This year is Yang's first time living abroad, and he sees both parallels and differences between American and Korean cultures. Such observations have caused him to reflect on his cultural identity—a process he finds both meditative and sobering.
"Cultures are fascinatingly different," observed Yang. "They're so different everywhere, which is nice, but there can be misunderstanding. I think everyone should live abroad for some time to understand other cultures."
This reflection spawns from Yang's focus on self-awareness. Known for being opinionated in high school, Yang enjoys stating his mind, and has recently resolved to be honest with everyone he meets. He believes such a process will give him "color"—a hue linked to his personality through which he can thrive.
"I have always wanted to have color," he recalled. "I keep notebooks, and at first I tried to fill them with perfect handwriting. I couldn't do it. Then I was brutally honest with myself and began filling them with bad writing and messy notes. It was great! I became honest with others about my feelings and thoughts."
Yang says finding his color is still in the works, but the goal of his project is clear: he aims to create an identity by which he can be recognized. Sharing his photography, design and singing help in self-broadcasting, but they also enable Yang connect with others—a result he appreciates immensely.
"At first, I wanted to make big changes, like Einstein or Newton," he said. "But those people didn't really care about others' thoughts, and I care about what people think of me and enjoy being with them. So I have decided to make my goal to be loved by others. To love people, be loved by people and make people love others. Just to be who I am!"