MEET THE DESIGNER

Linh Wu, Designer and Founder of NOMISA™ with Simon, Mascot

I have always loved art from a very young age and this was embraced and encouraged by my parents. In high school, I was blessed to have an incredible art teacher and mentor. Not only did she teach me a lot about using different mediums, she provided me with amazing opportunities, such as a watercolor class sponsored by Disney and a life drawing class at Otis College of Art and Design. I exhibited my watercolor painting at the Laguna Art Festival and used some of my life drawings for my AP Art Portfolio.

I moved on to obtain a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from USC and a Fashion Design degree from FIDM, but somehow ended up on an Accounting career path. Even though I can do that well, I was often told that I was in the wrong field. Whether it was drawing daily cartoons on a dry erase board or creating little displays with people's cubicle knickknacks, people just saw that creativity in me. My heart was telling me to do something creative, but my brain was telling me to choose stability. So I did both. By day, I was the Accountant crunching numbers, reconciling reports, and smoothing out workflow processes.... at night, I would find ways to feed that creativity in me by working at a pottery painting shop, finding sewing gigs on Craiglist, sewing my sister's wedding dress, creating a wedding veil for a close friend, making a bow tie for my brother's Mad Hatter costume, faux painting walls, and any other creative projects that came up that I could get my hands on. Some were paid gigs, but most were done as favors and I didn't mind because I love to help people and just wanted to create. I saw everything as a learning experience and when I came across a project I didn't know how to do, I researched and learned a new skill or technique.

I attempted to make transitions into more creative roles and was discouraged when people would see my Accounting background and tell me that I didn't the have the experience to do something creative. When I wasn't able to find the right door, I decided to build my own door and call it NOMISA™. This door and my products were built with all the experiences that I had gained throughout the years. I believe in constant improvement and continue to paint and embellish them with the new knowledge that I acquire each day of this incredible journey. I encourage you all to follow your hearts despite the lack of experience, funds, or anything else standing in the way between you and your dreams. All you truly need is an open mind, determination, and the willingness to learn.