Teacher Appreciation Week: Meet Hongshu Guo

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Every year, we use the first week of May to thank those who have taught us so much. At Skillshare, that means an incredible community of creative instructors who have helped us unlock the best of our creative selves, challenged us to go further, and given us the tools to approach our craft in new and exciting ways.

Every day this week, we’ll be highlighting a teacher from our community. Today, meet Hongshu Guo, motion designer extraordinaire. Animation is both a passion and a career for Hongshu, whose many Skillshare classes include two Staff Picks: Intro to Motion Graphics: Explainer Videos From Storyboard to Animation and Intro to Motion Graphics: Easy & Realistic Bouncing Animation in After Effects.

Meet Hongshu Guo

Hi I am Hongshu Guo from Canada. I have been working in the motion graphics industry for 6 years now. Currently working in a global advertising agency for clients like Adidas, Unilever, 7-Eleven, Paypal, to name a few. Animation is one of my passions and I am so lucky that I am able to work on all kinds of animation projects every single day at work for the past years.

How did you start working on your craft?

I majored in graphic design in college and learned the foundation of motion graphics in school. During my first 3 years working as a graphic designer, I always found time learning motion graphics on the side online and enjoyed working on my own personal projects. After 3 years of finessing my skills in motion graphics, I put together a decent demo reel that consists of mostly projects from online tutorials, and send them out to advertising agencies that are hiring motion designers. Luckily, I got hired from there and haven't looked back since.

Where do you go for inspiration?

I always find inspiration from nature and I like to travel to new places. Traveling gives me time to slow down my mind to enjoy the nature and world around me. It also provides me with new perspectives as well as inspirations.

Finish the sentence: I feel most creative when ________.

I feel most creative when I am out in a different environment or when I am traveling and exploring the world.

What’s your favourite part of teaching?

My favourite part of teaching is when the class is very well received and that it can really help people. I am grateful to be a part of someone's journey and be able to provide value to them especially when they are just starting out on motion graphics.

Can you tell us about an influential teacher in your life, and what you have taken with you from them?

Yes, I have had some great influential teachers, and what I learned from them is that they always teach people the "why" behind the "how." I think that's the way to unleash the full potential of students; when they learn the why, they won't be dependent anymore and will be able to explore a world of possibilities on their own.

Is there anything you'd like to plug?

If you like to learn motion graphics or After Effects animation, make sure to check out my classes under the profile. I will be also publishing more classes on the "Intro to Motion Graphics" series.

Learn with Hongshu Guo

Discover classes in Animation and Motion Graphics!

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