KICKSTARTED UPDATE (as promised in the episode! )

link here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1107462736/make-100-chinese-character-paintings-e-book-and-au?ref=checkout_rewards_page

*A bit about why I started this project (alongside the Monkey King stories): I had the idea for this project after some of Panda Cub Stories' older listeners asked for a more systematic way of gaining characters. This project is for you if you are not only interested in learning Chinese, but also want to slow down and appreciate the stories and culture behind those characters you see! 

*Art note: Chinese characters have a beautiful and fascinating history. (Very) simply put, they are either a blend of pictograph representations (for instance, the character for sun looks like a little sun!), or they are abstract/symbolic representations of a concept. Thus, characters with a more symbolic slant will be composed of that same character’s translation in the world’s most commonly spoken languages, and pictograph characters will be made of tiny illustrations of the thing described! I've always found Chinese Characters to be beautifully intricate puzzles, little bits of meaning that fit together to create meaning. This is the inspiration behind my illustration style, which incorporates elements (different languages, miniature drawings etc) into the character itself!