What does it take to stick with one creative project for more than a decade—and still feel inspired by it?

Michelle Fung has been immersed in The World of 2084 since 2015. What began as a vivid dream in a coffee shop became a sprawling, interdisciplinary art project imagining five futuristic nations and their cultural, ecological, and political identities.

In this conversation with host Alyson Stanfield, Michelle shares how she builds these imagined worlds through woodcut painting, animation, books, and research—and how her commitment hasn’t wavered in 10 years. She talks openly about the tension between conceptual satisfaction and selling work, and how she uses long-term planning to stay focused.

You’ll also hear how she transitioned from printmaking to a unique “woodcut painting” process that honors her love of carving and visual storytelling—and how she separates money-making projects from money-burning ones without losing joy.

🎧 In this episode, we discuss:

• How a dream became a decades-long project
• What it means to “marry” your work for life
• Why she created a new medium to reflect her evolving passion
• How she approaches long-term planning (including 10-year and annual plans)
• The relationship between emotional commitment and financial sustainability

🎧 RELATED EPISODES

These episodes feature artists who have taken on big or multi-year projects.

Multi-State Multi-Year Multi-Artist Art Project with Marilyn Artus (ep. 30)

Knit Democracy Together with Eve Jacobs-Carnahan (ep. 64)

Impacting Artists First in a Curatorial Project Focusing on Empathy with Nanci Hersh (ep. 168)

📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit artbizsuccess.com/forever-fung

⭐️ Connect with Michelle and see more of her art: https://michelleksfung.com

🔶 Does your art business need a boost or a refresh? Please see my comprehensive art-marketing program, Essentials for Artist Success 🔶  full of tools, strategies, and process you need to establish your professionalism and increase your visibility. For those with beginning and emerging art careers and those who need to approach their business with more thought and intention.

 

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