Creative Minds: Michelle Chen finds both rebellion and a refuge in creativity

Name: Michelle Chen

Place of origin: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Places lived and worked: Beaver Bay, the US; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Seoul, South Korea

Pronouns: She/her

CV:

• Creative copywriter, BorderX Co. Ltd. (2024–Present)
• Creative copywriter, Tridge Co., Ltd. (2022–2024)
• Senior content strategist, Stories of Asia (2021–2022)
• Senior creative copywriter, Brandthink Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (2020–2021)
• Chatbot writer, DHL IT Services (2018–2019)
• Freelance creative (2016–2018)

1. How did you end up being a creative?

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a psychologist or something science-adjacent. My world was filled with formulas, hypotheses, and the comforting logic of science. I took up pure science subjects all throughout elementary, middle, and high school, convinced that my future lay in labs and research papers.

But life, as it turns out, had other plans.

While trying to earn some pocket money during university, a friend reached out. Her brother had just started a digital marketing agency and needed a copywriter. I said yes, because, well, I needed the money. What started as a side gig quickly became something more. One sentence turned into a paragraph, a tagline into a campaign, and before I knew it, I was growing brands with words.

Also, somewhere between navigating the world as a Chinese Malaysian, absorbing the rhythm of different cultures, and questioning everything (including my own name), I found that creativity was both a refuge and a rebellion. 

Science taught me structure, but creativity? It gave me freedom.

2. What’s your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

One of my favourite pieces of work has to be Disney Studios Malaysia’s Ultimate Princess Celebration.

This project was more than just fashion: it was about storytelling, creativity, and making a real difference. Local fashion designers reimagined Disney royalty through stunning pieces. It was a blend of heritage with fantasy in a way that felt uniquely Malaysian. But what made it even more special was its purpose: all proceeds went to Make-A-Wish Malaysia, helping bring joy and hope to children facing critical illnesses.

It was one of those rare projects that felt both personal and universal, celebrating not just iconic characters but the strength, resilience, and artistry of homegrown talent.

3. What’s your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

Matilda Bay’s Rejected Ales campaign. There’s something so satisfying about a brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously, especially in an industry where everyone’s flexing their craft credentials. Instead of pretending every batch was perfect, Matilda Bay did the opposite: they bottled up their failures, slapped brutally honest labels on them and put them out into the world. 

‘Ballpark’, ‘Good... but’, ‘Fractionally off’—I love them because it’s proof that good ideas don’t always have to be polished; they just have to be true. It’s cheeky, self-aware, and has the kind of effortless charm that makes you actually want to pick up a can and see what went wrong.

4. What kind of a student were you?

I’m a kinetic learner through and through. Sitting still for hours? Absolute torture. Back then, most teachers didn’t really accommodate different learning styles, so I struggled in the traditional classroom setup. But shoutout to Miss Sim from St Mary’s Secondary School, Kuala Lumpur—the one teacher who got it. She let me move around during class, and honestly, that small act of understanding made all the difference.

5. What is on your bucket list?

Move into a campervan in New Zealand, wake up to mountain views, and work remotely as a copywriter. Basically, chase ideas in the wild while living out of a home on wheels.

6. What career did you think you’d have when you were a kid?

It was a rotating cast of careers: 

• Psychologist: because people are fascinating
• Forensic scientist: because CSI made it look cool
• Forensic speech analyst: because accents hold secrets
• Orthodontist because I had braces and thought, ‘You know what? I could do this!’
• Speech pathologist: because why not?

7. What advice would you give to 10-year-old you, if you could?

The world isn’t built for children like you, but you will figure out how to work with your brain instead of against it. Keep asking questions, keep moving, and don’t let anyone convince you that curiosity is a flaw.

8. How would your co-workers describe you?
It would probably be ‘Meme Queen.’ I’d like to think that I always bring the best memes to lighten the mood. 

9. What’s your favorite music / film / TV show / book / other of the past year, and why?

Coco Mellors’ Blue Sisters hit me in a way I didn’t expect. As someone who is fascinated by the complexities of family, this book felt like a mirror held up to the messy, beautiful, and sometimes painful ties that bind us.

What stayed with me most was how the book captures the push-and-pull of sibling love—the way you can feel utterly connected to someone yet completely misunderstood by them at the same time. There were moments I laughed, moments I cried, and moments I had to put the book down just to sit with what I had read. You should probably give it a read too! 

10. Tell us about an artist (any medium) that we’ve probably never heard of.

Belle Sisoski! She’s a Malaysian artist who blends multiple talents into one electrifying package. She’s a DJ, producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for her one-woman show that brings together the ambience of ethnic instruments, cinematic music, and electronic elements. Her work feels like flipping through fragments of memories that aren’t yours but somehow feel familiar. 

11. Do you have a catchphrase?

‘Let me give this a thinker.’ I guess I'm always mulling over the next big idea or copy that sells.