Meet Sean Maung, LA-based artist documenting the people, the culture, and energy of the places he comes across on his journey.

What does your morning routine look like?

I get up at 7am and walk to Beverly and Normandie to take the bus to work. On the corner, there is a 7- Eleven and I get a cup of coffee. On the bus, I stay quiet and let my mind be calm. I nod to people I frequently see on the bus as they head to work. I teach an ESL class to adults in Venice. The class ends at 11:30am and I head to Venice beach to breathe in the ocean air and exercise.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Inspiration for me can’t be defined as much as it occurs spontaneously in the moment. I’m inspired by avenues that have people congregating and hustling. I’m inspired by people in LA that are very unique to the norm; a women that dresses in pink gowns and wears rose bouquets on her head, an elder Muslim man from Africa that I see at the bus stop, a Guatemalan lady in traditional clothing from her town, my grandma’s apartment and the curry leaf tree she planted a decade ago that has flourished in the courtyard.

What work are you most proud of?

That’s difficult because I’m proud of it all in some way. They all represent different times, experiences, and places that have helped me grow as a person and photographer.

“If I feel good about it and I feel it’s real and powerful and beautiful, then it feels like a success.”

How do you define success? What are some goalposts you look for?

Success starts with how I feel about what I’m doing and that’s the major factor. I started off shooting for myself and created work that I was pleased with. I then started self publishing because that still gave me the power and control over my work and how I feel about it. I think in the present moment I still define success by how I feel about my work. If I feel good about it and I feel it’s real and powerful and beautiful, then it feels like a success.

Who is someone that has helped you get to where you are now?

Stephen Ziegler, the owner of These Days Gallery in LA. He has been a like a mentor to me on my journey.

What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from someone?

I used to work with this photographer in New York, Wayne Liu. He told me, “just shoot,” and that always stuck with me. Not to overthink anything and just take the picture and perhaps an amazing photo was created.