“Without suffering, people do not yet know pleasure or happiness.”
— Wai Ching Schroeder
In a world where most of us struggle to find time for even one career, Wai Ching Schroeder somehow manages to juggle four — nurse, painter, musician, and aspiring screenwriter. You might know her as @authenti_w_art on Instagram, where her feed is filled with expressive oil paintings, poetic captions, and the occasional cover of a Chinese ballad sung with remarkable soul. But behind the artistry is a woman whose journey is as layered as her brushstrokes.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Wai Ching was one of 2,000 “Millennium Dreamers” chosen globally for a United Nations program that kickstarted her passion for storytelling and global connection. At just 17, she moved to the U.S., where she later became a registered nurse — a calling she pursued not just for stability, but as a way to anchor herself while she navigated the unpredictable tides of the art world.
“I’m a nurse with a purse while I am a starving artist,” she says with a wry smile.
1,000 Paintings, 750 Drawings, and Still Counting
Since launching her painting journey in 2017, Wai Ching has completed over 1,000 paintings and 750 drawings — an output that rivals full-time professionals. Her 2023 exhibit “Pick-Up-Lines” at The Study St. Pete was a vivid showcase of emotionally loaded brushwork and subtle storytelling. Some of her most impactful pieces explore gender, emotional trauma, resilience, and identity — topics that resonate with anyone who’s ever felt pulled in multiple directions.
“Art that provokes insights connects the mind and heart.”
— Wai Ching
In that way, her work echoes artists like Frida Kahlo, who used personal pain as a palette, or Yayoi Kusama, who transformed mental health challenges into transcendent art experiences.
The Nurse Who Paints to Heal
Balancing a nursing career since 2009, Wai Ching finds overlap between healing patients and healing through art. “The work I do in the hospital and the work I do on canvas are both about holding space for pain and transformation,” she says. It’s a sentiment not far removed from artist-turned-doctor Dr. Lakshmi Pratury, who once said, “Art made me understand empathy. Medicine taught me how to use it.”
Wai’s paintings — many of them dreamlike, some with raw figurative elements — often invite the viewer into moments of reflection, silence, and yes, discomfort. She doesn’t shy away from heavy themes, but presents them with a grace that invites engagement instead of alienation.
Multilingual, Multitalented
Her talents extend far beyond the brush. Wai is also a singer and lyricist, having written over 118 lyrics to date and posting song covers — including those by Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou — on her Instagram Reels. Her voice has been described as “hauntingly beautiful” by fans and fellow creatives alike, reminiscent of multidisciplinary artists like Solange, who blend sound, visuals, and performance to evoke layered emotion.
She’s currently writing screenplays — in both English and Chinese — and dreams of one day starring in her own film, a sort of underdog narrative she describes as her own “little Rocky story.”
“I want to write something that someone like me would finally feel seen in,” she told Voyage Tampa in a 2023 interview.
Like filmmaker Lulu Wang (The Farewell) or painter-turned-director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Wai believes that the best stories come from those who live many lives — especially the ones not usually given the microphone.
Protecting Energy, Cultivating Community
Despite her packed schedule, Wai is intentional about staying connected with other artists and her community. She credits her personal growth not just to talent but to the discipline of protecting her energy.
“Protecting my positive energy in a world full of negativity is the key to networking,” she says.
This philosophy mirrors creatives like Alicia Keys, who once stepped away from the limelight to reconnect with her own creative spirit, later returning with deeper resonance. Wai’s authenticity is her brand — not in the polished, commercial sense — but in the quiet, soulful way she carries her truth into every medium she touches.
The Takeaway: A Story Still Unfolding
Wai Ching Schroeder’s journey reminds us that there is no one path to creativity — and no deadline for dreams. She is a rare kind of renaissance woman: one who heals for a living, creates for a calling, and sings just because it feels right.
“I’ve suffered, and I’m still here. That’s the art,” she once said.
And that — in this age of burnout and blur — might just be the most powerful message of all.
Follow & Support
- Website: authenti-w.art
- Instagram: @authenti_w_art
- Feature Interview: Voyage Tampa
