Based on my observations, Chen typically doesn't discuss her art with others, even in academic settings. In the interview, she explained that her work is highly personal and discussing it makes her feel exposed and uncomfortable. Her ink paintings serve as scattered notes of her thoughts and emotions, portrayed in an ambiguous manner that leaves room for interpretation. Essentially, discussing her creations is like revealing her innermost thoughts to others. Therefore, I am grateful for her trust in me and appreciate the three-hour conversation we had about her creative process and the various ideas behind her art.

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Chen and Ho are high school friends who typically lead busy lives and do not communicate frequently. They have pursued different fields, with Chen pursuing art and Ho pursuing marketing. Their conversations, when they do have the opportunity to chat, usually revolve around trivial matters related to recent plans or entertainment.

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An exceptional situation arose when I got in touch with Ho. Ho claimed that she understood Chen's art well and asked me to confirm whether she was the right candidate for the interview. As I became concerned and confirmed with Chen about the situation, Chen revealed that they had never discussed her art and that they usually do not talk about art—that is relieving. Chen supposed that Ho's understanding of her art came from the fact that Ho had seen two of her shows. She described Ho as a smart friend who combined her understanding of her with what she saw, constructing her own interpretation of Chen's art. In the end, after all the interviews were over, I concluded that Ho's claim of "knowing what Chen is doing" was due to the fact that Chen revealed many personal thoughts in her works, and Ho is an attentive friend who picks up on subtle details.

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During the interview, I noticed that Ho's concern for Chen was more focused on her well-being than her pursuits in art. As Ho stated, "Compared to Chen's artist career and creative motivations, I care more about whether she is doing better in her daily life." Ho also expressed her inclination towards learning about Chen's emotions within conversations instead of deriving meanings from her art. However, despite not being accustomed to observing Chen's artwork and not caring much about it, I observed that Ho's understanding and perception of Chen were reflected in her responses during the interview—and I believe Chen would be very touched. Chen once mentioned to me, "If Ho can sense my anxiety or distress through my artwork, it would mean a lot to me. I will be very touched. However, it's okay if she doesn’t."