Learning to Become Someone Who Believes in Herself: How Erin Lian Stopped Letting Others Decide Her Worth

Erin Lian went from girl-group trainee to talent-show reject to official debut, judged the whole way by her looks and by so-called standards. She never let other people decide her worth. Instead she slowly moved from self-denial to taking ownership of her own work and her own life, learning first to become the one person who believes in herself.

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KUR SPOTLIGHT

No Longer Living by Others' Expectations: Eden Lau's Story of Quitting His Job to Live Honestly as Himself

A banking job, a flat of his own, an engagement. Eden Lau once came very close to what society would call the right answer. Then he quit his job to become a fitness coach, faced his identity as a gay man, his family's expectations and his relationship honestly, and chose anew to live as the person he wanted to be.

KUR SPOTLIGHT

Stopping the Trash Before It Reaches the Sea: How Andrew Lian Built an Exit for Ocean Waste

Andrew Lian graduated from National Taiwan University in Electrical Engineering and once worked as a model. He could have followed the standard path into tech or in front of the camera. Instead, he chose to go to Indonesia and found WaveNova, building systems for ocean waste so that a village's trash has somewhere to go before it ever reaches the sea.

KUR SPOTLIGHT

Not Knowing the Direction Before Starting: VAL CHO's Story of Trying Her Way Through Life

VAL CHO didn't know her direction from the start. From going on stage at six for the stationery sets, to falling in love with songwriting at fifteen, to bringing Cantonese rap onto bigger stages, she tried her way through growing up, slowly growing into the shape of her own self.

我知道妳不會放棄，也一定會成功，所以好好體驗人生吧！

── Erin Lian (Lian Ying)

KUR SPOTLIGHT

Leaving a Little Light in Others' Low Moments: How XIANG Turns Vulnerability Into Companionship

XIANG is a singer used to hiding his emotions. After his younger brother's death, the ups and downs of online traffic, and the fear of being forgotten, he slowly learned to turn vulnerability into companionship. His new song "Pi" wants to tell those in a low place: you don't always have to be so strong.

KUR SPOTLIGHT

She Wasn't Chosen, But She Chose to Stay: Joanna Tam's Taiwan Dream-Chasing Story

Hong Kong girl Joanna Tam went to Taiwan to audition for an idol cheering group, was eliminated early, but chose to stay. She joined Cosmos Cheer and gave herself five years. From a girl-group dream to truly understanding cheering culture, she's making this once-unfamiliar stage remember her name on her own terms.