Valerie Ying (b. 2002, Hong Kong) recently received her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Media from City University of Hong Kong. Valerie Ying is a skilled artist proficient in 2D hand-drawn animation, with a keen interest in audio mixing and music creation. Her focus on abstract animation is driven by the limitless creative opportunities it presents and embraces a creative ethos where the only limitation for creativity is the mind itself. In a landscape abundant with narratively driven animations, Ying poses a question: why not craft animations purely for visual allure, transcending the constraints of linear storytelling? Her aspiration is for viewers to engage with her work and ponder the depths of her imaginative world. In her 3.5-minute animation “Journey Beyond”, the film ventures into the intriguing realm of the afterlife from a positive and imaginative perspective. It offers a non-linear exploration of the afterlife’s stages, providing a glimpse into the ethereal journey that awaits beyond mortality. Through her creative lens, Ying challenges the conventional portrayal of death as ominous, instead presenting it as a mysterious and thought-provoking passage for departing souls.