A native of Southern California, Julia Ling first expressed her creative side at age 3 when she drew pictures of her parents drinking tea. By age 6, her artwork had been featured in local magazines, festivals and newspapers, including the Pasadena Star News, which gave her a front-page spread. Also at age 6, Ling wrote and narrated a creative story that won her the "Best Storyteller Award" by the Chinese World Newspaper. By age 9, Ling was performing award-winning solo dances throughout California, and her umbrella dances had aired on national television.