We were lucky to catch up with Ning Jiang recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ning thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Since high school, I’ve always more or less made money from my work. It all ties in with my interests as well. I’ve been interested in games, anime, and movies since before, created a lot of fan art, and I’m often active in fanfic communities on the internet. It’s allowed me to meet a lot of creators with the same interests and brought in a lot of potential clients! People will commission a customized one after seeing me draw their favorite character. And now, due to improvements in my painting techniques and a wider exploration of subject matter, commissions have become more complex and consequently more rewarding.

Ning , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

While I work as a freelance artist, I also studied concept design related in art school. I think that’s my main competence is that I can know from the client’s description what kind of atmosphere and characterization they want for their picture. In this kind of one-on-one customization, I think communication is actually the hardest part. Because people usually use textual descriptions and a few reference images to state their requirements for a commission, and text communication on the internet can easily lead to misunderstandings. However, my study of conceptual design has given me some insight into extracting information from text, allowing me to quickly understand what the client wants. By now, my commissions are not limited to fan art. There are also many original storytellers who commission me to illustrate their original characters.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal has always been simple and clear. I want to draw whatever comes into my head, and to that end I’ve been honing my drawing skills. Whether it’s a character or a story created by a client or myself, there is a projection of one’s own feelings in it. And these stories concentrate people’s life experience and self-reflection. I want to bring these stories, which exist in the imagination and are condensed with the great passion of the creator, to more people through the picture. Many of my clients say after a commission is completed, “This painting is exactly what I imagined it would look like!” I am often happy about that for a long time.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

While I’m not exactly good at running a social media account, I do perhaps have a few suggestions for maintaining mental health while doing so. First, think about what you are truly passionate about. Because when you’re passionate, your work exhibits a different feeling than if you’re making something to appeal to the masses. And enthusiasm is the only thing that will keep you creating consistently, not so-called fame and popularity. The internet is a huge display board, and even if the work is as beautiful as it is, it may not always be seen. So as creators, we shouldn’t let the audience’s reaction determine our creations, but rather we should use our creations to filter the right audience. It is always difficult in the beginning, and you will experience self-doubt, But the bottom line for an artist is always what’s inside of us.

Contact Info:

• Website: ningjiangart.com
• Instagram: ffolicc
• Twitter: @__Folic__

Image Credits
Spider-Man Across the Universe, Delicious in Dungeon.