We were lucky to catch up with Lily Qian recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lily , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I was fortunate to have a bohemian childhood. My father was an oil painting professor, and my mother was a former ballerina turned costume designer. I was encouraged to draw, read, and take dance lessons as a child. I always knew I would work in the creative industry.
Illustration is a self-initiated second career. Prior to working as a freelance illustrator, I was trained as a women’s wear fashion designer. I loved drawing, sewing, and figuring out how something is made. I was fortunate to learn from some of the best creatives in the industry, but I still sought out something that was more meaningful and authentic. After working for over a decade in design, I was finally able to find the courage to leave the fashion world and pursue illustration.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I began my freelance illustration career in fashion advertising, surface, and beauty packaging. Now I work in traditional illustration in a variety of markets for editorials with magazines and newspapers, advertising, and publishing. I recently finished illustrating a children’s chapter book.
Changing career directions from fashion design to freelance illustration in my 30s was a challenging and humbling journey. I began to draw and paint again after a long hiatus. Once I had a portfolio ready, clients began to contact me for assignments. I had a lot of doubts in the beginning, but now I’m thankful I gave myself the opportunity to pursue what I really love in this lifetime.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Freelance illustration is a rewarding job. I have the opportunity to explore a variety of interests from art/culture, books, travel, food, sports, science, technology, politics, philosophy, people, animals, and more. I’m always experimenting and looking for ways to evolve my artwork. My goal is to be a better visual storyteller and role model for my students. I hope to develop as an author-illustrator whose stories inspire young artists in the same way they were for me.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
I’ve gained a broad range of valuable experiences working in editorial, advertising, surface, and publishing. I value taking part in projects where I can give back to others. My goal as an illustrator is to connect with people and learn through our shared experiences.
I believe it’s important to choose your career for the right reasons. I often revisit the letter written to Children’s book author-illustrator, Ed Young by his father which said, “A successful life and a happy life is one measured by how much you have accomplished for others and not one measured by how much you have done for yourself.” I believe it’s possible to discover this and more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lily-qian.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilyqian_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LilyQianIllustrator
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilydqian
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilyqian_
Image Credits
Portrait of the artist – Photo by Nathan Rocky