Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cen Si. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

As a kid, my parents would encourage me to find a hobby that “you love so much you could lose track of time when engaged in it.” They both had jobs that paid well, but they did not enjoy it very much. So they believed if I could find something that I loved and am passionate about, then chances are that I could probably feed myself in the future with it. Passion leads to consistency, which leads to high chances of being good at what you do. They told me that one small luxury of life they wanted for me is to be able to do the thing you love and make a living out of it. They wanted me to enjoy everyday and the present.

So when I was a kid, we went on a hunt to find out what I was passionate about. I wasn’t a super consistent child who knew what I liked, so I had to try a lot of different hobbies including ballet, skiing, skating, tennis, piano, drums, and drawing classes. Of all these, drawing was the one thing that I could do for hours and hours. That’s when I knew I’d become an artist!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I got into the fashion industry after studying Fashion Design at Parsons, with a thesis collection that focused on fun colorful prints/patterns. Soon after graduation, as an upcoming designer, I got supported to have my collections walk down New York Fashion Week, during which I received a lot of press and exposure. It was then that I contemplated continuing my label Conmoto, but soon decided it was more wise/realistic to collect more experience in the fashion industry before establishing something of my own.

So I chose to work for many fashions brands as a designer behind the scenes, including: the Raf Simons team at 205W39NYC Calvin Klein, Rag & Bone, FIGS, Tory Burch, Ulla Johnson, Gap, Thom Browne, Natori, and Theory. I would draw a lot of artwork for these brands, ranging from beautiful florals to quirky graphic tees, designing famous collaboration drops/releases, and my favorite—Chinese New Year special launches. It was really satisfying to see my designs/drawings not only on famous celebrities such as Gigi Hadid, Sydney Sweeney, K-pop stars, and Chinese actors/actresses (which made my Chinese parents very proud), but more so on people on the streets. That’s when I realized I really could make a living out of drawing/my artworks.

However, that was on behalf of other companies, and after seven years in the industry, I was ready to start something of my own. I am now the founder of Conmoto Studio, a studio that periodically releases creatively designed/hand-drawn artworks/prints by me. We also collaborate with many leading fashion brands on customized prints for special projects behind the scenes. So we sell digital products as well as customized services.

Here’s the bio from our company website:

“Con moto is a tempo in music, instructing the performance to be carried out with momentum and spirit”

It all starts with a spark. As a design studio, we value the creativity process as much as the outcome. Each of our prints are thoughtfully hand-drawn, taking inspiration from vintages, art, anything really—and making it a great visual piece for story-telling. The heart behind the musical term “con moto” is for all of our prints to carry a momentum and unique spirit. Each its own main character, our prints are creatively birthed, non-generic, and rich in composition. We hope for you to discover these unique creations for your needs!

Conmoto print studio is founded by an industry expert with print expertise in all product areas. With professional work experience in different categories such as menswear, womenswear, knitwear, denim, scarves, accessories, and home, our studio ensures a thorough understanding of both the creative and technical aspects of prints.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I touched upon this previously, but the most rewarding moment is seeing your drawings printed on clothes/bags/accessories worn not only by famous celebrities but more so actual people on the streets. Graphic impact on clothing items are such a visual statement, so for someone to choose the artwork that you drew to say something about their style makes me very happy.

I also feel rewarded when a celebrity that my family is a fan of wears something with my artwork on it, since I can make them proud. I feel very much like a grown-up even though I am a grown-up haha!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

There are many lessons to unlearn once you start your own company after working corporate for years.

I had to unlearn a lot when it came down to mindset. In the beginning I wasn’t enjoying the process because I was overworking, being impatient, and harsh on myself, consistently burning out or feeling discouraged. This made me rethink my method of running my business. With your own company, you are in charge of everything, so you need to be your own best boss. This will have you thrive more in the long run. So I decided to start giving myself days off on weekends, creating celebrations for small milestones without it always being outcome driven. Being kind and patient with yourself goes a long way, and the process of it all is suddenly so much more enjoyable!

Not sure if it was divine timing, but when I learned to let go of a fixed mindset and be my own best boss, my business started thriving!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.conmotostudio.com
• Instagram: @conmotostudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cen-si-1b56b9b7/

Image Credits

All credits: Conmoto LLC