We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diana (ke Yu) Liu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Diana (Ke Yu), thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is a personal project called Lynn. It’s a storyboard sequence inspired by a true story from my high school years. The story follows Penelope, a high school girl who discovers that her entire friend group despises one of their members, Lynn. Faced with this revelation, Pen must grapple with a difficult choice between following her conscience and succumbing to peer pressure.

This story mirrors an experience I had in high school. When you’re part of a niche group, the fear of being singled out or excluded can feel overwhelming. In my attempt to fit in, I ended up intentionally hurting an innocent friend who had done nothing to deserve it. That regret has stayed with me for years.

I created Lynn both as a personal apology to my old friend and as a way to connect with others who have faced similar struggles. Through this project, I hope to encourage reflection on the impact of our actions and the importance of standing by our values, even when it’s difficult.

Diana (Ke Yu), before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi everyone! I’m Diana, a story artist working in the animation and film industry. My role involves taking script pages or outlines and translating them into visual sequences using cinematography, pacing, and drawing skills. Storyboarding is an essential step in the early stages of film production, particularly in animation, where we work to shape and refine the story.

Outside of work, I wear many hats! I’m an art teacher, small business owner, YouTuber, pottery enthusiast, cafe sketcher, and more. I teach everything from kindergarten art to storyboarding and portfolio development. Recently, I opened an online shop where I create art designed to brighten your day, as well as a YouTube channel to share my artistic journey. I also enjoy making mugs and jars in my spare time and love sketching in cafes while chatting with friends.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My two ultimate missions in my creative work are, first, to connect with my audience on a personal level—allowing them to resonate with my work and feel something meaningful. Second, I aim to bring happiness through the art I create. The world is already filled with struggles and sadness, and I hope my audience can find momentary relief from their troubles when they watch my stories or view my art.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

This question ties in nicely with the previous one. When I was learning to draw, I was extremely goal-oriented. I looked up to other artists and often criticized myself for not reaching their level of mastery. In doing so, I forgot to enjoy the process of learning and creating.

Art, after all, is about the process. I eventually taught myself how to embrace my creative journey and, most importantly, how to appreciate myself. I unlearned the success-driven mindset of measuring art by likes and instead focused on my connection with art itself—remembering why I started drawing in the first place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://liudianaart.wixsite.com/story
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liudianaart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liudianaart/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@liudianaart
• Other: https://liudianaart.etsy.com/