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

Fiyunae, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

I worked in the industry prior to doing my own thing. I kept trying to work my way up to a full time position and finally got the opportunity to take an art test and unfortunately I failed. This was one of the hardest lessons I had to learn as I felt like I really had no one to blame but myself. I ended up having to move home with my parents and give up on what I thought was my dream to work for a big studio, but in reality I think it was the best move for my career. It was hard to learn that not everything is for everyone, but that doesn’t mean your opportunities are gone or wasted. When one door closes another opens.

Fiyunae, 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?

I’m an artist that specializes in drawing cute characters and pinups. I love drawing the female form so I mainly take inspiration from that. I’m also inspired by anime/manga/games and other things I consumed growing up. I aim to make things that make you feel nostalgic. I’ve been drawing since I was little, it’s always been a part of my life. It’s the one thing that has always felt right.

I’ve written and self published my own book titled MOON. I completed the art over the course of a month as a way to participate in an Inktober challenge where you draw something every day using inks. Later I ran a Kickstarter and with help from my followers and supporters was able to print and sell it as a fully illustrated book. The story is very personal to me and has influenced my works since.

Over the past few years, I’ve discovered and fallen in love with the vtuber community. I learned how to create and rig models, which I now use myself fulltime and make for others. It’s opened a whole new world for me as a creator and I look forward to expressing more ideas and stories through this format.

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

To connect with others through my media. I struggle to connect with people on a personal basis, I have my entire life. I’ve learned a lot, especially in my maturity, but art has always been a way for me to connect. I love expressing my visions and ideas behind what and why I create, but I also love hearing how people see it and experience it through their eyes. Sometimes it can be negative which is hard to hear to be honest, but when someone shares that your art meant something to them it can make your whole day. Art for me has always been an extremely selfish decision, it’s how I cope with a lot of things and escape from reality, so when someone says your art or stream made a difference in my life, it’s really inspiring to keep on my path and keep creating. Never in my life did I think I could have a career nearly catered to everything I love and enjoy. It’s hard at times for sure, and is quite unpredictable, but at this point in my life I am just grateful to be here.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’ve rebuilt my presence on social media many times. I’m someone who can’t stick with something for long and need change to feel like I’m able to move forward, so as a result I’ve had many usernames over the years. With each change and each “brand shift” (I didn’t start thinking about a “brand” until I was much older) I think I found a bit more clarity with who I wanted to be online, but also shifted my audience again and again. I sometimes wonder where I would be if I had kept the same presence through all my life. I feel though now my audience is the truest it’s ever been and I’m so happy with the community we’ve built.

I think if I had any advice, consistency is always key but also be true to yourself. It’s okay if you feel the desire to change, to change frequently, or to never change. People build their audience in all sorts of ways. Be grateful and be conscious of the people that are already following you.

Contact Info:

• Website: fiyunae.com