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

Huahua, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I’m deeply grateful to my parents for their support. In the place where I grew up, pursuing a career as an artist is often seen as impractical. However, unlike many families, mine has encouraged my artistic interests from the very beginning.

I’ve loved drawing since I was about 3 or 4 years old, and my parents always respected this hobby. There is one experience from middle school that really stands out. I used to doodle during school breaks, and one day, my teacher noticed me drawing in my textbook. She called my dad, concerned that it was distracting me from my studies. But my dad’s response was simple: “Let her draw.” After that, my teacher never scolded me again for drawing. In fact, over time, she recognized that I had real talent.

When I made the serious decision to pursue an artistic career, my parents remained fully supportive. I wouldn’t have been able to study in art schools in America without their help—both emotionally and practically. I feel incredibly lucky to have my family’s trust in my choice to make art not only my career but also my way of life.

Huahua, 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?

As a visual artist, I work across a variety of mediums. Commercially, I create illustrations, both digital and traditional, for games, magazines, and other products. I draw comics and picture books, and when I’m fortunate enough, they get published. Personally, I create pastel paintings and prints. I also have a passion for fan art, which sometimes adds up to my income as I participate in comic conventions and art fairs.

My journey into the industry began with my love for games, comics, and animation. I started creating fan art in middle school, and as my interest in drawing grew, it naturally evolved into both my field of study and my career. This early interest also sparked my love for fantasy art. In recent years, my aesthetic has been heavily influenced by Roman art and Native American art. What makes me proud is that I continually explore these influences, which has helped me develop a distinctive and unique style of my own, and balance between creativity with professionalism.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I started to build my first art social media account in middle school, after receiving my first digital tablet. At first, I simply shared my fan art and engaged with the fan-based community, and the positive responses really encouraged me to create more. Over time, I began exploring original art, aiming for more personal expression. It took me a few years to find the balance between creating work that I genuinely enjoy and producing content that resonates with my audience.

From my experience, I recommend starting a social media presence when you’re not financially or mentally dependent on its success, as the effort you put in doesn’t always lead to immediate or satisfying results. For example, it is a good idea to begin when you’re still in school or have a stable income. In the early stages, I found it helpful to observe successful accounts with similar content and learn from them. Less audience doesn’t equal to bad quality of work. Feeling anxious about performance is normal, and I personally channel that anxiety into motivation to create more. It is good to approach it with purpose but without too much pressure, focusing on content that matters most to you.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Inspiration:
In the early stages of my creative journey, most of my inspiration came from fragmented images I found online. However, during my time in art schools, my sources of inspiration shifted. I got inspired more from museums, art books, and color in nature. These physical resources became rabbit holes through which I could dig deeper into the fields I liked, and helped cultivate originality better. If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger self to create folders of information on the pieces that inspired me—documenting the author, time period, cultural background, and more. This greatly helps memorizing and creative thinking.

Career:
Like many other artists, I initially felt lost about how to start my career. I eventually discovered that attending comic conventions opened up a lot of opportunities. At these events, I met editors who later offered me publishing opportunities. Another valuable resource has been working with agencies. In the beginning, I passively waited for work to come to me through social media, but I soon realized that collaborating with agencies made my work opportunities more diverse and stable. If I could do it over again, I would definitely have reached out to these resources earlier and more actively.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deatoozhu.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deatoozhu
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huahua-zhu
• Twitter: https://x.com/deatoozhu
• Other: weibo: https://weibo.com/u/2657816112