We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kexin Liu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kexin below.

Alright, Kexin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

There’s no doubt that being a creator is pure joy. Creativity brings me a deep, steady happiness that isn’t dependent on surviving hardship to appreciate the payoff, but doesn’t come without its struggles. There are moments when the weight of creative work makes me wonder if I’d be better off in a regular job—the kind some parents always said a girl should have.

During those late-night doubts, I also coach myself back to why I chose this path. One summer, I volunteered at the Red Cross—answering helpline calls, filling out forms, organizing, and verifying documents. I worked 9 to 5 every day for a month and felt numb, like my life was slipping away in a meaningless routine. That was my taste of the “normal” road I once romanticized, and it just didn’t fit. So I remind myself not to glamorize the path I never took just because of creative setbacks.

That thought last surfaced just last month, when I was elbow-deep in my final graduate project: an illustrative title sequence for a Chinese drama based on the true story of Teacher Zhang Guimei. She overcame incredible odds—poverty, entrenched gender bias—to build a free high school for girls living in the mountain area in western China, giving them a chance to change their fate through education. I chose this subject not only because it’s the capstone of my MFA, but because I deeply admire Zhang’s courage. I wanted every frame to feel worthy of her story.

But early on, everything felt stuck. My storyboards looked flat, and as I scrolled through other artists’ work, I admired their skill while quietly panicking about my own. When I moved on to style frames, I was paralyzed, torn between several directions, doubting my illustrative chops and creative instincts. In those late nights, I questioned whether I truly belonged in this field, whether I had the talent to make a living from my art, or if I should cut my losses and find something more stable.

Still, life goes on, and so does the project. I dove into references—long hours, no matter the cost—trying every approach I could think of. And then one afternoon, I sat on the sofa, iPad in hand, and felt a hush settle over me. It hit me how peaceful and fulfilling it was to focus completely on creating. In that quiet moment, I realized this is exactly where I want to be. I know I’ll get to where I’m headed and be proud of the journey.

Even now, as I polish these frames, I see glimmers of what this sequence will become. Pain and joy are inseparable in creation, without a doubt. And when those moments of creative flow arrive, they remind me that it’s all worth it. Inspired by Zhang Guimei’s unwavering spirit, I’m determined to press on and never give up.

Kexin, 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 a 2D motion designer and an illustrator about to finish my MFA at SCAD. As an undergraduate in fashion design, I discovered that drawing and animation let me express ideas more vividly, so I came to SCAD to pursue that. Today, I blend hand-drawn art with motion graphics to create everything from playful social-media clips and projection-mapping installations to title sequences. In my illustration work, I prefer to create work using characters with distinctive, featured faces and delightfully bizarre themes, and—thanks to my Samoyed back home in China—many of my illustrations, pattern designs, and projections center around that fluffy muse. While my personal pieces favor candy-bright palettes, I adapt easily for clients—most memorably delivering a polished brand animation for a Swiss startup in just ten days, using a restrained color scheme and corporate elements that won praise from their team and investors. I excel at using metaphors and weaving narrative logic into every piece, ensuring each project tells a compelling story from start to finish.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

First and foremost, we need a stronger culture of copyright awareness—robust protections and clear enforcement so artists’ work and ideas can’t be co-opted or stolen. That means educating the public and lawmakers about intellectual property and giving creators fundamental legal tools to defend their work. Equally important is recognizing that artists aren’t low-cost labor; true creative thinking can’t be offloaded to AI, which merely remixes existing content. Innovation and originality remain uniquely human gifts. Within the industry, artists must also stand together, refusing to undercut one another with predatory pricing, advocating for fair rates, and upholding standards that protect everyone’s livelihood. By valuing creativity as an essential economic and cultural force, we’ll build a healthier, more vibrant ecosystem for everyone.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Creativity and the ability to perceive and reflect on life are the most rewarding aspects of being creative. Creativity sets the ceiling for an artist’s work, while keen observation and thoughtful reflection on everyday moments provide endless inspiration.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kexinart.com/
• Instagram: @kexinl_art
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kexinliu641890
• Other: Rednote: @鲨鱼兔叽

Image Credits

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