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

Alright, Xiaoyue thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

After years spent pursuing creativity and passion, I’ve come to believe that being an artist is my destiny—nothing else brings me as much joy. Yet I often imagine an alternate universe where I’d be doing something completely different and living a totally different life. Rather than comparing a “regular job” to art, I see every profession as its own form of artistry.

For example, engineers tackle complex challenges in manufacturing and supply chains. They’re true artists, harnessing the energy between nature and humanity to turn raw materials into useful products—modern alchemists who master creativity in the real world. Doctors, too, are artists: they cure disease and heal not only the body but also the mind and spirit. Accountants, using numbers as their medium, craft elegant narratives and foster communication within our man-made systems.

In this light, everyone is an artist in their own right. My art may be more visual and tangible, while theirs is abstract and unseen. But being an artist isn’t fundamentally different from any other profession—in an alternate universe, I can easily imagine myself finding just as much fulfillment in those roles too.

Xiaoyue, 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 feel there are many “artists” within me, even if they don’t all fit neatly into industry definitions. By day, I’m a full-time game environment artist; alongside that, I’m an instructor, sharing guidance and knowledge with my students. Most people know me as a 3D artist, but I also draw—sometimes as a creative outlet, sometimes to capture memories.

Embracing all these roles brings me immense joy, yet each carries its own significance in my mind. Once you master a craft, you see the full spectrum of art in everything. There are those more naturally gifted than I am, and others who illuminate unique facets of creativity—but together, they all expand my own artistic vision.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I recently read a book exploring the difference between objective facts and human beliefs. One of its most striking visuals was a graph of annual music creation: in recent decades the curve shoots up almost exponentially, a testament both to Spotify’s dominance and to how effortlessly anyone can make music today.

In my view, the barrier to creating art has fallen dramatically—and will continue to do so—thanks to ever more powerful and accessible tools. Yet even as technology democratizes the medium, education becomes the true multiplier of creativity. Education not only sparks new ideas and teaches critical thinking, it also provides artists with the context to judge their work—to make deliberate choices, rather than random splashes of color. In short, while tools enable creation, it’s education that guides it toward genuine innovation.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

If I could recommend just one book, it would be Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly.
As the subtitle hints, I only wish I’d discovered it sooner—its pages distill timeless wisdom into just a few words each. Many of the insights felt familiar, echoing lessons I’d already learned through experience, yet seeing them so succinctly stated gave them fresh power.
If you have the time, I recommend it to anyone looking for clear, actionable guidance on living well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/xiaoyuezhang
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art_of_shaw/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xiaoyue-zhang-77839b179/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@3daxis30

Image Credits

XiaoyueZhang.