We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yao Cheng a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yao, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

To be successful, I think, first takes asking yourself what is your own truest voice and creative passion. What drives you to jump out of bed or dance in your seat? What makes you feel that internal satisfaction that has nothing to do with money but with making some difference in the world that matters to you?

For me, it is my desire to share with others the power of art. It is being able to make people feel the joy art brings to me through color and brush strokes. The visual language is a universal one- it transcends our geographies and cultures. Being able to move someone with my work brings me a gratification that money cannot.

There are always so many pressures of what others are doing in my industry. It is very intimidating for me to tune into this and I always end up feeling defeated even before I get started. And so, I quiet all of it down so that I can continue hearing what I, as an artist, really want from my business. For example, I block out weeks for only creative work, to listen to my true creative voice and allow it time and space to become whatever, and go wherever.

In the end, other people’s milestones and successes are exactly that. If I tried to compare their milestones against my own, it becomes counter-productive and arbitrary. Each of our paths in building our work/businesses is completely different and unique. It is what makes our journeys interesting to share in places like this.

Staying true to who you are, the work that you do, and what you believe in will ultimately differentiate you among everything else. The work will speak for itself because it is authentic to you and only you! This is an important first step in becoming successful as it helps build the foundations of your business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an artist and designer (based in Columbus, Ohio) that creates joyful art. Since founding my studio in 2012, my work focuses on watercolors that spark joy and meaningful connections for us all.

I believe art has the power to brighten our day and inspire a deeper appreciation for the world around us. Through my products and design collaborations, I aim to inspire us to see art as an integral part of our daily lives.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Ten years into starting my design studio, I came to a crucial realization: my approach in my creative business was no longer sustainable. What followed was more than a year of rebuilding—a challenging yet invaluable experience that has strengthened the foundation of my work moving forward!

In the early days, I was fortunate to have my watercolor art recognized just as watercolor was gaining popularity. Being at the forefront of this trend brought me exposure and demand, leading to my art’s growth across new products and industries. It was an exciting time to be a creative, and I felt that I was staying ahead in the arbitrary comparison of what others were accomplishing versus what I was doing. As long as I kept up with this pace, I would not feel inadequate, and therefore some semblance of “success”. However, this fast-paced, early success left me little time for strategic planning. More and more, I found myself reacting to short-term challenges rather than preparing for long-term sustainability once this trend slowed down.

Fast forward a decade, I started to feel really lost and confused. My business had grown in many directions—wedding, commercial, and retail—but there was no one cohesive strategy. As it turned out, it is not possible to keep up at that unrelenting pace of constant success. I was creatively exhausted and overwhelmed by the demands visibility and an online presence. At the same time, my team was shrinking, projects and sales were declining, and my growing family required more of my attention.

Realizing that I needed clarity from an outside professional, I sought the guidance of a creative business coach, Erin Cantwell. Working with her was a humbling process. For the first time, I took an honest look at my business, identifying the pieces that worked and addressing the many others that had not for years. This meant admitting I didn’t always have the answers and tackling foundational problems that would allow my business to grow responsibly.

The process wasn’t easy—or profitable. I spent over a year reassessing it. It was scary much of the time because I did not know if this process would work or not. It was a financial gamble. But, my belief in my art and my hard work sustained me to continue working through this reassessment. I disassembled every part of my business, down to its core. No matter how mundane or difficult, I did because I knew it was all equally important and would make a difference on the whole. With a better understanding of every part, I reassembled my business. Some of it is still being built, but at least the foundation of my business feels much more intentional and strategic. Today, I feel more confident than ever in my business. Because I took the time to do this thoroughly, I now understand every nook and cranny of my business. I am so grateful for this lesson and am looking forward to seeing where my art will take me!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I am focusing on just this first question.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yaochengdesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaochengdesign
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yaochengdesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaochengdesign/
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/yaochengdesign/

Image Credits

Christa Kimble Photography