We recently connected with Xiaoqian Zhu and have shared our conversation below.
Xiaoqian, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
My creativity always stems from my daily life. I find myself optimistically enjoy in most kind of environment, including working, really lol. I’m not one to talk excessively, preferring to listen when surrounded by a crowd. I like to focus on the environment itself. In nature, I take pleasure in feeling the air, sensing the temperature, and touching the leaves, stones, or sand around me. Sometimes, I like to indulge in a childlike state of imagination, trying without pondering the meaning, simply playing with some feelings, such us wrapping my finger in a leaf or burying my bare foot under the sand and press harder and harder and feel the pressure of the wet sand. letting the sensations come through my body, and then the creative ideas will always emerge itself afterwards. For me, the normalcy of daily life is never dull. However, when I crave a change or desire a heightened effect, I actively seek out new experiences. I recently went to work in ticketing for some times. It felt like shifting to a different perspective to observe the city. Witnessing people trying various ways to enter a sold-out event brought a unique sense of fascination to me. People are always novel to me. After experiencing, I always like to write down my ideas and feelings, even just some simple and direct words. These will be very helpful when I create something later on, because feelings can be inter-related to each other. This way I can understand more people and collect a feeling web, which people and feeling are very important elements in my creation.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m Xiaoqian, an animator and visual artist who was raised in Beijing and currently in Los Angeles. I make puppets, contributing to stop-motion animations like “Shape Island” TV show and “The Tiny Chef Show”. I’ve also lent my animation and fabrication skills to creating stop-motion shots for the live-action feature film “Future Date” and collaborating with YouTubers.
Outside job or freelance work, I’m passionate about crafting my own projects, which often reflect my personal experiences and feelings. My award-winning animation “Hat Dweller” is about my imagination of a rebellious but rigid mind (the little pink creature in the picture). Besides, I have also used my sets and props to decorate a room, to reflect my mind and also just relax and have fun. My stop-motion work, Unintended Forest, is finally nearly finished! (Hope to say finally finished next time lol) I am really glad with the outcome right now. (Some first-time published photos here!)
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Environment and people have always wielded significant influence on my journey. I was born in Beijing, China. My ten-year stay in the U.S. has reshaped my thoughts profoundly. I can foresee that if I go back to live in Beijing, I have to somehow adjust my behavior to adapt to the environment.
Interactions with people also play a crucial role in shaping my perspective. I am drawn to connecting with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Without engaging in conversations with others, we risk being confined by the limitations of our own thoughts.
Recently, I’ve realized that my undergraduate professor has subtly influenced me in ways I didn’t recognize at that time. While I may not recall the specifics of what he taught me, I sense a certain essence of his soul within my video and animation work. Perhaps it’s the freedom he advocated for or the unique perspectives he imparted. Tom Sherman, a remarkable artist, has since retired, but I really want to go back to listen to his class again. I must be able to understand more of what he said now.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am very open to collaborate with anyone who needs me lol, or need to use my work or characters. I am very interested in doing promotional video, music video (incorporating animation and live action), and fabrication for puppets or sets for video and film. I am currently in Los Angeles, and will go to Beijing in June. Just contact me if you’re interested in collaboration. Making friends is cool too :>
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.xiaoqian.in
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isa_aplumeofbreath/
