Meet Claire Yland Li

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

Claire Yland, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

This is a tough one for me. Honestly, I’ve spent a lot of time going back and forth between feeling confident and feeling insecure. Moving between so many different school curriculums made me adaptable and taught me humility, but it also left me feeling like I wasn’t good enough, constantly trying to catch up to whatever new environment I found myself in, only to have to start all over again somewhere else. It’s been a cycle of trying to find my footing, only to have the ground shift beneath me again. And I’m not gonna lie, one does feel a bit insecure when you’re surrounded by people who are all trying to get into the industry, and they’re working just as hard as you are, if not more. But a couple of ways I keep my insecurity at bay are by contributing to new projects, slowly but surely making progress with my stories, and also by making time to relax and enjoy life (or enjoy doing nothing).

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?

In the past, I have worked on short films, feature films, TV series, games, exhibitions, and narrative-based immersive experiences. I find joy in telling stories, not just in the film and TV medium, but in every way a story can be told.
In 2024, research revealed that three-quarters of Americans are “alarmed” about climate change, and 48% of them want to see fictional TV shows and films with themes related to the climate crisis. As a certified rescue diver and freediver, one of my goals as a storyteller is to explore ways to tell narrative climate stories. For my thesis, I’m making a narrative virtual production VR film on whales and how human activities are affecting them. Moreover, I’m currently developing my own hour-long sci-fi dark comedy-drama series about merpeople (descendants of ocean apes) being forced to move on land due to heavy ocean pollution, while a number of more privileged humans are looking to move under the sea.

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?

It’s hard to answer this question because I think I’m still at the beginning of my journey, and there are many qualities and skills that I consider important. I know that everyone has their own journey and their own way of approaching their goals, but I would say: be resilient, be creative, and be kind.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

I’ve always struggled with seeing the big picture. Growing up, my dad would constantly tell me to focus on the bigger picture, while my mother would say I’m detail-oriented. But as I get closer to graduation, I’m learning to see the big picture more and to plan for the future.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: claire_y_li
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claireyli1118/