Meet Qiyuan Wen

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

Hi Qiyuan, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?

This has to start with the environment in which I grew up. I was born and raised in a small city in southern China called Zhuzhou. In the mid-20th century, Zhuzhou became a transportation hub where people built railways and overpasses, and developed industries related to trains. My father came from an even more remote mountainous area. He was the first university student from his village, and after graduating with a degree in organic chemistry, he moved to Zhuzhou to work in the research and development of train coatings at a train manufacturing plant.

Unfortunately, in my father’s generation, self-discipline was often tied to hardship—if you wanted to change your life circumstances, self-discipline was your only option. He endured all the hardships that came with living in an underdeveloped area, such as lacking nutritious food and only getting to eat eggs on his birthday. He was the hope of the entire family for changing their destiny, and with the support of the whole family, he went to the big city for university. Those expectations became one of the reasons he had to be disciplined. Over time, he became a strict, even obsessive person. Under his influence, I also developed the habit of self-discipline.

As the first in my family to study abroad, my family placed high hopes on me as well. This generational support may be the main source of my self-discipline. If there’s an urgent task, I can do the same thing for a long time, eat the same food, and maintain the same posture—this is my way of being disciplined. But I also realize that this monk-like self-discipline may collapse at some point in the future. I’m currently seeking a more sustainable form of self-discipline because, after all, expectations are imposed by others, but life is my own.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Qiyuan Wen, but most people call me ao. I’m an illustrator and visual designer, and my work also includes commercial animation and comics. I was born and raised in a small city in southern China called Zhuzhou. I completed my undergraduate studies in Beijing and am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Illustration Practice at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). The project I want to introduce is a picture book about searching for a sense of belonging and self-identity, titled *Accent*.

I’m a typical Chinese kid who grew up with one main goal: the college entrance exam. We studied day in and day out, hoping that our hard work would lead to success. Every year, ten million students in China share this dream. But when I finally got accepted to a university in Beijing and left my hometown, I realized I didn’t quite fit in there. The linguistic differences between the northern and southern regions of China are vast. Although Mandarin was taught at my school, the tone and vocabulary are quite different from those in the North. Accent tells the story of the first time I visited Beijing for a summer camp as a child, not noticing any difference in the way I spoke. But years later, when I attended university in Beijing, my way of saying “Here” during roll call stood out so sharply—it was obvious I wasn’t a local.

In China, accents can lead to a series of stereotypes. For example, someone with a Guangdong accent might be seen as open-minded, a Shanghai accent might be associated with being fashionable, and a Beijing accent often suggests affluence to people from other regions. It’s not just about the Beijing accent—at that time, I even saw speaking standard Mandarin as a privilege. I was really self-conscious about my imperfect Mandarin. Perhaps it’s because my hometown isn’t particularly developed, so I felt the need to hide where I was from? Even when I started working on this project, I hadn’t fully embraced my accent as the character in the story eventually does. It was through interviewing friends and illustrating this book that I began to genuinely accept my accent, realizing that speaking with a unique flair can be charming.

In one part of the story, the girl’s father plans to visit her in Beijing, and she tells him beforehand, “When you get here, make sure to speak standard Mandarin.” This scene is based on a friend’s real experience. He’s also from the South, and when he first arrived at university in Beijing, his mom accompanied him. When they were buying sneakers at a mall, he felt embarrassed and ashamed of his mom’s strong southern accent and told her, “Don’t speak; they all speak Mandarin here.” I found these vivid experiences deeply moving and wanted to share that impact with my readers.

The process of creating this book was a journey of gradually accepting my own accent. The book later won several national and international awards, which was a complete surprise to me. It made me realize that a story about my little flaws could resonate with so many people, encouraging me to continue telling my own stories.

When I was in China, I didn’t have much of an English-speaking environment, just a few American friends with whom I occasionally discussed comedy and stand-up shows. After coming to the U.S., I realized that my spoken English has almost no intonation—people couldn’t grasp my emotions, and during my graduate school orientation presentation, I noticed the room gradually growing silent as I spoke. Friends have told me that my calm tone can be soothing and that I express myself clearly and directly. But now, I no longer want to hide my unique traits. A sense of belonging doesn’t come from language. I’ve already adapted once, so let’s see how this journey unfolds.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I believe the three key elements are painting, empathy, and focus.

Painting is an obvious one—it’s something I deeply love, and as long as my life continues, I’ll always have something to paint. For beginners, if possible, I recommend spending as much time as you can at museums. I grew up in a place with limited access to museums, but after moving to a city with more cultural resources, I spent nearly six months visiting museums every weekend. They house all the great works, carefully curated from the past to the present.

Empathy is my source of inspiration. The stories in my work always stem from my own experiences and those of people around me. Empathy is a unique ability to connect; it allows us to experience the universal emotions shared by all of humanity. I’m not sure if empathy can be cultivated—it’s something I was born with. Although it sometimes forces me to absorb others’ emotions, leading to intense pain or anger, I still cherish it.

In an era where ADHD is increasingly discussed, I consider myself fortunate because I can focus on one thing for an extended period. I’m not a naturally gifted illustrator when it comes to drawing, and I rarely create a piece in one go. However, I have the patience to engage in extensive practice and revisions, resulting in work that is rich in detail and ripe for analysis. I’m also grateful that my body allows me to sit for long periods without experiencing back or neck pain.

To improve focus, I believe it’s crucial to separate leisure and workspaces. Additionally, setting your phone to silent mode helps. Before picking up your phone, mentally prepare yourself by asking: What exactly am I picking it up for? Am I searching for specific information, or is there an important message I need to reply to? This habit can prevent the frustration of mindlessly scrolling through your phone only to realize you’ve forgotten what you initially intended to do.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am very eager to collaborate with literary authors on picture books or comics; this is very important to me. I am also open to exploring new themes, especially those related to ethnicity or history. Please contact me at my email: quanwen012@gmail.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wenqiyuan.com
• Instagram: @iamqiyuan