Meet Jie Chen

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

Jie, 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?

To keep my creativity alive, I cultivate an environment where I’m constantly surrounded by art that inspires me. Creating an immersive workspace is crucial for an artist to maintain a reactive and dynamic creative process. To achieve this, I regularly source images that resonate with me, print them out, and display them on the walls of my room. This transforms my space into a living gallery, where inspiration is always within reach.

For me, the key to sustaining creativity lies in the act of creating itself. I believe in the power of momentum—once I stop creating for a while, it becomes incredibly difficult and even painful to restart the process. That’s why I follow the mantra “just do it.” If I overthink before starting, I get trapped in hesitation, but if I act on the first spark of inspiration, the creative flow comes naturally. Creativity isn’t something elusive; it’s always there, ready to be tapped into as soon as I start working. The most important part is taking that first step—picking up the pen and letting the ideas flow.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I currently work as a CAD artist, creating 2D visual images of shoes. I majored in fashion design (BFA) at Parsons, but I’ve always been drawn to graphic design and illustration, which has shaped my cross-disciplinary experience. Now, I find myself more aligned with graphic-directional artistry and design.

Although I love making clothes, I’ve become frustrated with how experimental garments can lack wearability and result in wasted materials. This led me to explore alternative approaches that minimize waste and time consumption. I’ve been self-learning 3D modeling and creating virtual fashion, aligning with the metaverse wave. My creative process now involves drafting 2D ideas and transforming them into 3D renderings.

I truly enjoy the rendering process because it brings my designs to life, allowing me to assess their visual impact and practicality in a virtual space. The ability to develop complex designs without using physical materials is revolutionary. The software saves me time otherwise spent on sewing and ironing, enabling real-time adjustments and more room for experimentation—something I believe is a game-changer worth exploring further.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I believe the first essential quality is hard-working. Some people tend to overlook hard work in favor of talent, but I firmly believe that any artist considered “talented” has likely put in countless hours of work behind the scenes. Experience comes to those who have experienced, and hard work is the foundation for any true success.

The second important quality is being an observer. People can’t create what they haven’t seen or experienced. Those with great imagination often notice details others overlook, storing them in their subconscious. These stored elements resurface during the creative process, shaping new ideas. Daily aesthetic accumulation is crucial—what we see becomes part of us, influencing our style. The more you see, the clearer your artistic direction becomes, allowing you to develop a unique voice.

The third key quality is being a thinker. It’s important to think both big-picture and small details, understanding the connections between different elements. Great work often reflects an artist’s thought process, intelligence, and approach. When I encounter an exceptional piece, I like to deconstruct how the artist achieved certain effects using specific tools and materials. While my imagined process may differ from theirs, it allows me to discover new methods for my own creations. Reflection is essential—considering whether there are better ways to execute ideas, and thinking about combining elements from different fields, can lead to unexpected and revolutionary outcomes. Creativity is a hybrid process, and it’s worth thinking how diverse influences can come together to form something entirely new.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was practicing what I call “governing by doing nothing.” They gave me the freedom to explore and pursue the things I was interested in without pressure. As a child, I loved playing and often quit various activities or classes after a couple of months. I wasn’t persistent, but my parents allowed me to try things and quit whenever I lost interest.

Through these experiences, I learned what I truly liked and understood why certain things didn’t resonate with me. Whether it was the teaching style, the subject matter, or even the teacher’s rigidity, I was able to identify what worked for me. These experiences helped me grow as an independent thinker.

This freedom extended to important decisions, like choosing my school, major, and career path. My parents supported whatever I felt was best for me, without interfering. Their approach of letting me take responsibility for my own life from a young age has made me a more independent person than most.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chenj845.wixsite.com/my-site
• Instagram: _j1015c
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jie-chen1015/