We recently connected with Zipei Zhang and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Zipei, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I have developed a unique process for staying positive, even in challenging situations. The first step is to pause, close my eyes, and take deep breaths for one minute to regain calm and clarity. Once centered, I move on to the second step: analyzing the problem at hand. I break it down into smaller, manageable components—labeling them step by step, no matter how overwhelming the issue may seem.
The third step is to create specific solutions for each smaller part, building a path forward based on the deconstruction. This method helps me realize that no difficulty is insurmountable; every challenge can be tackled piece by piece.
Through this process, I’ve learned to give my best effort, knowing that as long as I try, I can feel proud of myself. Even if I fail, I experience only a small sense of regret—not despair—because I faced the challenge head-on. This is how I maintain a positive mindset.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m an animator. I make both 2D and 3D, narrative and motion graphics. It is my pursuit to convey my observations, emotions and ideas to the audience through my works.
My thesis project at SVA, Flying Turtle, a three-minute animated film that has got seven film festival selections and won one award, was born from my observation on our daily life in the world of social media. Information disseminates rapidly in social media. Hot topics comes and goes, disappears as quickly as it appears, often in an exaggerated, fast-spreading and easily replaceable fashion. In my film, one day, a girl took a photo of a turtle hanging from a fishing net as if it was flying in the sky. The girl posted the photo on the Internet with a tag Flying Turtle. The photo sparked huge discussions. Everyone from every corner was talking about the flying turtle, which even led to a trend. People began to sell Flying Turtle toys, clothes, etc., and even launched a rocket with the Flying Turtle logo. He became the most popular turtle in the world. Later, however, when the girl posted a new photo of a swimming eagle, the flying turtle was forgotten immediately. The Swimming Eagle became a new hot topic. With this story, I want to show that social media is multifaceted. Information dissemination on the one hand brings entertainment to the masses, and people can easily gain a sense of participation. On the other hand, powerful as it is, social media could be empty and meaningless. While no turtle can fly and no eagle can swim, people in the collective fervor don’t care about its truthfulness. Interestingly, my audiences gave me exactly two kinds of feedback: half of them saw the positive side of social media and thought the film has praised social media for bringing joy to people, while the other half thought the film was a satire on social media, which by itself also shows the two sides of social media.
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?
In my opinion, persistence and not stopping learning are the two most important qualities, and the twelve principal of animation are the direction knowledge that must be mastered..
My advice to people who are just beginning to learn is not to rush, and don’t start with the idea of doing something great. But to observe the works of excellent artists, analyze them and interpret them, so as to find out some principles more quickly and always sort out their own style
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Heaven Official’s Blessing is the most important book for me.
Although this is an online novel, it captivates readers with its compelling storylines. Personally, I gained much more from it. I discovered this book at a time when I was being bullied online, and it was the protagonist’s strong, self-determined, and unflinchingly honest words that moved me and ultimately saved me.
Before reading this, I was an idealist, constantly dreaming of a perfect and flawless world. As a result, when I faced challenges or negativity, I was often overwhelmed and crushed. But this book taught me that true idealism is not about living in a perfect world; it’s about having the courage to uphold the ideals you believe in, even after acknowledging the darkness of reality. This, to me, is the book’s greatest wisdom.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zpartwork.squarespace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zp_artwork?igsh=bWRrM2JtMHhpN2F5
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zipei-zhang-0b75382a3?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.