Meet Rick Li

We recently connected with Rick Li and have shared our conversation below.

Rick, 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?

Creativity becomes challenging when I overthink it. After I come up with an idea, I spend a lot of time researching and seeking inspiration, but often I end up finding something that closely resembles what I hoped to create, causing me to aim for something more unique and ambitious. While this process helps keep my creativity alive, it also leads to spiraling and delays in my work. Over time, I’ve come to embrace the feedback that “less is more.” It’s okay to draw inspiration from existing works, as long as I simplify them enough to reinterpret them in my own way. Instead of trying to satisfy every need by focusing on the big picture, I now take a small element I like and build from there.

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’m an aspiring 3D animator with a deep passion for creating rich stories and immersive worlds through digital mediums. Growing up, I found inspiration and entertainment in games and movies, and I’ve always been fascinated by how animation and visual effects can elevate storytelling. The ability to create anything you can imagine, to craft new worlds and make them as immersive as possible, offers endless possibilities for exploration and discovery, a never-ending sense of wonder and excitement. Right now, I’m refining my skills and conceptual approach to better tell my stories and give them a unique touch. My most recent projects are centered around nostalgia, where I revisit ideas I once had growing up but didn’t have the understanding to make them. Now that I do, it’s been incredibly rewarding to develop and bring these ideas to life through 3D modeling and animation.

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

Three areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey was

1. Be open to opportunities. Say yes whenever possible or at least stay mindful of them. That’s how I broke free from my comfort zone and started experiencing new things. You’ll be amazed at how capable you are and what you’ll learn along the way.

2. Make connections. Don’t hesitate to reach out or make the first move. When I started graduate school, I wasn’t very outspoken, but some classmates instantly suggested that we create group chats and meet outside of classes, and I’m forever grateful for that. It helped us feel less alone, find new ways to support and learn from each other, provide relevant information and recommendations, and lead to even more connections. I now carry this practice with me whenever I meet new groups.

3. Start small. Ambitious ideas and goals are great, but trying to tackle them right from the start will backfire. When I first started graduate school, I wanted to create my dream project right away, but it ended up being overwhelming and I underdelivered, as I tried to please everyone. It’s important to begin with smaller steps, stay consistent, and keep practicing. Over time, you’ll build momentum and be able to create something more manageable and ultimately more rewarding.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

As a fan of movies and games, whenever I feel overwhelmed, I often recall moments from these media where they give a motivating speech, a triumphant soundtrack is playing, or a surge in morale during the climax. I immerse myself in these moments through their music, memorable quotes, and by reflecting on how the buildup began. These moments help me focus, as they represent points of strength, clarity, and motivation.

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