Meet Hongjin Lan

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

Hongjin, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Love the things you do, and dive into them without overthinking how difficult they might be.

Your love and interest are always the best weapons for you to develop resilience. Because you love the things you’re doing, you are not afraid of solving problems. You don’t run away from tasks. You’re even willing to face more challenges to improve yourself. And that imperceptibly expands your limits and abilities.

Without a doubt, love is the best motivation. But if you can’t fall in love with the things you’re doing, at least find yourself a firm reason why you need to do this. And my next method can be used for this situation: dive into them without overthinking how difficult they might be. From my experience, when people are facing a problem, half of the difficulties come from thinking too much. And thinking too much always limits your progress and is not good for your mood, especially at the beginning stage. When you look back at what you’ve already accomplished, you might be surprised by how far you’ve come. But if you could foresee at the beginning how hard this is, you might give up. So my tip would be to let things happen first and solve every little concrete problem instead of being afraid of the “monster” you created in your mind. And one thing you have to know is, the moment you’re suffering is also a chance to explore more.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Hi guys! I’m Hongjin, a graphic designer currently in the advertising industry. I’m also a girl who is focused on incorporating more storytelling into my design work. Most of my work has a strong narrative element. Out of my interests in human nature, my observations, reflections, and intense perceptions about intrapersonal conflict and interpersonal relationships have been fueling my creative drive. And over time, I’ve always been finding the most suitable way to express my ideas; therefore, I’m open to different mediums. What I think is most charming to me on my creative path is that, although a lot of inspirations come from reality, I can build a whole new world on top of that. And when I enter this new world, I can break free of my real-life for a while. I see more emotions, expand my feelings, and use imagination as much as I want. It’s such a romantic process.

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?

Keeping an eye on everything, always thinking, and skill-wise, writing. So besides being a designer, I’m also a writer who wrote a 500,000-word Chinese novel. My writing path actually began earlier than my design career. It helped me form a habit of keeping an eye on everything, which is truly impactful for my long journey in design, since everything can become an inspiration in the end. This feeling is like having a pocket and collecting your emotions and ideas forever. My tip would be to write down your ideas once they come to your mind, even a quick one or a small one. You can do this on your phone notes—whatever is the most convenient works best.

And now you have your assets, go to the next step: thinking about them, maybe just using your commute time. See where your mind leads you to. And that’s how you distinguish yourself from other people and get inspirations from the seemingly mundane things. Here’s my little advice: imagine different methods of expression—design, motion, writing, film, etc. Don’t be limited by the form. These might seem like a lot, but once you enjoy what you’re doing, these would not be a big deal!

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

Haik Avanian.

He was one of my professors in college, and I was part of his first class. I’ve learned a so many solid 3D skills from him. He also sometimes showed us what he’s been doing for his clients or the little things he made for fun. Very interesting to look at. Although we had totally different styles, he liked my work a lot. I’m truly grateful for his encouragement and support every time I wanted to incorporate an original storyline or even just a brief dialogue into my projects. He often told me that I always surprised him, which greatly fueled my creative passion. It also made me realize that it was possible to bring relatively complex narratives into design work. I remember one time I even asked if he would voice a character I had modeled.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Hongjin Lan

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,