Meet Jingtong Yan

We were lucky to catch up with Jingtong Yan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jingtong, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?

Hitting a creative block is pretty normal for me, especially with self-promotion projects. I usually deal with it in two ways.

First, I like to start a few different directions at once. If one feels stuck, I can switch to another. Often, progress in one area sparks ideas for the others. For example, when I was making The Glasses Hunt, I struggled to find a way to add something simple and easy to share. While working on another thread, I suddenly realized that risograph printing, which is cheap and fast, was perfect for creating a zine to go with the pop-up book.

Second, I step out of my usual environment. Staying in the same space and routine for too long makes my thinking rigid. Trekking is my favorite reset. I experience constant new sights, people, and little surprises along the way. Without internet access, I have the space to sketch and think quietly, which usually helps me find fresh ideas.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m Jingtong Yan, an illustrator, art educator, muralist, and paper engineer based in New York City, originally from Beijing. My practice grew out of my time at the School of Visual Arts, where I began blending paper engineering and printmaking into narrative projects and pop-up books. I’ve always believed that visual art can cross language barriers and bring people together, which is why I also participate in many community arts projects.

My illustration work spans a wide age range: in commercial projects, I often reflect the tastes and perspectives of my clients—or sometimes my own views on the world today. Meanwhile, my narrative and interactive book projects are designed as joyful, immersive experiences for children. These works have been recognized in competitions like 3×3, iJungle, and Hiii Illustration.

Beyond illustration, I also create murals with schools and community groups, transforming walls into collective stories. What excites me most is making work people can not only see, but also touch, enter, or even help build—whether it’s a pop-up book, a risograph zine, or a mural.

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

1. Don’t be afraid to draw. Getting ideas down, even if they’re messy or imperfect, has been one of the most important habits for me. Drawing without judgment keeps creativity flowing and often leads to unexpected directions.

2. Stop pushing yourself too hard. I’ve learned that forcing myself rarely produces good work. The best ideas often come when I give myself room to rest and breathe. It’s okay to slow down; creativity needs space to grow.

3. Stay away from environments that block your creativity. Routine can easily make your thinking rigid. Changing environments—whether it’s going outside, traveling, or just moving to a new spot—brings fresh perspectives and energy that can spark new work.

Advice: For those who are just starting out, I’d say focus on building small, consistent habits like sketching every day, but don’t measure yourself against perfection. Give yourself permission to take breaks and explore outside of your usual routine—it’s often in those moments that ideas surface naturally. And most importantly, surround yourself with spaces, people, and communities that encourage curiosity and experimentation, because creativity grows best in supportive environments.

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?

Unlike most stories in the world, my parents weren’t as supportive as they are now when I first decided to pursue a professional path in arts and design. What they did right was not just becoming supportive later, but more importantly, recognizing my feelings, reflecting on their decisions, and even twisting them to elevate me onto a broader platform.

I wanted to apply to a visual arts specialty homeroom for middle school, but instead, they sent me to a military-regulated boarding school in a homeroom that focused on music—without any visual arts. It sounds like a joke, but to this day, I barely listen to music, even on the MTA trains where there’s no service. My brain just doesn’t resonate with it, yet I had to play the saxophone for three years while suppressing my passion for visual arts.

After seeing me resist going back to school every Sunday for three years, they finally realized this wasn’t what I wanted—I needed a platform to represent my identity. I still remember the deep conversation we had after I received my Zhong Kao (high school entrance exam) score. That was the moment they decided to step back from making decisions for me. More importantly, they assured me that their financial and emotional support would not depend on the path I chose.

Feeling that sense of freedom nurtured my creativity and encouraged my productivity. My parents knew that if they asked me about what I was doing, it would turn into a long story that might even contradict their own beliefs. So, to maintain balance in the family, we each stayed in our roles. With more freedom, I was able to see a clear path through all the thistles and thorns. Unlike many international students, I never planned to study abroad—my international curriculum only started in 10th grade. But I’m glad my family was able to push me to another stage, at least to the entrance of a larger world.

To be honest, they didn’t care about my performance. They only cared about whether I was enjoying the life I was living.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jingtongyan.com
• Instagram: @yolande_double
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jingtong-yan-8a5774270/

Image Credits

Personal photoshoot by Xingda Zhu