We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Liliana Yang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Liliana , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Since a young age, I’ve been searching for answers about my purpose in life. I delved into biblical studies, Greek theology, philosophy, explored various religions, and even modern psychology, yet nothing truly answered my questions.
Until recently, I’ve come to realize that life is just as simple as it seems.
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?
Liliana, also known by her Chinese name Yawen, is a multi-hyphenate filmmaker who grew up in Singapore. She came to the U.S. at the age of 18 to attend Boston University, where she completed her B.A. in Economics with a minor in Theater Performance.
Primarily working as a casting director and actor for various independent projects, Liliana also takes on the roles of director and writer for her own creative ventures. Her first film, “Xiao Bing”, has been selected for many film festivals, including the Oscar-qualified film festival, “LA Shorts International Film Festival”. Her second film, “Her Nails”, with its unique visual storytelling style, is currently in competition in many international film festivals in 2024.
Liliana’s films are highly influenced by the visual arts. Her love for visual arts began with drawing but extended into oil painting and photography. After honing these skills for many years, she decided to pick up a camera and record life through her own eyes. She writes down what she observes and turns it into poems, scripts, and films. Liliana loves to capture the small details and different moments of everyday life.
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?
Resilience, optimism, kindness: When faced with obstacles that seem insurmountable, rely on your resilience.
When life delivers unexpected blows, maintain your optimism.
When others attempt to take advantage of you, choose kindness. Learn from the experience and look into the future.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Throughout my journey in life up to this point, I feel that nothing is more difficult to overcome than battling with myself. This struggle still goes on, but with each challenge I face, I discover more about myself.
The harder the battle, the stronger I become.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lilianayang.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilianayyang/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liliana-yang-110451102/
- Other: imdb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14742561/ (Liliana Yang II)
Image Credits
Photo Credit: Shu studio & my best friend Zora
