Meet Maggie Wu

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maggie Wu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maggie, 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?

I build resilience by setting up different zones for myself. The first one is for work, the second one is for curiosity, and the third one is for self-care. To stabilize my output throughout my work, I often heal myself in my second and third zones, exploring more hobbies and possibilities outside of work, such as hands-on learning like pottery making and glass casting. I also give myself a half to one day a week to do physical stretching and relaxation. The key is to input energy in order to output energy.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Hi, I’m Maggie Wu! I’m an illustrator and designer from Shanghai, currently based in Los Angeles. I got my BFA degree in illustration at ArtCenter College of Design, where I’m also studying toward an MA in Graphic Design. My works take inspiration from worldwide cultural patterns, books, storytelling, fashion, and imaginative dreams from the past, present, and future. Both the advertising and creative design fields have always intrigued me, and I’m willing to take risks and face challenges, coming up with designs which are passionate and thoughtful.

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

The first is curiosity. It’s like discovering random tunnels that lead you to explore different worlds. As an artist and designer, inspiration often comes from unexpected places, especially when engaging in activities unrelated to your professional field. I love traveling to experience and study new cultural patterns. In 2024, I spent a month in Jingdezhen, known as the “City of Porcelain,” to learn pottery making and connect with local artists by visiting art markets and their studios.

The second is the ability to deconstruct. It’s about linking visual forms to human history and finding meaningful connections. When I identify these connecting points, I can create something new.

The third is resilience. As a creator, I occasionally feel vulnerable about my work. That’s why having the strength to hit pause and focus on self-healing is essential to me.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I believe it’s more effective to invest most of our efforts in our strengths. By focusing on what we excel at, we can elevate those skills to a higher level, and the progress we see often fuels our passion to continue improving.

Collaboration is also important if you want to do good in other areas. Partnering with someone who excels in their field can significantly enhance the quality of a project. For example, instead of spending weeks struggling to design packaging structures independently, I would collaborate with my product designer friend, who specializes in this area. This approach not only leads to better results but also allows me to dedicate more time and energy to perfecting the visual aspects of the project.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://maggiewuwenqian.com
• Instagram: @magiii_w
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/wenqian-wu-b730261b3