Meet Mingyi Gan

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

Mingyi, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Creativity for me isn’t something I have to chase or schedule. It’s woven into the very fabric of how I experience the world. My brain works at lightning speed, constantly observing, processing, and churning out ideas faster than I can catch them. I can walk down the street and have a dozen new concepts, fully formed, within seconds. It’s as if my mind is on a perpetual fast-forward mode, rapidly stitching together visual cues, sounds, and emotions into something new. There’s no effort involved—it just happens. And that’s the beauty of it. Creativity is part of my natural rhythm, as effortless as breathing.
Everything can be an inspiration—music, architecture, fashion, even the graffiti on the corner. They all silently convey something to me, and I’m just a receiver. I can catch an emotion in a song, see the possibilities of space in a building, or find contrasts in color and lines in an old poster. These elements and forms don’t need to directly tell me their meaning; their mere existence sparks my creativity. The rhythm of music, the structure of architecture, the details of fashion—all these can become part of my work. They are not isolated; they intertwine and resonate, forming the rich soil from which my creations grow.

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?

I’m an illustrator, graphic designer, and book artist, My work exists at the intersection of surrealism and reality, where the two collide in a dance of vibrant colors, dynamic lines, and unexpected compositions. I take inspiration from a broad spectrum of fields—music, architecture, fashion, and more. I want my work to feel alive, to speak in a language that’s all its own, but still resonates with others in a way that’s visceral and immediate.
I’ve recently finished a new project—NOVISION, a magazine that explore topics like fashion, culture, nature, identity, and more through the lens of illustration and graphic design. It’s an exploration of how commercial work can still carry the depth of personal expression. I’m also excited about some upcoming events I’ll be participating in, where I’ll be showcasing my latest work.

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

Looking back, the three qualities that have shaped my journey are the ability to think without stopping, an endless curiosity, and an almost absurd level of faith in my own vision.

First, there’s the thinking. Not the neat, tidy kind that leads to some grand conclusion, but the kind that never lets up. My mind doesn’t know when to quit. It churns through ideas, questions, contradictions, often without any real direction. It’s a constant internal debate, one that doesn’t result in epiphanies, but in a kind of exhausting, perpetual motion. Creativity, it seems, thrives in that mess, in the chaos of thoughts colliding with no particular resolution in sight. It’s frustrating, really, but it’s the price of having a mind that refuses to slow down.

Then there’s curiosity. It’s not that I’m fascinated by everything; it’s more that I refuse to shut anything out, even when it’s clearly irrelevant or absurd. The impulse to dig deeper, to ask questions no one else bothers with, to explore ideas that seem pointless—it’s all part of the process. Curiosity isn’t about answers; it’s about keeping the questions alive, even when they lead nowhere. There’s a certain foolishness to it, but that’s the nature of curiosity, isn’t it?

And finally, faith. Not in a spiritual sense, but in the quiet, unshakable belief that everything will somehow fall into place. There’s a word in Chinese, “魄力” (pò lì), that encapsulates it—determination, the kind that doesn’t ask for permission. It’s that sense of belief that keeps you going, even when logic is failing and doubt is creeping in. It’s the stubbornness to keep pressing on, knowing full well that the path ahead is unclear, but somehow trusting that you’ll make it through.

How would you describe your ideal client?

I started drawing because of X-Men comics. I was convinced I’d be a Marvel comic artist one day, ideally working with their X-Men department. But then, I realized that what I truly loved wasn’t the grind of making comics—it was illustration. So, I shifted my focus to becoming a comic cover artist instead. It still keeps me connected to my early comic book dreams, but with a more creative and focused approach. But then, reality kicked in. Marvel, as it turns out, pays the lowest rates in the business. However, I won’t lie—part of me still holds on to the idea of working with Marvel.
Right now, what I truly want is a client who can either make me famous or pay my rent in New York City—preferably both. Movie posters are where I’ve found myself landing most frequently.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mingyigan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magierk8/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magierk
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/magierk