Meet Wei Vivian Lu

We recently connected with Wei Vivian Lu and have shared our conversation below.

Wei Vivian, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

As much as I believe in constantly creating and pushing forward with my own projects, I also think it’s important to make time for experiencing the work of other artists. For me, that means reading andwatching different forms of storytelling. Since my main medium is visual storytelling—things like illustration, comics, and animation—I make it a habit to keep up with new films, TV series, books, and graphic novels. It’s both for enjoyment and a way to recharge creatively and stay inspired.

One of the most grounding practices for me is drawing from life. I always carry a sketchbook and a few colored pencils when I’m out. Whether I’m in a café, a museum, or just sitting in a park, I love taking the time to really observe what’s around me and sketch it—people, animals, little moments in nature. There’s something powerful about capturing real life as it happens, and I often pull those observations into my work. It helps me keep my artwork authentic.

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?

My name is Wei Vivian, and I’m a comic artist based in the Twin Cities. I’ve been working as a self-publishing artist, and I recently released a new comic titled Fireheart. It’s a fantasy story set in the war-torn land of the YinYuan Peninsula, a world inspired by the Han dynasty, blending historical influence with imaginative storytelling.

I originally began my artistic journey in 3D animation, creating character models, environments, and concept art focused on world-building. One of my biggest motivations for attending art school was the desire to one day write and illustrate my own stories. As my career developed, I found myself naturally transitioning from animation to comics. What drew me to comics was the accessibility of the medium—it allows me to independently bring entire worlds and narratives to life, all within a format that feels both personal and creatively liberating.

Fireheart follows the journey of two main characters, Yora and Jung—two young adults from very different backgrounds who are each trying to break free from the roles society has placed on them. The story is about questioning destiny, confronting personal morality, and searching for peace in a world that’s lead by violence. I wanted to explore how people hold onto their values and identity when everything around them is trying to shape them into something else.

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

Since I started working on my comic, I’ve realized that writing, figure drawing, and graphic design have become the three key pillars that really drive the success of my projects. In the beginning, I focused heavily on improving my drawing skills—especially observational and figure drawing—because I wanted to create believable characters and immersive environments.

But once I began developing the actual story and laying out the comic pages, I quickly learned how essential writing and graphic design are to the process. Strong writing brings depth to the world and characters, making the story feel more alive and engaging. And graphic design plays a huge role in how that story is visually communicated. The way panels are arranged, the pacing between them, and how elements are balanced on a page all impact how the reader experiences the narrative. It’s a blend of storytelling and design thinking that really makes comics such a unique medium.

For anyone who is interested in getting into comic art, I would recommend practicing figure and environment observational drawing as well as creative writing.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

I consume a lot of fiction—novels and comics are a big part of my creative intake. Growing up in East Asia, manga and animation were a huge influence on me and still remain core to my artistic inspiration. Like many artists, I’m a huge admirer of Hayao Miyazaki’s work, both his films and his comics. I actually collect a lot of the artbooks from his movies—especially the ones that showcase his concept art and early character sketches.

One book that really stuck with me was The Art of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. What I love about it is how raw and exploratory the sketches are. This is during the time when Miyazaki is getting ready to produce his first film as a director. Some are quick, even messy—but that’s what makes them so powerful. You can see how Nausicaä evolves from page to page—her outfit, hair, expressions, even her color palette shift constantly. The looseness to let ideas change really impacted me. As someone who used to struggle with perfectionism, seeing a master artist work through imperfection gave me the freedom to loosen up and trust the creative process more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://weivivianim.com
• Instagram: weivivianim