We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Yan Lin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Yan below.
Yan, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Resilience is the ability to cope with adversity. My resilience comes from my unwillingness to admit defeat. Not giving up is part of my personal characteristics, it is in my blood, and when I encounter difficulties, this trait makes me choose to face difficulties instead of giving up and leaving. A month ago, a friend and I went on a trip and lost something very important during the trip. Because the venue was very large and there was a lot of people, the chance of finding my lost thing in the huge crowd was very low. But I didn’t give up. I imagined several possibilities and tried them all one by one, finally finding my lost item a few minutes before the venue closed. When I took my lost things back to the lobby to meet my friend who was waiting for me, she was very surprised, because according to common sense, it is almost impossible for me to find it. If I had given up easily then I would not be able to find it back. It was precisely because I refused to admit defeat and give up that I had the opportunity to reach the results I wanted. I have been this kind of person since I was a child, and it can be said that resilience is something in my bones. I’m very happy that I have this quality, it grows with me and makes me better.
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 Rachel, I am a hand-crocheting enthusiast, and now crocheting has become my profession. I am a very simple and ordinary person without any very profound stories. I have always had the habit of crocheting when I was in school. Some classmates saw my work and they seem really interested on it, so they asked me to buy my works. At that moment, I suddenly found that my hoby can be monetize now. So I tried to participate in various art activities. During this period, I received recognition and support from many people. People’s recognition gave me more confidence. After graduation from school, I continued this career. Everything happened very naturally. I am still improving my crocheting skills, and I hope I can become a true master. Currently, I am trying to improve my micro crochet skill. The lace thread used in micro crocheting can display items in a more three-dimensional way. The things crocheted with lace thread are as beautiful as AI, but it takes a very long time, at present, I already can make some micro crochet jewelry, I wish I can use this craft to make more beautiful items in the future.
For next few months, I will participate in Artists & Fleas’ activities in Chelsea from March 18 to March 24, Dumbo’s Brooklyn Flea4/6 activities, FAD’s BROOKLYN MADE4/7 activities, Grove Street’s Street fair in May, and some events in June from “PrideFest” are also being prepared. It’s very busy, but I think it’s an exciting thing for my life.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the three most important qualities are: first, Equal, treat my guests equally; if they feel they are respected, they would be willing to respect me, and then they would respect my work. The second is to stick to my own principles. I would say that people’s aesthetics are different, and occasionally I may encounter some people can’t understand my work. No matter how others misunderstand me, my view of my works will not change. The third is competition crisis awareness. In terms of business growth, it is very necessary to have a sense of competition. There are many artists. If I do not optimize myself, I could be replaced by others soon. Therefore, having the sense of competition is important, as this awareness promotes my continuous progress.
For those who have just embarked on the journey, I suggest that they maintain perseverance no matter what they do, because there are not many difficult things in this world, but perseverance is difficult. I believe that people who persevere rarely fail.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Yes, I like the Chinese dragon very much. The dragon has extraordinary significance to the Chinese people. Especially, this year is the Year of the Dragon, so I really want to crochet a stunning dragon. Although the current progress makes me a little frustrated, I am still working hard to complete this project.
Contact Info:
- Website: rachelmonacrafts.com
- Instagram: Rachel.Mona.Crafts
Image Credits
Rachel, Mona.
