Yujie Huang shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Yujie, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I’d say I’m on a path, but it’s not a straight one. I know the general direction I want to grow in, but I don’t plan everything step by step. I leave room to wander, sometimes that’s experimenting with a new illustration style, sometimes it’s taking on a project in animation or large-scale murals, and sometimes it’s just exploring ideas that don’t have an immediate purpose. These detours aren’t distractions; they often circle back and influence my main projects in ways I couldn’t predict. For me, walking the path and wandering go hand in hand.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Yujie Huang, and I’m an illustrator and motion designer. My work moves between different creative fields, advertising, publishing, and film and television, which lets me approach visual storytelling from many angles. I think what makes my work stand out is the mix, I enjoy combining commercial projects with more personal, story-driven pieces, and letting the two influence each other.
I split my time between client projects and developing my own original characters and stories. That balance keeps me curious, client work challenges me to solve problems in new ways, while personal projects give me space to experiment and build worlds of my own. Right now, I’m especially focused on expanding those original works, characters, and stories.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was just a kid lost in my own imaginary games. In elementary school, while the teacher was going over math or grammar, I’d be secretly filling the margins of my notebooks with drawings. I created whole worlds, characters with their own personalities, maps of places they could travel through, and even weapons or tools they might use on their adventures. To me it felt like designing a game that only I could play, where each new page added a new rule, location, or storyline.
At the time, I didn’t think of it as “art” or “design.” It was simply how I entertained myself and made sense of the world, by turning everyday boredom into new adventures on paper. Looking back, I realize that same instinct is still there in what I do now. The difference is that today I get to share those worlds with others instead of just keeping them in my notebook.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Honestly, the fear that’s held me back the most is the gap between what I picture in my head and what I can actually make. I’ll have this really clear image of how I want something to look, and then when I start drawing or animating, it just doesn’t match. And because of that, I used to get stuck a lot, I’d hesitate, or just keep putting things off, because I was afraid of facing that difference.
But the more I worked, the more I realized that if I wait until I feel like I can make it “perfect,” I won’t get anywhere. The important part is just starting. Once I’m in motion, the piece slowly comes together, and it usually ends up better than I expected, maybe not the exact picture I had in mind, but something real that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think one of the biggest lies in our industry is the idea that art and commerce can’t mix, that you’re either making “pure art” for yourself or you’re just doing “commercial work” for others. I’m not saying I have the absolute answer, but from what I’ve seen, that separation doesn’t really hold up. Some of the most exciting projects I’ve worked on have come from client collaborations, where there’s a clear purpose but also room for creativity.
For me, working with commercial goals doesn’t automatically mean giving up artistic integrity. In fact, the constraints can spark new ideas and force me to think differently, which often makes the final work stronger. So while I know not everyone might agree, I’ve come to believe that art and commerce aren’t opposites, they can push each other in productive ways when handled thoughtfully.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes, I’ve had that experience. For example, there was a time when I really wanted to move to a new place because I thought a different environment would fix everything; I imagined I’d instantly feel happier, more productive, and more inspired. But within the very first week, instead of relief, I actually felt double the pressure and a whole set of new challenges. It didn’t take long to realize that the same habits and struggles had followed me, just in a new setting.
What I learned from that is that satisfaction isn’t guaranteed just by getting what you want on the outside, it usually has more to do with how you approach things on the inside. Now I try to enjoy the process of adapting and growing, rather than expecting one decision to solve everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yujiecreative.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yujie.creative/?hl=en
