Today we’d like to introduce you to Cyan Lin.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve loved drawing since I was a kid. Back then, it was just something I did for fun. Japanese anime was super popular, and like many other kids, I’d draw little characters in my notebook and design their outfits. I never thought about getting better or making a career out of it—it was just something I enjoyed. I didn’t know at the time that my love for art would shape my future.Later on, I went through professional and systematic training in traditional painting, which made me realize how much I loved looking at masterpieces of art. This helped solidify my passion for art.
When it came time to choose a college major, I wasn’t sure what to do, but I chose printmaking because it let me work with different materials, which I found exciting. As I studied more, I started thinking about how art could be more commercial, and I realized illustration was the perfect way to balance creativity with market needs. So, I switched to illustration and loved it instantly. It allowed me to express myself and tell stories through pictures.
In grad school, I focused on developing my style. I wanted to create female characters that were both soft and strong, inspired by Eastern aesthetics. And, I started submitting my work to competitions and reaching out to publishers and magazines for freelance opportunities. At first, I didn’t know much about how the industry worked—things like writing professional emails, negotiating projects, and handling deadlines. But with each challenge, I learned something new, and I enjoyed the process.
After graduating, I worked at a creative job while still doing illustration on the side. Slowly, I started getting more freelance projects—like book covers, brand designs, and concept art. Clients liked my style and the emotions my work conveyed. Over time, I realized that illustration wasn’t just a job for me—it’s my way of connecting with the world and expressing myself. In the future, I hope to create my own projects, like picture books or short animations, to tell stories in my own way.
Becoming an illustrator wasn’t a quick decision. It took years of late-night drawing, submitting work, and overcoming challenges to get to where I am today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road definitely hasn’t been smooth — most of the time, I’ve had to figure things out on my own. When I first started, I didn’t know much about how the illustration industry worked, and I had very few clients. I had to put myself out there, sending tons of emails to introduce my work and try to get opportunities. Often, I wouldn’t even get a response.There were also a lot of challenges on the business side — writing professional emails, communicating clearly with clients, negotiating fees and timelines, handling feedback and revisions — none of this came naturally at first. It was a steep learning curve, and without a team to lean on, it sometimes felt overwhelming and confusing.
As a freelancer, managing time well is one of the biggest challenges. Projects don’t always come in one at a time — sometimes several hit all at once. I actually had a tough experience early on when I couldn’t deliver an illustration on time due to poor time management, and the project had to be canceled. It felt like a huge failure at the time, but it taught me an important lesson. After that, I started taking time planning really seriously. For every project, I make a checklist and break down the work into smaller steps. I don’t just look at the final deadline — I set mini deadlines for each stage of the process. That way, I stay on track and avoid last-minute panic, especially when handling bigger projects.
Even though this journey has had its share of struggles, each challenge helped me grow. They taught me how to balance creativity with professionalism, and over time, I found my own rhythm between art and business. Solving these problems made me not just a better illustrator, but also someone more confident in navigating this path.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an illustrator primarily working on editorial and commercial illustration projects. This work requires constant creative output, using images to tell stories and convey ideas and values. I believe the unique aspect of my work lies in how I integrate the visual language of printmaking into my illustration practice. For me, printmaking isn’t just a technique; it’s a way of thinking about composition and layering that gives my work greater visual tension and depth.
What I’m most proud of is the ability to build a bridge between art and commerce through my work while expressing my personal insights on life, culture, and society. I believe that this unique perspective, combined with the continuous generation of creativity, enables my work to possess not only aesthetic appeal but also intellectual depth and social value. Perhaps it’s this seamless blend of tradition and modernity, creativity and commercial acumen that sets me apart in this industry.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
For me, the most important for success is my passion for art. This passion continuously fuels me and drives me to invest a considerable amount of time in refining my craft. I’m always eager to explore new areas within illustration, experiment with different materials, and continually reflect on—and learn from—the works of classic artists. When an illustration doesn’t meet my expectations, I experiment by integrating elements like watercolor or the textures of woodcut printing into my work, which I find incredibly exciting.
I truly believe that only by genuinely enjoying the creative process and constantly drawing inspiration from it can one advance on this artistic journey. This deep love for art not only pushes me to constantly improve my skills but also keeps my creative spirit alive, empowering me to overcome challenges and pursue my unique artistic vision.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.cyanlin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyan_cha/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lin.jiachen.52/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyan-lin-b0a36b1a9/
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