Check Out Yiru Xue’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yiru Xue.

Hi Yiru, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers. 
I think everyone’s life is very much like a Rube Goldberg machine, which is an overly complex mechanical combination designed to complete some actually very simple tasks in a circuitous chain reaction method, such as pouring a cup of tea, cracking an egg, passing an item, etc. Our life is like marbles rolling in this machine. You don’t know what you will encounter in the future, what kind of “external forces” or “obstacles” you will receive when you meet a fork in the road of life, what we will choose, which road we will take, and which place we will reach in the end. Everyone may encounter different sizes and different numbers of obstacles on the way of life. For instance, meeting someone, reading a new book, or missing the subway. These simple things in life may affect our life silently and even enormously. We have the right to choose every decision we make in the future, but many of these decisions we make are also driven by the environment. When I came to the USA, I think it was an event prompted by the mechanical action of Rube Goldberg machine in my life. It was a natural and logical decision, but it didn’t seem to make me so satisfied in the beginning. 

This story starts from the year I graduated from junior high school. When I was in junior high school, I was in the best middle school in the city. I got good grades in school, but I was introverted and obedient. I thought my life was very stable at that time. I had two or three very close friends, my teachers were very nice, and the atmosphere of studying was very good. So, I never think more about what happens next in my life. In short, it is to get into a good high school and then try my best to get into a good university. I may choose a major in literature or language and then go to graduate school. After graduation, I write my own books and work in a publishing house. This is all the planning of my life since I was a child. It has always been like this: stable and happy, but there is no goal. Near the middle school entrance examination, one day, my father suddenly informed me that he signed me up for the examination and interview of the International Department of a private international school, that is a school that specializes in studying abroad and asked me to go for an interview on Saturday. Of course, I am reluctant, but I also think there is no problem with me. I don’t know whether I will pass the interview, but I’m used to being arranged. In retrospect, I also had the opportunity to refuse this interview, pay out the contract, and then continue to study in the best high school in the city with my middle school entrance examination scores and then complete my life schedule. Maybe my life will have a completely different development. On that day, the marble in the Rube Goldberg machine of life rolled on a completely different path. 

In my high school, I had a further understanding of life. During this period, I met drawing. In fact, before that, I am not completely new to drawing. Before that, I just loved the form of holding a pen in my hand, connecting my hand to my brain, and directly outputting my mind on drawing paper. These colors and textures bloom in front of me, giving me a sense of pleasure. When I was in kindergarten, I also went to an extracurricular class to learn drawing. The teacher at that time said I was very talented, and I was very happy. But before my sophomore year in senior high school, I drew here and there intermittently and unprofessionally and tried to learn from what others drew. Until one day in the autumn semester of senior two, the head teacher saw me finish my homework in the self-study class and drew something directly in the exercise book. She looked at me for a long time, but I didn’t notice her. Later, she talked to me alone and suggest that I should study art. I was very confused. I told my parents when I get home. At this time, they are very open-minded and hope that I can choose the major I want to choose. I didn’t think about it carefully, so I said, I can try to learn art. This is also the process where I began to professionalize my illustration career. It’s not the usual path, and my parents and relatives couldn’t offer me any useful advice, but they provided me with a lot of physical supports. Therefore, this road can also be considered smooth. When I look back at those once tangled and painful memories, I no longer feel their presence. 

I am currently working as a freelance illustrator and studying in MFA program in illustration in School of Visual Arts. However, the journey to becoming an illustrator was actually a coincidence. Instead of calling myself an illustrator, I prefer others to refer to me as a storyteller. I focus on portraying narrative and interpersonal relationships in visuals rather than pursuing atmosphere (although this is also a direction I strive for). I enjoy listening to stories as much as I enjoy telling them. It’s the way people create “fun” in this world, and these every day little miracles are worth celebrating and remembering. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Actually, compared to others, my road has been relatively smooth. Although my family members are not engaged in related industries and cannot offer me advice, they are very supportive of my direction. If I were to point out a dilemma, it would be whether this road (as an illustrator) I chose is the right one. There was a period of confusion where I wanted to do everything but ended up not doing anything well. I also considered for a long time whether to make animation in the future, but ultimately, I realized that illustration and animation can go hand in hand; fundamentally, they are both about storytelling. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
My job primarily involves creating illustrations based on client’s requirements, and occasionally, I also do short animations. Currently, I’m particularly interested in toy design, and I’ve also received some commissions for toy design. After completing the projects, I find this area quite interesting, and I may explore it further in the future. I hope to become someone who can do anything, so besides the aforementioned work, I’m also delving deeper into learning video editing, modeling, and other related skills. My MBTI personality type is INFJ, which is the least planned group of people among the most planned group. After experiencing some setbacks, I’ve come to realize deeply that no matter what I do, I shouldn’t overthink it. I should just let go and do it. Even if the direction is wrong, it’s much better than just thinking about it endlessly. 

My works are mostly quite relaxed, I regard works without a basis in reality to be just like a garden in the sky, beautiful but fragile and distant; and that is why most of the themes in my works are based on reality. My own personality contributes to the intricate nature of my thoughts, but I don’t want the viewer to tire while looking at my works. Therefore, simplicity and complexity coexist in my works. I like to depict the interesting things around me rooted in a real-world perspective. Even the seemingly trivial things in everyday life are worthy of celebration because of their very existence. My style is simple, based on lines, and supplemented by color. The palette that I choose is usually yellowish and gentle, giving people a warm feeling. 

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
The happiest thing for me is to go birdwatching when it’s 40-50℉ outside. I feel like it’s a way for me to connect with the world. Of course, many things can make me happy; I think it’s just because of different perspectives on how to view the world. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.xueyiru.com/