We had the good fortune of connecting with Yining Li and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yining, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
My name is Yi Ning. I come from China and am currently studying Illustration and Motion Media Design at Savannah College of Art and Design. Art has been my best friend since childhood. I spent a lot of time drawing and making doodles for my friends as gifts. It was also my first step to building a bridge with the outside world. Later on, I keep drawing as my habit for a long while. As I applied for college, I realized doing art is what I want to pursue as my career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love editorial illustration. I enjoy capturing the articles or stories’ key points and refining the story, expressing it with visual language, and inspiring the audience’s thinking. When I applied for college to prepare my portfolio, my first work was one editorial illustration called “Thank you for coming to My World.” As a visual storyteller, I also tell stories with motion graphics. I focusing on seeing how to make more value by combining illustration and motion graphics for my career path.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It’s such a pretty city, Savannah. The building downtown is very beautiful and historical. You can feel fantastic views even if you walk around this city. The first place I recommend is Tybee beach. People could see the most beautiful sunrise or sunset. Then find a seafood restaurant around the beach, and enjoy the night. I recommend Mainstreet downtown as the second placement. There are a lot of local stores with arts, vintage, and gifts. And I will suggest having an artistic campus tour. The SCAD buildings are placed in the city randomly. It is very interesting when you go through any of them. They are different styles.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In my journey, I have met many people who have encouraged and helped me. I am so appreciative that my family supports me. My mom found my interest in art and helped me keep it since I was a kid. They are traditional parents who do not know about art or how artists make money. But they never stop me when I apply to college and even go to another country. Also, I want to thank my artist mentor and friends I met in SCAD. They are so creative, nice, and work hard. I see much energy from those who keep doing creative stuff.

Website: https://yiningli.com/

Instagram: yining_li20

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yining-li-b4002a19a/

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