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

Hi Yanjun, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
Recently for me I loved this quote, that says, ‘One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. ’From Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche.

Because I recognize that the creation state is highly connected to my personal state, I can’t create tsunamis and lightning storms when I’m as calm as a cup of coffee, sometimes as a creator I need to allow myself to be filled with chaos within myself and then I can find some glittering star pieces coming out, it’s not easy, but it’s necessary especially for me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My most proud and honourable achievement includes winning awards from international illustration competitions such as 3 X 3, Communication Arts, Creative Quarterly, iJUNGLE, Hiii Brand Illustration and LICC, and being featured in TouchEyeArt, Res Publica, Art Gallery, FETCHLondon, HiiiBrand and other magazines and media publications. and to top it all, I have gradually built up my social media account followers and a stable number of clients from scratch.

All of the above is definitely not easy at all. As an illustrator and artist facing pandemic and global economic issues straight out of school, and often fighting with my own laziness and peer pressure, the lessons I’ve learnt are to stop giving away any opportunities I could have had for self-denial, to stay emotionally aware, and to get more sunshine.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since I’m currently living and working in London, I’d have to say that June is the perfect month to visit London. Instead of visiting Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and all the great museums that have to be visited, I’d like to start by taking my friends for a classic British brunch and then, with the afternoon sun, half-laying on the lawn in St. Johns Park, Hyde Park or Greenwich Park, watching the sunshine radiate on the lake and the puppies walking slowly with their parents, It’s my top pick.

London’s park in June is the nearest thing to heaven.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When talking about support and love, I have harvested a wealth of love from all sides through my volunteer experience with Taiwan Tzu Chi Foundation, and I have learned to give that love back. I participate in the Islight Seasons Poetry Youth Service Centre, Resolving the problem of village children’s lack of expression of emotions and spiritual concerns, Which Slogan is: They used to crack, now they create.

Meanwhile, I still have some friends waiting for me in books permanently. Like Xue Baochai from Dream of the Red Chamber, Hermina from Steppenwolf, and Zaza from The Inseparables, on the other hand, Oriana Fallaci’s passion for her career has always been a lighthouse for me on long nights. And of course I owe a lot to my parents for supporting me to go to London for a masters of arts degree, it was a great crossroads in my life.

Website: https://www.yannsalt.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yannjun_chen/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanjunchenartprofile/

Image Credits
All from my own photography and editing

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