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

Hi Yiting, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
In deciding whether to continue or pause a project, I turn inward, evaluating its impact on my personal, spiritual, and commercial well-being. My life’s motto is to live interestingly and create constantly. For instance, I prioritize projects like “Vibes,” my music video generator from music and AI input, as it aligns with my passion for connecting with others. Hobbies like pole dancing bring joy, while others, like roller skating, I’ve paused to maintain balance. Constant self-checks ensure I’m aligned with activities that fulfill me both creatively and spiritually, forming a cornerstone of my dynamic artistic life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
From Hunan’s piano keys to America’s computer keyboards, my journey in extended reality (XR) development bridges not just continents but passions. At 18, my move to America for a variety of educational and cultural exploration marked a shift from music to marketing and film production, igniting a fascination with storytelling through moving images. An introduction to wearable technology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison led me to explore more immersive technology at New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, a playground that melded my artistic and technological sides, leading to a mastery of tools like Unity and Unreal Engine. Now, leading Sia Partners’ immersive technology team with customized Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) training and simulations for global enterprises, I’ve combined all the skills I have mastered to be an XR innovator.

One of the proud creations in the XR field was “Lifelines AR” for the MIT Reality Hack in 2022, which marked a pivotal chapter in my journey. This innovative AR tool, aimed at transforming therapy sessions, won the Grand Prize in Wellness where I was the Lead Unity Developer and Designer. It allows therapists and clients to visualize and interact with significant life moments, enhancing the therapeutic process. Using HoloLens 2, clients can revisit important memories, enhancing communication with therapists. It’s a system that not only supports therapy sessions but also records them, fostering continuity and deeper connections. This recognition was not just an honor, it also validated my belief in the power of technology profoundly impacting healthcare. It fueled my passion for continuing to explore ways in which technology can contribute positively to people’s lives and well-being.

Imagine being able to review your life’s milestones and access therapeutic tools like an Emotions Wheel or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) exercises with a mere gesture. “Lifelines AR” not only enriches therapy sessions but also empowers clients to engage actively with their emotional journey, even outside the therapist’s office. It’s a fusion of technology and mental health care, offering a new dimension to therapy and personal growth.

In therapy sessions, “Lifelines AR” transforms how clients and therapists interact. Clients wearing the HoloLens 2 can recall life events, like graduations or first apartments, during discussions. This visualization, combined with tools like the Emotions Wheel, enriches communication, helping clients articulate feelings more precisely. It’s an innovation in therapy, providing real-time emotional and cognitive support.

The journey wasn’t smooth. Adapting to cultural differences in the U.S. and finding a balance between my technical skills and creative ambitions were significant challenges. Studying in the international high school in Shenzhen still did not prepare me for the culture shock I had when I finally started my first day of college. It was daunting to see people speaking in fluent English making cultural references to TV Shows and movies from their shared cultural experiences before college. I was timid when I first landed in the States and thought asking questions during conversations was rude as that was what I was taught from my upbringing. When I was little, my curiosity was always met with annoyance from my parents. Hence, it took me a long time to be brave enough to ask questions and learn more about the cultural norms in the States. Whenever there are idioms or terms I am unfamiliar with, I will ask for clarification. The ongoing cultural education has benefited my assimilation in the States and also allowed me to appreciate my own culture as I am open to explaining terms and phenomena from China. It feels nice as while I was balancing the cultural shock, I was also finding pieces of my curiosity I once had when I was little before the frustration, annoyance, and harshness sunk in.

Melding my passion for art with the rigors of technology often required me to push boundaries and think innovatively. I am often thinking about how to evoke emotions in users’ self-healing journeys and connect with them while they interact with my work. I constantly reflect on what I can do to make them feel intrigued to act upon and make changes in their lives. I want to ignite this massive shift in society and focus on how I can create an impact on individuals as a starting point. Creating a safe space for people to be with their inner child is the goal of my practice. There are also tradeoffs that I have to consider such as time, budget, and my ideal vision of the specific project or as an artist in general. It is a delicate balance between my perfectionism and the execution of projects. I used to be very hard on myself to always make the perfect and high-quality work, in turn overlooking my mental health. I would be under extreme stress and solely focused on the result and never the journey. I am a lot better at this balancing act now. Aware of my tendency to be perfectionistic and hard on myself, I started celebrating myself with recognition of my small wins. Life is all about learning, not the end product.

“Lifelines AR” faced the challenge of blending technology with sensitive topics like mental health. Developing an AR tool that was both effective and respectful in a therapy context required careful consideration and empathy. Collaborating within the time constraints of a hackathon added pressure, necessitating rapid development and problem-solving. Receiving feedback and validation from healthcare professionals was crucial to ensure that the tool met the needs of both therapists and patients.

I have learned to always stay true to myself as I spend more on planet Earth. I bear the desire to always create a safe space to allow people to share their vulnerability and emotions by asking them deep questions to learn about their life values and philosophical views.

Looking ahead, I will continue exploring the intersection of technology and community. It is rewarding to use technology to do social good for people in need. I want to make the world a better place and make people’s lives easier. I have the unsatiated drive to always create and connect with as many people as I can in this lifetime and I will never.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For a week-long trip that is independent of the season. I would recommend lots of indoor activities.

Typical Touristy Places: High Line, Little Island (they have performances), Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Broadway (you can see some shows)

Museums: The Whitney Museum, The MET, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, The Museum of Sex, American Museum of Natural History, Artech House, The Spy Museum.

Vintage shopping: Other People’s Closet, L Train Vintage, and Monk Vintage.

Selected restaurants in NY and Brooklyn:
Crownshy – New American
Chelsea Market – a variety of cuisines
Uncle Lou – Chinese
Spicy Village (cash only) – Chinese
Thai Son – Thai
Jing Fong – Chinese Dim Sum
Hunan Slurp – Chinese Hunan
Jongro BBQ – Korean BBQ
Blue Willow – Chinese Hunan
Spicy Moon – Vegan Chinese Sichuan
Bunna Cafe – Ethiopian
Screamer’s Pizza – vegan

Music:
Blue Note Jazz
Ornithology Jazz Club

Venues/Dancing:
Webster Hall
House of Yes
Brooklyn Mirage
Brooklyn Steel
Baby’s All Right
Time Out Market for Thursday’s free salsa dancing lesson.
Gonzalez y Gonzalez for late-night dancing after dinner

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My journey in the extended reality (XR) world truly blossomed thanks to the MIT Reality Hack in 2022, where I won the Grand Prize as the lead developer and designer for the Wellness category. There, I formed bonds with fellow XR enthusiasts, igniting my deeper involvement in the XR community. When I got back to New York, I explored deeper into networks like XR Guild, UnityNYC, and XRMotion. They’re a source of friendship and collaboration that landed me speaking opportunities at events like XR Guild and AIGA 2023, where I shared my unique blend of XR in self-healing. They have been truly heartfelt experiences. The community’s warmth and curiosity about my work have inspired me to delve deeper into uniting and nurturing our creative circle in my work. I am so lucky to be in many supportive communities that I want to help create a new one or highlight the existing one in my work to make people feel a sense of belonging. A big shoutout to this incredible XR family for their unwavering support and for shaping my journey in ways I never imagined.

Website: https://yitingliu.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yliu.designs/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yitingliu97/

Image Credits
All images are credited to Yiting Liu.

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