Meet YU ZHANG | Freelance illustrator

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

Hi YU, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
To be honest, achieving a true balance between work and life is challenging, but as a freelance illustrator, the hardest part isn’t the drawing itself but planning, executing, prioritizing, and managing energy.

When I first started as a freelance illustrator, I devoted most of my time to drawing, hoping for more rewards and achievements. However, gradually, I realized that my health was deteriorating (because I wasn’t exercising and was sitting in front of the computer all day) and my concentration was fading (because I was indoors almost every day). And since a large portion of my time was consumed by work, the myriad of small tasks in life didn’t decrease. Of course, if someone at home took care of these things for you, that worry would be gone. But I believe for most people, it’s hard to completely avoid the mundane aspects of life. Slowly, you find neither work nor life is adequately attended to.

So, I began consciously devoting time to prioritize daily tasks, reminding myself that many aspects of life must be addressed because you need to maintain a basic lifestyle and stay connected with society. Sometimes, engaging in these activities can lead to new insights and experiences. For example, while handling bills or waiting in line, overhearing conversations can be quite interesting—discussions on life or current hot topics. These interactions often form my new understanding of the world, revealing different ways people live and sparking new creative ideas. This encouraged me to start observing the real world around me. Gradually, I stopped seeing these “trivial” tasks as nuisances. Resuming fitness and exercise also gave me more energy to tackle work. Therefore, I believe there isn’t a real sense of balance, just the management of priorities and time, especially as your roles in life increase, such as when you start a family and become a parent. I’m still learning how to manage this aspect myself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Ever since I was very young, I’ve loved to draw and paint. I was fortunate that my parents were incredibly supportive of my hobby. They never discouraged me; in fact, they always praised every piece I created, consistently affirming my talent and encouraging me. It was with their support that I applied to and attended an art university during my college entrance examination period, which set me firmly on the path of art. There, I received professional training and began to realize that I wasn’t the uniquely talented child I thought I was. My classmates were also highly talented, many even more so than me.

For the first time, I faced the reality that I wasn’t the so-called “chosen one.” This realization made me work even harder, often until the early hours of the morning. Despite this, I could still feel the gap between myself and those more gifted individuals. I had to admit that in art, talent often outweighs effort.

Thus, I desperately began searching for my own style, only to find myself lost again, as despite all my effort, my work seemed average and lacked unique charm. A breakthrough came from a conversation with my parents. I shared my struggle in finding my own style in art, and they advised me to start with the simple things around me. They likened it to martial arts, where not everyone can be a grandmaster like Zhang Sanfeng, but that’s okay. As long as you can protect yourself when it matters, that’s enough. Does one really need to invent their own martial arts to defend themselves? Mastering the basics can be just as effective.

This conversation was an epiphany for me. I realized it didn’t matter if I wasn’t inherently gifted. What mattered was my genuine love for painting. While I aspired to be a great artist, not achieving greatness wouldn’t deter me from painting. So, from then on, I painted more purely, no longer obsessing over how many followers I had or whether my work catered to the market. I began to truly enjoy painting, focusing on themes I loved. And guess what? In doing so, I eventually discovered my passion for children’s book illustrations and a style that is cute and warm, leading me to where I am today.

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.
To be honest, I’m someone who really enjoys staying at home. When friends visit, we typically gather around to enjoy hotpot at my place, and then we’ll start chatting about everything under the sun. I particularly love listening to people tell their stories, probably because, in my childhood, when the internet wasn’t around, my favorite pastime was listening to guests share various experiences they’ve encountered in life. I’d then weave new plotlines for these stories in my mind and imagine what the characters in them would look like! This is probably also why I have a passion for drawing!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I truly feel immensely grateful for my family. Growing up, I was in an environment where only academic scores were deemed important, and nothing else mattered. In such a setting, my family gave me ample space to grow freely and supported my dream of becoming an artist. They stood by me as my strong support when everyone else thought it was impossible for me to succeed. They offered me support and understanding whenever I felt lost. Honestly, I believe that apart from my own efforts, I couldn’t have reached where I am today without the support of my family.

Website: https://zhangyu204illustration.onfabrik.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zhangyulittle8/

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/zhangyu204

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zhang862164708

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006797372845

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsFbiK-JPlovihEIZNsRc0g

Image Credits
All the photos were taken by me.