Creative Minds: Ya Wen believes creativity can 'change the world'

Name: Ya Wen

Place of origin: Beijing, China

Places lived and worked: Xi’an, China

Pronouns: She/her

CV:

• Senior visual designer, Tomato Interactive, Bluefocus Group Beijing

1. How did you end up being a creative?

As a typical art student, the idea that creativity can change the world was planted in my heart from a young age. As I grew older, I understood that the source of creativity and its underlying logic come from a continuous exploration of life. It is a process of discovering the self and understanding the world. Creativity is not just the pursuit of beauty; it is also a contemplation and interpretation of the essence of life. By constantly deconstructing and reconstructing our emotions and thoughts, we gradually come to understand our true desires and pursuits. In this continuous process, I encountered one version of myself after another. Through the intertwining of creativity and self-exploration, I found the meaning and direction of life. I learned to view the world from a unique perspective and to appreciate every detail of life with my heart. Creativity allows us to discover beauty in ordinary days, while self-exploration helps us find our place in a complex world.

2. What’s your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

During my university years, I created Plant Evolution. Due to their sessile nature, plants cannot actively seek out mates and must rely on external factors (such as wind or insects) for pollen transfer, resulting in immense reproductive diversity. Because they cannot move to avoid harm, plants have evolved a wide array of physical and chemical defences. Unlike animals, they cannot conveniently select a habitat and so have developed diverse forms of clonal growth configurations and modular integration behaviours.

We often say that ‘evolution’ changes society. If we consider that a changing society is continually evolving, can we learn more about the process of social evolution by studying biological evolution?

3. What’s your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

‘Misereor Charity Donation Billboard’ left an indelible mark. It was a mind-blowing experience in my youth, as if the world suddenly sparked to life at that moment. It was my first real encounter with the profound power of advertising—a conduit for emotions, a subtle influencer shaping perceptions. When we feel understood and respected by others, it ignites a warm sense of contentment within us, akin to finding a safe haven, a genuine sense of belonging.

4. What/who are your key creative influences?

There's a fascinating book called Godel, Escher, Bach: An eternal golden braid. It explored the works of Kurt Gödel, MC Escher, and Johann Sebastian Bach, and a common thread emerges, linking their ideas beyond the confines of logic, art, and music. It's intriguing to witness how they transcend disciplinary boundaries, even spanning time and space. 

5. Who do you most admire?

Charlie Munger. He was Warren Buffett's closest partner and right-hand. I admired him as a revered figure in my youth. From him, I gleaned the principles of investing and embraced a journey of learning, ultimately reshaping my core values.

6. What career did you think you’d have when you were a kid?

As a child, my dream was to become a diplomat. However, as I grew older, I transformed into the opposite—a rather introverted personality.

7. Do you have any secret or odd talents?

Having the ability to perceive micro expressions in people. There's a Japanese phrase for it: "空気を読む" (kuuki wo yomu). As a child, after watching the TV series Lie to Me, I realised that I possessed this talent as well.

8. Tell us about a charity or cause you think needs more attention?

WeThe15 is the biggest-ever human rights movement to end discrimination against the world’s 1.2 billion people with disabilities who represent 15% of the global population.

9. Do you have any recurring dreams?

I frequently experience dreaming, sometimes even in sequences. I have also encountered instances of lucid dreaming, where the sensations are strikingly real, akin to actuality, yet my mind acknowledges it as a dream. During such moments, I endeavour to unravel the dream by identifying inconsistencies in the perceived reality until I awaken. The movie Divergent depicts similar experiences.

10. Early riser or night owl?

Being a night owl, I find myself consistently energised and creatively inspired during the late hours. It's curious, but some of my most remarkable design works and articles seem to emerge only after the sun has set.

11. Extrovert or introvert?

From a psychological perspective, I draw energy from within rather than from external sources, making me an introverted personality. However, in my professional life, I have adopted an extroverted approach, actively engaging in communication and problem-solving.