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

Hi Daili, what inspires you?
I am inspired by the great outdoors, the struggles in life, the kindness from other people, and the connections between animals and humans.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I currently focus on relief printing. This form of art has a limited color palette. The limitation on color encourages artist to be creative. I am most proud that I can practice “less is more” in my art. My art journey has been a hard one. I studied Chemistry and Physics in college. However, I did not have the passion for science. I studied it because that was something I “should do”. I was in deep depression in graduate school when COVID happened. I decided to do something I enjoy and make a living out of it there and then. I picked up a pencil in my 30s and started to learn how to draw. I went to work from 9-6. I worked on my art skills and business from 7-11 and on weekends for two years. I worked 100+hr/wk during holiday seasons. The three main lessons I learned from my journey are: 1), you don’t have to figure out everything. You just have to take the next step. 2), make art for myself, not anyone else. 3), leave things to the professionals. Spend more time on what I value the most. People always say that I am talented. I wanted the world know that talent is a myth. Consistent hard work pays off. Everyone can thrive in what they love with hard work.

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.
I am not a city person. I would take my best friend to the Angeles National Forest for some hikes and bike rides. I love the food in Chinatown and Sawtelle. This week long trip will be packed with hiking, camping, museums, and food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people in my life who supported me in my art career. Today I wanted to give my shoutout to my mentor Ke Sheng, the people at Los Feliz Flea, and the people at Melrose Trading Post. I couldn’t have made my art dream come true without the support and inspritions from these people.

Website: sketchywheel.com

Instagram: sketchy.wheel

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