Illustrator and comics artist Wendy Xu delivered a presentation to Branham students about her life, drawing process and most recent graphic novel, “The Infinity Particle,” on Monday.

Xu, who also worked on the graphic novels “Tidesong” and “Mooncakes,” opened her talk by emphasizing the importance of overcoming perfectionism. 

“Embracing failure is a really important part of life because nothing is promised in life,” Xu said. “Things are gonna happen that you don’t expect. We can’t control everything, so the best thing to do is to roll with it.”

For Xu, a self-taught artist, adapting to failure was a necessary skill. In her early career, she struggled to hold jobs in various industries from retail to law, finish graphic novels and get her work published. Through it all, however, she maintained her love for art.

“If I wasn’t making money off of [being an illustrator], I would still be doing this because I just love it,” Xu said. “One of the things that helps me keep my creative spark alive is thinking about all the times I really love to do this for the sake of doing it, [like] when I was in high school. It’s really important as a young person to just experience your love for a craft in as pure [of] a way as possible.” 

During the presentation, junior Lauren DeWeese-van Schooneveld most enjoyed learning about Xu’s personal background before becoming an illustrator. Being unsure about her college plans, she was able to connect with Xu’s experiences.

“What I took away from [the presentation] was that you can benefit and prosper from the things that you like,” she said. “Up until now, I’ve thought that you can’t benefit or earn a living off of art, but considering that I like art and I like writing, this is starting to seem like a career path that I can go down.”

Xu, who teaches high school students in Manhattan, gives students the opportunity to realize that things aren’t always serious.

“[Students] should not be afraid to make art,” Xu said. “You guys should make all the art. You can make bad art. I’ve made so many bad drawings in my life, and [I’ve] failed so many times, and that’s okay. It made me into the person I am today.”

Reporting by Yujin Cho and Elliott Yau