Fan · 17
Pre-surgery
Long-Term Commitment · Freedom · Kindness
Three qualities he hopes to carry into his future.
What These Words Mean
Long-Term Commitment
Fan hopes to become someone who can stay committed to a direction over time.
Two phrases she chose for her artwork reflect this clearly: “Success is reserved for those who are prepared” and “Once you have chosen your goal, keep going.” These are ideas she said she often hears and wanted to include in the piece.
For her, long-term commitment seems less about rushing toward a result and more about being willing to prepare, persist, and keep moving toward something meaningful.
Freedom
Fan also hopes for a future that feels freer and less constrained.
Kindness
“Making the world a little kinder” is another quality Fan chose for her future self.
What Appears in the Artwork
Fan’s artwork is filled with elements of Chinese art and traditional culture, including porcelain, a painted fan, flowers, and birds.
She has previously imagined working in archaeology or cultural heritage conservation, and she is especially drawn to traditional Chinese objects and visual culture.
One image she especially liked was the 青鸟, or blue bird. In her understanding, it represents a bird that carries hope.
The combination of cultural objects, traditional imagery, and phrases about preparation and persistence makes the artwork feel rooted in both where she comes from and the future she wants to build.
Her Future Self
For Fan, becoming means having the freedom to choose her own path, committing to what matters over time, and carrying a little more kindness and hope into the world around her.