A young artist's journey to answer the questions, "Why do we need to express ourselves, and how do we create without limits?"

Lola Yan shares the personal experiences and themes that inspired her first art portfolio in her talk "Breaking the Creative Barrier". Reflecting on her struggles with perfectionism, she emphasizes the transformative power of embracing creativity and "creating like a 5-year-old". This journey of self-expression helped her realize the importance of art in fostering human connection, finding meaning in our lives, and being present at the moment, themes that she wants her audience to walk away with. Lola Yan is a Senior at Valencia High School in the ValTech Program and is interested in all things arts-related. She is a Graphic Designer at Diversify Our Narrative Placentia Yorba Linda Chapter, a contributing artist on Synthesis Publications, and president of the Arts and Creations Club at Valencia High School. She also enjoys teaching classes at Dutch Master’s Art Academy, where she discovered her love for arts education. As for art competitions, she has won two Honorable Mentions and a Silver Key in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, along with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for Best in Acrylic. The idea for this TEDx Talk came from Lola’s personal experiences with domestic violence and its intersectionality with Chinese culture. Through her adversity, she has completed a 40-hour Domestic Violence Advocate Training Certificate, which designates her as a Domestic Violence Advocate under California Evidence Code 1037.1. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx