By Mei Li
When I came from Shenzhen, China to study at Pratt Institute, I was able to take my time working on an animated short called: “The Blue Butterfly.” The film went on to win awards and key slots at 18 major film festivals. And that was great. But ultimately, while you’re working on your “masterpiece,” in school you have to be thinking about getting a job after you graduate. That’s always a big concern for creative people in my generation.
To my delight, I actually found a job that lets me continue the work I love with the artistic freedom that makes for the best work. It’s at a small creative boutique in New York called AD LUBOW – CREATIVE FOR A CAUSE. This is the company that first came up with the phrase: “DO GOOD. DO WELL.” Viewers like their work because it’s honest and true. “A Climate for Change: A Tribute to Greta Thunberg” is just one example of the work our team can create with an eye toward bettering the world. That spirit is infusing all the projects we do — from animated holiday cards to advocacy to children’s books. Stay tuned.
Career Advice from Mei’s Boss
By Arthur Lubow
Mei Li is an exceptionally talented animator who my colleague Nico Marellion and I discovered at a Pratt Institute job fair. We instantly dubbed her a kindred spirit.
My advice to young people pursuing a career in Advertising and Public Relations is to make believe you are entering an entirely different profession of your own imagining. Avoid at all costs being like everyone else. Be yourself. What I love so much about our partnership with Mei Li is that because we try to pay absolutely no attention to advertising and public relations conventions, readers are more apt to want to look at what we create. Focus instead on your passion. The rest will follow.
Though Mei Li and I come from different time zones, we both care passionately about correcting human flaws. We both care absolutely about convincing people from different lands and walks of life that they are more alike than different. So whether we are working on “Suo Gan: A Welsh Lullaby for the World” or a film about the young climate activist, Greta Thunberg, we are always creating a story about the same subject: humans who care more about peace than conflict.
