Interview Summary

Original character creation and inspiration sharing

The interview mainly revolves around original characters (OC), exploring the psychological journey, sources of inspiration, and challenges and fun in the creative process of OC creation. The interviewee is a creator from Lofter's light blog platform who posts articles and is exposed to OC creation through watching anime works. She believes that OC creation is a way for a person to express themselves, and everyone can create unique works in their field of interest.

The Second Creation Characters and OC Creation Experience in "Gem Country"

This mainly discusses the process and impact of OC's second creation. Creators need to put in a lot of effort and effort when creating, including character shaping, plot setting, and other aspects. In the creative process, the artist will first have a rough image of the character, and then enrich the character through fragments. In addition, the artists also mentioned that OC creation had an impact on them, including understanding relevant knowledge and improving their experience in order to create. In short, OC creation is a rewarding process.

The psychological journey and persistence of OC creators

The loneliness and misunderstandings that OC speakers may encounter during the creative process. OC speakers may encounter difficulties in creating to prove themselves or feel pain due to misunderstandings while adhering to their interests and hobbies. Therefore, for OC creators who persist in their interests and hobbies, we should provide more support and understanding.

Exploring the Big Five personality model and its application in OC creation (not mentioned in the original text)

Although some creators are skilled at using psychological personality types to analyze characters, this method may lead to character flattening. To avoid this issue, one can try using the Big Five personality scale, which focuses more on summarizing personality traits and does not label personality more strongly like other popular personality theories such as MBTI, Jungian Eight Dimensions, and Type 9 personality.

Original text (with deletions)

Tanya: Hello, can you hear me?

Li Xi: Can you hear me? Do you hear me on my end?

Mo Ji: Sure, it's quite clear.

Li Xi: Okay.

Moji: My microphone may get stuck at times. If you can't hear anything, just tell me immediately.

Li Xi: Okay, okay.

Mo Ji: First of all, I would like to ask for your permission, as I may take a screenshot of the video we are currently recording later and send it out at the exhibition. Is that okay?

Li Xi: No problem.

Mo Ji: So this interview, or rather, let's have a relatively easy conversation. Its theme is about original characters, which is commonly referred to as OC in our social circle. So many times, creation is a way for a person to express themselves. On the path of creation, each of them has their own unique story and inspiration. In the world of creation, besides some well-known creative approaches and audiences, such as artists and painters. There are also some niche creative groups who may not be well-known to the public, but silently cultivate their own fields and interests, creating works with unique characteristics. So today, I have the privilege of inviting a teacher named Li Xi from Lofter! Ms. Li Xi is a creator who posts articles on a light blog platform called lofter. Her main themes are original characters created based on a certain anime. (This will be referred to as OC Second Creation in the following text). She will share with us the psychological journey, inspiration, challenges, and fun of OC creation. So first of all, according to my statistics, Teacher Li Xi, you have already published over 200 articles related to your own OC on Lover. What are the reasons why you started to be exposed to it or started creating OC?

Li Xi: The reason should be that in 2018, the anime I am currently working on as an OC has just been released. After watching the anime, I really enjoyed it and went to look for some fan pictures. As I watched more, he would recommend some related ones to me. Then I recommended this work to the fan OC. It's about creating original characters from the same worldview. Then, when I saw a creator I really liked, I started learning and started working on (OC).

Mo Ji: So you took your hobbies as an opportunity, and through platform push, you learned about the existence of OC as a creative form on the internet, right?

Li Xi: Yes.

Mo Ji: Indeed, among the people around me who enjoy creating OC, most of them have already had their favorite works before, and then, due to certain opportunities, they have a desire to create vivid and vivid stories themselves. Can you share with me an interesting story related to OC creation? Or it can be something more important.

Li Xi: Let me think about some interesting things related to OC creation. I have quite a few OCs. It's a bit difficult to recall

Mo Ji: That's or in other words, the most impressive.

Li Xi: I can't hold the shell for a while, I hold the shell for a while.

Mo Ji: If it's okay, let's just chat.

Li Xi: Because the entire creative process was very interesting, on the contrary, it's hard for me to say anything interesting.

Mo Ji: Let me introduce the topic a bit. The first time I saw your work was when I was browsing lofter, in the tab of "Gem Country", and then I saw your article about OC Royal Sapphire.

Li Xi: Yes, that one.

Mo Ji: That one left a deep impression on me, it was very cute and concise, but it conveyed the important setting of the character. I may say this very rigidly, but I'm a bit nervous. Please forgive me.

Li Xi: Are you currently studying in college?

Mo Ji: No, I'm a freshman in high school.

Li Xi: How many years older am I than you? Don't be nervous, don't be nervous. Did you see that day as a four grid or something?

Moji: Yes, it's that four panel comic.

Li Xi: Maybe it's because your article has the highest popularity and is relatively easy to read. That meme was actually a high school classmate of mine. He had an experience with his mother that he sent to his circle of friends. Then I went to ask him, "You're so interesting, can I draw it?" He said yes, and then I drew it. Art really comes from life.

Mo Ji: It's not just that one that left a deep impression on me. The creation of so many characters definitely requires a lot of energy and effort. So, do you usually create based on the appearance and costume settings of existing characters, or are you based on the stories of pre-existing characters?

Li Xi: I should first have a rough image of a character in my mind: what kind of person is he? What kind of personality? And what kind of behavior? What might he do or what? Suddenly, a segment came up with to enrich a character. Appearance is quite a late stage matter. Because although I started creating OC in 2018, I only started painting last year. I think the impact of appearance on character development is relatively small.

Mo Ji: Indeed, I also feel the same way. Usually writing poetry or creating some fragments, one may be a very climax segment, and then starting to struggle with how to lay the groundwork for this exciting segment's foreplay and give it a reasonable ending. It is not difficult to see that a good story cannot be separated from good characters and plot. So when creating a story, do you place more emphasis on the portrayal of a single character, or do you lean towards the exciting plot of group portraits?

Li Xi: Perhaps due to worldview, which is the issue with the original work, individuals and groups cannot be separated. If you are a normal person, such as a role in society, they may be able to distinguish between group images and individuals. Because when he survived a lot, you could have an NPC, you could have one. Creating characters that are not so deeply ingrained will disappear in just one go. That's what I'm doing now in the Kingdom of Gems. He is a very small, very small society, and there are no other characters. I feel that once you have finished shaping one character, it is inevitable that there will be connections with other characters, and everyone will get mixed up. I feel that he is both a group image and a personal figure. This is very special.

Mo Ji: His unique social relationship can lead to a very interesting result in the end - it can make people intuitively see what is and what is not. It's not like other works, I can't say, but generally other works may be: ABCD, and then they are a family, and their family may reflect the feeling of time transition through changes in age, family background, or identity. But the Kingdom of Gems is different, as its characters are almost immortal. On the contrary, this special background can provide the author with a larger platform to delicately depict the changes in human nature. So, when you create, do you mainly focus on text production or painting production?

Li Xi: Because I am not very good at writing, of course I mainly focus on drawing output, although I am not very good at drawing either. And ultimately, I want to present my story in visual form. But the level is not yet at home, and there is not much time. So. I have piled up a lot of articles. Maybe there should be 20000 words. I can usually draw several pictures in three or four lines, but I can hardly finish my own short jokes.

Moji: Indeed, the issue of time is quite tight. It seems that many OC creators are mostly students, or there is no place in their careers to showcase their inspiration. So next, will we talk about whether OC creation has had any impact on you?

Li Xi: The impact is divided into many aspects. On the one hand, when shaping my character, I definitely need to understand the relevant knowledge. For example, when this character involves my own knowledge blind spots, I have to search for relevant information, and my experience will correspondingly improve. Furthermore, once I specifically studied sowing and papermaking in order to set up related technical aspects. Also, I have read many mythological stories. Because this aspect (worldview setting) cannot be produced out of thin air and cannot be fabricated there. In addition to knowledge, I have indeed made some friends.

Mo Ji: Overall, OC creation can broaden people's cognitive horizons. Or perhaps it has given us an opportunity to be exposed to and learn more new knowledge, so what do you want to say to your OC? It can be a certain person, or it can be a sentence you want to say to all of them, it can be a blessing, or it can be some small preview.

Li Xi: I always feel what this OC said. I created them from my God's perspective, what and where are they thinking? I know where I can think and where I can't think. Sometimes I just want to hug them. But I also know that these problems were really hard for them to think of or solve at the time, so they could only let it develop bit by bit. To summarize, I want to say to them, "It's been tough, everyone!"

Moji: There is one kind. Let me think. It seems like that kind of love, although not necessarily. Express our love directly to them, after all, it's not in the same story, but our love can be expressed in another way. For example, the hard work we put in for him, the time we put in for him, and the effort we put in to make their conflicts and contradictions more reasonable or even more direct. The hard work we have put in for this. Indeed, in many cases, OC is the author's mirror or insinuation. Yes, I have followed some bloggers, and some of their OCs are. To convey wishes that were not fulfilled when I was young, or to make up for some of my spiritual regrets, there are also some who want to express their ideal other for the future, so in the end. It can be said that in many cases, OC creators are a very diverse group. A group of people who take their creativity seriously, or rather take themselves and life very seriously! So, finally, what do you want to say to other OC creators? Because in many cases, OC creation is a niche circle. So, do you have anything you want to say to other OC creators?

Li Xi: What is an original character? (rhetorical question) It's like drawing a matchstick figure from a kindergarten, and then drawing the princess monster Ultraman from a child, all of which are OC. Going further, Dream of the Red Chamber is also an OC. All non documentary masterpieces, even some music works, and all the gods in religion are also OC, and God is also OC. So, it may be limited to the form of expression. People often say that the whole thing is childish, just for children to play with, but it takes too much time, just not focusing on work, or some more extreme words. But this is what we want to express, something we may want to see ourselves, but we haven't seen it in other works. We choose to create it ourselves, and we also inherit some things from our hearts. Since there is a desire for expression, some content will be incorporated into this work. What do you want to convey? There will be people who can get it, and there will be people similar to you or in the same situation who will like what you draw and write. That person may be very rare, but there will be people watching and liking them. I actually touched the popularity of this original work, and I know that most OC creators wouldn't have (me) so much traffic at all. Most OC creators are more original than me. They also have original worldviews, so they are more lonely. Sometimes it may be difficult to persevere. But at this point, just think about it: so many artists become famous after death! What if it gets popular in the future, what if someone likes it! So, everyone, come on!

Mo Ji: Thank you very much for your encouragement! Indeed, whether it is OC creation or other niche groups, when they persist in their own ideas or hobbies, they are not only lonely, but may also be misunderstood and excluded by others. At this time, two types of people may appear. The first group of people, who strive to prove to others our hobbies and preferences, that they are meaningful and valuable, may fall into a pitiful situation of creating for the sake of proving to others. And the second one, which is also something I would like to share with other creators. There is nothing in the world that can be designated as meaningful or meaningless. A meaningful or meaningless switch may only occur during the spokesperson's switch. I believe that as long as our creators can feel positive emotions in their creations, it is meaningful without self doubt. Persisting in one's hobbies is a very brave thing.

Li Xi: Yes.

Mo Ji: Thank you very much for participating in this meeting. Sigh, I was a bit nervous about the first interview

Li Xi: It's okay, it's okay.

Mo Ji: Besides raising these questions, do you have anything else you want to say?

Li Xi: My mind is a bit empty, there's nothing I want to say.

Mo Ji: Well, thank you very much for participating in this interview. After my personal project exhibition is over, I will take a photo of my exhibition and also send you our interview video. If you still need it.

Li Xi: Okay, thank you! Ah haha, let me add another sentence - I don't know if it's too late - the last thing I want to say is not that OC creation must pursue heat, but that I feel my expression needs to be responded to, and that works can evoke understanding and resonance from others, which is a very happy thing. At first, I believe that most people start from their interests, so whether or not someone is watching, being happy is the most important thing! I've finished speaking, goodbye!

Mo Ji: Then I'll borrow your auspicious words! Goodbye.