Yili Arts

“Meditation is all I need to feel grounded; peaceful.”

Kristi Thornbury, founder of Yili Arts in Taipei created a space for people to come together in a comfortable space to be creative and explore their inner artist abilities. Over the years Yili Arts have become a community space where people come together to relax and throw art parties! Kristi shares with us how she started Yili Arts and learn more about how you can also host your own art party in Taipei!

Curito:

Tell us a little about yourself, a Canadian artist and former art teacher turned momtrepreneur living in Taiwan! 

Kristi:

I grew up in Canada and started making art as soon as I could hold a paintbrush. I discovered a joy for teaching while working at Summer camps in New England and earning my Fine Arts degree. I moved from Atlantic Canada to Toronto for my first Art teaching job (which was a one year sub position) and met my future husband. We decided the following year to embark on an adventure and landed two great jobs at the Shanghai American School. 

Seven years later, two parents teaching full-time, coaching most nights and weekends and seeing our two very young boys just a few exhausted hours a day was not how we wanted to do life.  So when the opportunity came to move to Taiwan and make a dream come true, we jumped! I immediately started a business plan for Yili Arts while my husband got ready to start his job at TAS. Now I work part-time and have a much healthier balance of all my work, family, home and personal responsibilities.

Curito:

What inspired you to start Yili Arts, what does Yili mean?

Kristi:

With an entrepreneurial spirit, I knew I had a good plan, experience, resources, location, audience, and determination to pull it off. I had a very clear vision of how I wanted the client to feel during and after my workshop, knowing that word of mouth would be my best marketing strategy. Also having a studio where I could devote time to pursue my own painting was a dream come true!  I chose the name Yili because Yi is the first part of yi shu (Art) and li is the last part of mei li (beautiful/elegant).

Curito:

Did you find it hard to start your business in a foreign country not knowing the language? What are some tips you would give other foreigners living in a foreign country to start their own business and build their client base?

Kristi:

Well, to be honest, moving from Shanghai to Taiwan I could already speak enough Mandarin to manage shopping and basic conversation. That was a huge advantage. I knew that building my client base was going to depend almost entirely on word of mouth so I had to start doing workshops and making sure people were loving them so much they would tell their friends about them. I needed to go above and beyond to make them memorable and make sure people left feeling really good about the whole experience. I remember saying to myself that it doesn’t matter if the first workshop has only two clients. I have to get the first one done so I can do the second one and the third and the fourth and the fifth and so on….. That is the only way I will build a business. Just start.

Curito:

What were some of your earlier failures that you encountered and how has that experience shaped you today?

Kristi:

When I first opened Yili Arts I offered workshops like block printing, screen printing, drawing, and watercolour painting. Some workshops required a four-week commitment. They were generally successful and I had a lot of good feedback, but there were a lot of behind-the-scenes headaches, and many people who couldn’t commit to this day or that day of the week. It became a scheduling nightmare. I discovered Art Parties were the better option for people looking to have a good time with just a two hour commitment in a creative social atmosphere. They were appealing and accessible to a larger audience, so I re-directed my focus toward teaching Art (painting) Parties for all levels rather than the more advanced workshops I had been doing. I’ve since added Watercolor Mandala Workshops which offer clients a very zen-like experience while they learn the entire mandala designing and painting process step-by-step with ease. 

Curito:

Since you started Yili Arts in 2014 how has the client/art community landscape in Taipei, Taiwan change in your opinion?

Kristi:

I’ve noticed that in just six short years that people are already more open to trying things like Art Parties and Workshops, even if they’ve had no experience before. When I started Yili Arts, it was very difficult to find anything like this in Taipei. No one was doing Art together as a group social or wellness activity in English. Now there seem to be more popping up around the city, but Yili Arts still has a few special ingredients that help you feel relaxed, accomplished and well taken care of. Yili Arts is definitely a way to treat yourself.

Curito:

What inspires you to continue to do what you do with your art and Yili offerings?

Kristi:

Taiwan’s natural environment continues to offer its insanely glorious landscapes, colors, textures, shapes, lines and light.  The creative drive to produce comes and goes but the inspiration is always there.

Curito:

What keeps you grounded in this current COVID19 pandemic environment we are living in?

Kristi:

Lately, I’ve been gardening like mad. That’s just because I know we’re staying here for the Summer and I love making things beautiful. But really I should get back to my meditation practice. I can feel that I haven’t been meditating lately. Meditation is all I need to feel grounded; peaceful.

Curito:

What is your mantra in life?

Kristi:

The only real time is now.

Curito:

What do you hope to achieve in this new decade as an artist as a momtrepreneur? 

Kristi:

That’s a tough one. These times are so uncertain. I’m still available for group bookings for private Art Parties and Workshops. I also want to learn about recent innovations in Art Education. Of course I want to do all this while maintaining the flexibility I’ve come to love while balancing the many responsibilities of a momtrepreneur.

Curito:

For those in Taipei and abroad who want to follow your latest artwork and classes or schedule a art party with you how can they get in touch?

Kristi:

For those in Taipei:

• Private Art Party
  Location: at your home / restaurant / Yili Arts / party room
  Capacity: 6 people minimum, 20 people maximum 

             Cost: $1000nt per person (includes materials, clean up and set up)

• Watercolor Mandala Workshop
  Location: Yili Arts Studio Only
  Capacity: 5-7 people
  Cost: $1200 per person (includes materials)

To make an appointment please email me at yiliarts@gmail.com or message me on FB. You can also follow me on IG. If you like my artwork you can buy them on www.society6.com/yiliarts and www.redbubble.com/people/yiliarts

Curito:

Kristi, thank you for creating a space in Taipei for others to explore their artistic expressions in a intimate cozy environment. We look forward to seeing what future offerings you may have at Yili Arts including how your garden will flourish! 

First published on May 2, 2020.