Today I'm speaking with Trevor Lai, who is a university student, author, and entrepreneur. Hi, how are you?
I'm doing well, thank you. That's good. Today I wanted to speak to you a little bit about your books and the whole creative process of what has inspired you to kind of take that path in your life. So how'd you get started? Well, I've been writing and drawing since I was four years old, and I've always loved telling stories, and I've always loved painting and drawing. So when I was 17 years old, I decided that I should put these talents to good use and so I created a character called Ralphie the Rhino and I wrote and illustrated a children's book around Ralphie and I decided to self-publish it that Fall and I got a good review in the Vancouver Sun and so I got orders all across the province and things really took off from there. At 17 it must have been really intimidating to, you know, go into self-publishing, like… Well, I've always loved doing business, and so since I was 12 years old, I've known I've wanted to be an entrepreneur and I wanted to really control my own destiny and my career path. And so, even when I was 17 I really felt confident that, you know, I loved what I was doing, and I was good enough at it that, you know, I could make a good living doing it. So, you know, I was pretty confident at that time and I guess the support from my family and friends and, you know, even from the media and from the publishing industry really helped boost my confidence in that respect.
So, at a young age you had a really strong sense of who you were and what you wanted to do?
Yeah, definitely. I think, you know, again, it was a lot of the parents and the teachers and friends… they really encouraged me to pursue my talents and so that really helped me, you know, realize what it is that I was good at doing and what I loved doing at an early age.
So, in front of me I have a portfolio of some of your artwork and looking at some of these water colour paintings. I notice you have a lot of dinosaurs in it. What inspired you to make your last book about dinosaurs?
Well the first few books I'd done about Ralphie, I did really about how he was as a character and you know, going to school, some of the things the way he interacted with friends and now for this book I wanted to do something that I was really interested in when I was a kid, which was dinosaurs. And putting Ralphie together with dinosaurs is also a good fit because he's a rhino, they're dinos, so there's kind of a really good physical appearance that would go well together in a children's book. So, for Ralphie's Dino Adventure, I did a lot of research about dinosaurs. I read about 25 books, spent about two months researching them. And, yeah, so that's why, I mean, this book has been the most popular so far and it's really taken off, so I'm probably going to do a sequel too with more dinosaurs. So, what is it about the creative process that you like?
I just love being able to take the ideas from the stage at where I'm just dreaming about them and then putting them on paper and then really fleshing them out, refining them, and developing them to the point where this is something that you can touch and feel, and really get connected to as a reader. So I just really love being able to take the idea from that process of just being a thought and putting it down on paper and to the point where it's a finished book and you know, kids are reading it. So it sounds like, as a child, you've always been really creative. What other interests did you have?
Well, I played violin, also when I was 4 years old. And I played for 11 years, and I spent two years in the VYSO. And so, I've always had a musical side as well. And, so when, you know, the Ralphie cartoons come out, I'm sure I'll be playing some instruments. The Ralphie cartoons, I see… Yes. And so, yeah I've always played hockey as well, and that helped to really build my leadership skills on the business side of things. And so I've always had a really diverse base of interests, which I think has really helped me grow as an artist and entrepreneur as well. So, as an entrepreneur, I would imagine it's really important to get out there and meet people and network. Did you find that very difficult at such a young age?
No. I think I was always a bit of a talkative kid, and so I always loved meeting new people and showing them, you know, sort of my drawings and, you know, stories I'd done, so I was always very much into meeting new people and, and interacting with them. So, it never really bothered me, and I think as I've gotten older, I've loved it even more. And so now, when I'm working with, like the Board of Trade, they have networking functions, and so we'll spend two or three hours just meeting new people and I really enjoy the process, and I love getting on to those types of events. So, between networking with other adults and people in the business community and going on your book tours and, you know, interacting with children, which one do you like more?
That's a tough question! They're both… they're different experiences, and at the same time, I mean, they're quiet similar, but I, I'd say that, you know, because kids are quite honest and they're just very innocent and they're pure in their feedback and their response and it's a different environment.When you're dealing with adults, you know, there's that much more experience in their lives that they've carried with them so that when you're building relationships with them, there's a lot more, I guess, complexity to it, and you know, it's, again, a very rewarding experience in its own right. So I enjoy both.
On your book tours, I'm sure you've met a lot of kids, and inspired them, and maybe become role models for them. So, not a lot of people have as strong of a sense of themselves as you do at such an early age. So, what advice do you give to children who are asking for guidance in terms of developing their sense of identity?
Well, I definitely get asked that a lot when I go visit the schools and go into the libraries and things, and I always emphasize to the kids that just to do what they love. And, you know, I think it's great, especially when I can get out and talk to the kids at such an early age, because that's really when I started to identify what it is that I wanted to do with my life and what passions I wanted to pursue. So, I think it's really a point that kids don't lose that sense of, you know, enthusiasm for just the things that they naturally love to do, rather than having people tell them, "You know, you should go pursue this, or you should go do that." When you're a kid, I think you have a really good sense of what it is that just brings you pleasure and makes you happy. So, I think it's just really important, even for, when I talk to adults and I talk to university classes, I really emphasize that… is to go back, revisit your youth, and really recapture the enthusiasm you had for the passions when you were that young. And I think there's nothing better in the world than to do what you love. And generally, you do that the best. And so, I think the rewards and the accomplishments and, you know, the financial stability and things like that will really come naturally after you excel at something that you love doing.
Well, you sound really creative as a child. So what other interests did you have? Was there anything else you wanted to be when you grew up?
Well, actually yeah, I had a really diverse pool of interests when I was a kid. I mean I played violin, you know, played piano for a bit as well, and, you know, I loved playing hockey, I probably would have been… you know, really pursued hockey, if I'd been a bit bigger… and I didn't spend all my time painting, and who knows, I could be playing for the Canucks today! But besides that, I was also really fascinated with space and astronomy, so I'm going to kind of be living out that dream with Ralphie, because in his next book, Ralphie in space. He has to head out into outer space and visit new worlds, and so, you know, even though I never turned out to become an astronaut, Ralphie will be, sort of, my version of an astronaut. Yeah, so those are really some of the interests that I would have probably pursued if I hadn't done writing and illustrating. A lot of people would argue that art and commerce don't mix together and you seem to be the exception to the rule. And, some people would say that the art would have to be compromised for the commerce. And you might not have to deal with that so much, because you're working with children, so I doubt you censor stuff. But, how do you reply to that, like to do you think it's possible to not compromise yourself as an artist? I actually find that the artistic talent and skills that I've developed over the years has really helped my business side and vice versa. The business training that I've had and the studies I have at school have really helped me, even in the creative aspect, in developing characters that I think really appeal to the kids out there and that the kids can really connect with, and then how to promote those characters as effectively as possible. And so I really find that the two mesh really well together.
And so, I've always felt that for me, personally, I've had business on my mind and not in my heart, and so I really combined the two together because, I mean, in the human body, those two components are, you know, equally important. And so, I find that, you know, rather than having them fight together, if you have them work together, you're that much stronger. So, I really don't find any conflict between the two. I mean, obviously, there's some times you have to compromise in terms of, well, you can't just pursue this 100% artistically if it has no business sense whatsoever to it. If it's not commercially viable. Well, yeah, I mean there's also some projects that I'll pursue just 'cause I love them, artistically. So, you definitely have to consider the business side of things, but sometimes, as an artist, it helps, to just, let loose and just do whatever your creative side says. So, I think having the business side definitely allows me to create a balance between the two, but, you know, I'm still free to pursue both equally. So, have you experienced any pressure in life to be really successful?
I think the pressure comes almost squarely from myself. And I think I really push myself to excel, but it's a good type of pressure. I mean, there's good pressure and there's bad pressure. Bad pressure is pressure to do something that you don't really want to do, whereas good pressure is just motivation. That's what I see it as. And so I just motivate myself and so I think it's actually a really positive type of pressure to succeed and excel. Well, you're really accomplished at this point in your life already. But, in the future, looking forward, what would you say would quality you as having become successful?
I think success is not so much a destination, but a moving target. And so, every time I reach a new milestone, you know, I can pause and look back and celebrate it, but then immediately look beyond that and say "What can I pursue next? What are my next goals?" And there's always something bigger and greater out there that I can pursue. So, I don't really see it as at a certain point I reach, you know, "success", you know, that high peak, and then I'll be done from then on. I always see success as this constantly moving target, and it gets higher and higher as you build more little accomplishments and milestones along the way. So, I mean, I really think the key to success is being happy with what you're doing, and being happy with your life, and really loving what it is that you're doing, and that is success for always. So, in no matter what it is that you're doing, you could be, you know, a doctor, or a dentist, or laying brick, or, you know, doing anything, and as long as you love what it is that you're doing and you feel like you're doing a great job and you're making people happy doing it, I think that is success. That's almost a paradoxical statement, though, because you're saying that, like success is like a moving target, but on the other hand, it's really hard to feel satisfied and happy with yourself if you're always feeling that there's something more. I think it's important to appreciate your accomplishments along the way. I don't think it's healthy, at the same time to say, you know, "I'm never successful!" You know, because it's impossible to reach that. I think what it is, is I… it's hard to quantify success as a certain point of, "I sold 'X' number of books," you know, "I'm successful now." Or, "I have…" you know, "…reached this many books published; I am successful now." I'd rather see it as, you know, "This is a great book I've just finished. I'm successful at creating this book." And then celebrate that success and say, "Well, this next idea I have for a book is more challenging. Let's go strive for that and be successful, you know at creating that book." So you can see how success is not pinned down as just one accomplishment… it's a series of them… and that you develop throughout your lifetime. So, I think it's really important that yeah, you definitely appreciate the little successes you have along the way. Well, before, you were mentioning how you've got a lot of positive reinforcement throughout your life from your parents and from teachers, and just from even the media, but you were kind of saying that the reward is from within, like, it's a matter of feeling that you yourself are successful in what you do? Definitely, I mean, I think it's encouragement and support from the people around you. They're very important. And I think, you know, I might not have developed as quickly if I hadn't had that positive reinforcement. At the same time, you know, sometimes you just need to get out and do it yourself, and really believe in yourself, and at that time, you know, all the confidence in the world really should come from within. And that's when you're at your strongest - when you really believe in yourself. Because there might be times in your life where the support's not there. And so it's important that you don't just crumble, because you don't have that support system. You know, you need to build your own support system. So, I think I've become stronger because I have that innate ability and that confidence in myself to really believe in what I'm doing and, you know, it just makes me that much stronger to have the support from the people around me. Well, it sounds as though you have a really good grasp of what you conceptually think of as "success", but, how do you deal with failure, because oftentimes in life there are ups and downs, so do you… how do you cope with that? That's a really good question. I think failure is a super important part of being successful, because - especially at a young age - I feel like everything that you do, even when you lose, you win.
And the reason I say that is, because if you try something new and you aren't successful at it, well, you've learned that either you're not good at doing this and that you should pursue something else, or you've done these things wrong, and now you can fix these things to make yourself better in that area. So really, both ways, when you look at it that way, you're winning, when you're losing, and I think that's a great way to look at failure. You're never really failing. There's a great quote which says, "Falling down does not make you a failure. Staying down does." And I really believe that and I believe that, you know, even if one book doesn't do as well as I think it could, if I sit back and evaluate, "Why didn't it do so well? What can I change? How can I… maybe I can still save it and salvage the project," Right? I think that in the end you come out with something that's really positive. And so I don't see failure as a negative thing. That's good. And also in your definition of success, it's kind of encompassed the idea of being happy. And a lot of people don't include that in their definition of being successful and it sounds like you're really well-rounded in thinking that way. Yeah, I mean, there's a material side of success, which is important because, you know, we live in a world where there are certain requirements if you want to reach a certain level of, you know, supporting your family and things like that, and supporting yourself. So, you know, those things, to a degree are important. But at the same time, I think just being happy with yourself and being happy with what you're doing is even more important. If I had… I've been blessed with the opportunity to meet a lot of successful people and that's the one thing that they stress, is just being happy with it… what it is that they're doing. And I mean, you know, the material things, and those types of accomplishments will accumulate over time. But, you know, happiness is one of those things that, if you're not happy with what it is that you're doing, it will never come to you. So… it's really Important, I think, to be happy with what it is that you're doing. Thank you.
Thank you.
It's been really nice speaking with you and you've had a lot of great things to say. And it's really inspiring that you do what you love to do. Well, it's inspiring to me, as well, to… just to be able to get out there and motivate other people to pursue their dreams. Right. Thank you so much.
