Li remarked, "Whether I have money or not does not matter to me at all, but I would find it very difficult without friends." Li's interest in art was encouraged by his tutor, Lu Hwa-shih, who taught him to paint in addition to his regular school lessons.
他日日作畫，又經常參觀畫展，臨摹好畫，技藝日有精進，於民國四十年首次舉辦個人畫展。但他並不滿足，期望更有進境，乃於民國四十二年報考政工幹校美術系，接受正規的美術教育。