Takeover Tuesday with Tom Van Deusen
An interview with Tom Van Deusen an animator and visual designer living in New York City.
Interviewer: Matea Losenegger
Read time: 5min
Matea:
Hey Tom! Thanks for lending your time. Can you please tell us a little about yourself?
Tom:
Thank you! I'm a visual designer and animator based out of New York City. I like to write and draw comics too. I have a cat named Spooky. I'm currently a Senior Motion Designer at a large media company. My favorite color is #CD9704..
Matea:
What is your background and how did you wind up in the motion design world?
Tom:
I grew up loving to write and draw, glued to the television during the golden age of deranged, socially irresponsible cartoons of the mid-90s. My mom was an art teacher and was fully encouraging of all my creative pursuits. I'll never forgive her. I earned a BFA in 2008 and entered the workforce fabulously ill-suited for a global recession.
Over the subsequent 11 years I worked a lot of interesting jobs, from Network Control Center Technician to Financial Operations Analyst. Very interesting. At night I did freelance illustration and wrote hundreds of pages of comics. I have some books that got published that are really screwing up my SEO.
Anyhoo, at the age of 33 I went back to school for graphic design at the advice of several designer friends who sensed how thoroughly miserable I was. There's a great program they had attended called the Seattle Creative Academy. I learned visual design, UX/UI, packaging and a bit of motion.
I had enough motion footage by graduation to put together a reel. I applied to oodles of jobs and got an offer for a visual design job and a motion design job the same week. It was then that I made the difficult decision to take the one that paid a lot better.
It’s Tom!
Matea:
Do you still use traditional mediums, and do you think it's important for digital artists to flex those more 'tactile' muscles?
Tom:
I was a bit of a luddite in my art-making before going back to school. I drew my comics with a dip pen and Rapidograph. I poo-pooed those who drew on digital tablets, knowing that I was making something physical that will be celebrated by future generations.
Now I'm drawing mostly digitally, and there will be less stuff for my grandchildren to throw into a landfill. I still draw on paper sometimes, but usually just sketches or life drawing. I feel very good about myself when I tap the paper with two fingers to undo before I realize I actually need to use my eraser. My goal is to have my life's work be inaccessible when I stop paying for Creative Cloud.
Matea:
Congratulations on cooking up a spicy new reel! It's a process many of us dread, but yours turned out great. What would you say goes into creating a compelling one?
Tom:
Thank you very much! I've made a lot of stuff over the past years and it was difficult to pare it down and objectively look at it. To make a good reel I'd say takes watching YouTube videos on how to make a good reel. It was also extremely helpful to get feedback from a lot of other, talented motion designers such as yourself. It's hard to tell what's garbage when everything is your precious baby. Sometimes your precious baby is garbage.
Check out Tom’s new reel!
Matea:
It was a really cool idea to incorporate footage of NYC in the opening and close. Has living in the city affected your work at all?
Tom:
Thanks! I moved here from Seattle about a year ago to be closer to family and because my job is in Manhattan. I wanted to incorporate some real-life video footage in addition to my animation, and filmed some stuff on my phone. Because I'm in NYC, those shots are footage of NYC.
As far as influence, I love drawing dense urban areas, and there's a lot of that here. I'd love to find a screen printing co-op in the city to print some of those drawings, so if anyone knows of one in the city please let me know!
Matea:
You have such a playful yet striking illustration style. How would you describe your creative voice and what was the process in developing it?
Tom:
That's very kind. I'm definitely a product of alternative comics. That was the "scene" I was in for a very long time. Over the years I simplified my drawings, replacing fussy cross-hatching with flat colors. I also love children's book illustration. Over the years I've been lucky enough to know a lot of talented artists and illustrators, and I'm sure I'm cribbing some of their styles. Or let's just call it osmosis, for legal reasons.
Frame from “Digital Exclusives.”
Matea:
In a similar vein, where do you find inspiration?
Tom:
I hate to say the internet, but nowadays there's such easy access to amazing artwork on the internet that I have to say the internet. I hated saying that. I've also gone to a lot of incredible museums and gallery shows in the city, and it's impossible to not be inspired by those. And usually some crazy idea will pop into my head that's funny to me, and it will make me laugh aloud in public. Not sure how or why that happens, but I wish it would stop.
Matea:
If budget and time weren't constraints, what would be your dream project to work on?
Tom:
I'd love to make an animated short based on the comic that I'm working on. It's currently about a duck and an alligator, but will soon include a snake, a mouse and a giraffe. I have a lot written for it but can barely find the time to draw it into a comic. I'm currently drip-feeding it onto my Instagram. The good news is that it's zero budget and nobody cares how long it takes me.
Matea:
Do you have any wisdom for aspiring creatives and what do you wish you had known when you first started out?
Tom:
You have to live a life to do anything creative. Don't fret if you think everyone else has their nose down at their Cintiq while you're drinking White Claws on the beach. You can't make art in a vacuum, and life's short. Enjoy it.
One of the scene’s from Tom’s recent comic.
Matea:
Do you have any upcoming projects you're excited to share with the world?
Tom:
I'm actually very excited by that comic I'm working on, even though my productivity doesn't always match that excitement. I'm having fun drawing it, and since it's a personal project that's the important part.
Takeover Tuesday with Nick Fairbanks
An interview with Nick Fairbanks a freelance illustrator and animator living in Atlanta, Georgia.
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Nick! Thanks again for joining us for Takeover Tuesday. Can you please give us a lil' intro to let the people know who you are and what you do?
Nick:
Hi! The name’s Nick. I’m a freelance illustrator and animator living in Atlanta, Georgia. I mostly work in the startup and tech world but I’m trying to break into editorial work and children’s books.
Bella:
How'd you get into illustration and animation?
Nick:
I got my degree in documentary filmmaking at Florida State University. I had to learn After Effects and really loved it. I had some intricately animated sequences in a documentary I was working on and it impressed a classmate who had a startup company. He hired me to create an animated explainer for their product and was willing to pay $800 which was a lot for me at the time. I had always drawn things, but as I worked on the animated explainer, I learned about Dribbble and Pinterest and became exposed to the world of tech art. By the time I graduated, I was working for the startup company and had pivoted my career goals towards tech illustration.
“Seaplane.”
Bella:
Your style is unique and I've always been a big fan because it looks like it belongs in a book or magazine. What advice do you have for people trying to "find" their style?
Nick:
It’s incredibly hard to create a style that is truly your own. You don’t have to scroll that far back in my feed to see that the way I draw has changed a lot over the years as my influences have changed. But the art we make will always be influenced by those we look up to and that has to be okay. For me, it’s people like Oliver Jeffers, Vincent Mahe, Tom Hugonaut, Miroslav Sasek, Robinson, Quentin Blake. It’s important to keep in mind that there are two components to style: 1. the way you create art and 2. the stories you tell. Be conscious of what you’re taking from others and what you’re contributing that is your own. Find a balance that allows you to sleep comfortably at night. As far as actionable advice, the most common theme in art is people. So draw a janitor, a politician, a florist etc. Draw lots of people and then ask yourself, what would a car look like that this person would drive? What would their house look like? Build out the world in your style, starting with people.
Bella:
Where do you find inspiration?
Nick:
The most interesting things have some truth in them so I try to pull inspiration from the places I go and people I meet. I always keep a little notebook I can fit in my back pocket and write down the things I see and the thoughts they prompt as they happen.
“Preparing for emergencies.”
Bella:
Can you tell us a bit about your website, aportraitof.info?
Nick:
My Grandmother passed in 2021 and while I had plenty of photos, I had only one video. It prompted me to think how nice it would have been to have a long form video of her, and even better if she was answering deep, thought provoking questions. I created A portrait of as a way to do just that. I’ve filmed about a dozen so far and while it’s emotionally rewarding, it is very time consuming. I don’t advertise it much anymore, but if people reach out and want me to do it for their family, I’m always happy to do it. I may pick it back up more seriously in the future, but it's too far removed from my larger goals to warrant dedicating time to.
Bella:
What's the process like for managing your own Etsy shop?
Nick:
I initially wanted to print, pack, and ship all my own work. I sold out of 40 prints in a few days which was really encouraging, but the process was taxing. As of right now, I just offer digital downloads so that people can print them however they want. I’m thinking a lot about passive income, so I’ll keep the store as is for now, but I will be looking into working with a printing company soon who can handle all that for me.
“Arc De Triomphe.”
Bella:
How has your random mug drawing series on Instagram been helping you combat creative block? Is there anything else you like to do when you feel stuck?
Nick:
Yeah, it’s been really helpful! I actually draw the first thing I pull from the list. I was spending way too much time thinking about what people would want and it was stifling my ability to create. If I don't want to draw something from that list, I go on long walks and don’t come home until I have something clear in my head.
Bella:
Some of your advice on the gram is to try to "create something every day that makes you want to call your mom and tell her about it." (amazing advice btw). What's something you've worked on recently that made you want to tell your mom about it?
Nick:
My mom is my biggest supporter so she sees most of my work on IG before I get around to telling her about it. That aside, I was excited to tell her about a side project I spun up, creating animated portraits of creatives I interviewed while traveling around Europe and Asia a few months ago. I only shared a small portion of our conversation on social media but she wanted to hear about the whole thing.
Bella:
You've got a pretty big social media following (100k followers WOO)! Any advice for people trying to get noticed and share their work on social media?
Nick:
For context, I’ve been sharing my art on IG for 9 years. 8 months ago, I had a following of 5,000 or so. The cityscapes went sort of viral and propelled my following to what it is now, and I’ve been hovering around 100 for the last 3 months. So the bulk of followers came in about 4 months. But here’s what I’ve learned:
1. People love to travel. My cityscapes remind people of where they’ve been or where they want to go. People are always sharing it or tagging their friends. Anything that has to do with travel is going to increase your chances of it performing well.
2. People love to love. Create content around relationships or love. If you can strike that chord, reminding people of someone they love, or loved, it will perform well.
3. Elevate your work with animation. It doesn’t have to be anything major. Most of the animation I incorporate is really subtle and simple to execute. But it performs better on average than a static post.
4. It has to be either really strong stylistically, or really strong conceptually.
Look at something you’ve made and ask yourself, “Why would a stranger care about this or want to share it with their friend?”
“San Francisco Sunsets”
Bella:
Anything you're looking forward to working on/doing in the future?
Nick:
I’m ALMOST done with a Skillshare course on how to draw my cityscapes [Update it’s live!]. I’ve been talking about it for months and should be publishing it in the next 2-3 weeks. After that, I’ll be working on my website and try to make a real career out of freelancing.
Takeover Tuesday with Jardley Jean-Louis
An interview with Jardley Jean-Louis an NYC born multi-disciplinary artist living and working in Queens.
Interviewer: Matea Losenegger
Read time: 5min
Matea:
Hey Jardley! Thanks for lending us your time. Can you please introduce yourself?
Jardley:
Hey! I’m Jardley Jean-Louis, I’m an NYC born multi-disciplinary artist living and working in Queens. I work in illustration, animation and film and center my work on depicting stillness, education, and under-represented identities and subjects.
Matea:
What inspired you to become an artist and how did you get into the motion design space?
Jardley:
It’s funny, I’ve been an artist since I was a kid and was going to say nothing inspired me because this is how it’s been forever. But I have a memory of being really young and there being a boy who was a really great artist in the class, me aspiring to be that good and taking him on as my mentor. So, that kid and my perseverance to get really good.
In terms of motion design, I think in the back of my head while I was pursuing just art, I wanted to get into the animation space. As a kid that meant the goal of having my own show on Nickelodeon and a film for Disney when I grew up, and later and more concretely, learning more about motion design as an Illustrator’s Assistant for a one-person animation studio while in college. That was my first art job. While my role there was to produce character/background design, the CD also invited me into the depths of script-writing, storyboarding, and animating background characters. Getting that well-rounded experience and seeing the final animation which felt like magic to me, was enough to start me on my own journey of honing my animation skills and looking for my own clients.
“Mementos.”
Matea:
How would you describe your artistic style and what are some key themes and messages that you explore in your work?
Jardley:
My work is very character driven and intent on building a mood especially with lights and shadows. I also without intending to, use a lot of deep rich colors. I work digitally these days, but my work has been described as painterly - which is great to hear because my foundation is in traditional painting and drawing. So, that’s unintentionally translated.
The key themes and messages I explore in my work are quiet life moments that speak to the reality of life, education, and under-represented identities and subjects.
Matea:
Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you come up with new ideas and what techniques do you use to bring them to life?
Jardley:
On both client and personal work - the creative process is dictated by the brief or idea and what mood and feeling the work is trying to convey. On client projects I’m zero-ing in on the themes and message the client has shared with me and the key words in the script that define each scene. On personal projects, I have an idea and I’m looking to draw it out through thinking of what type of composition and lighting accentuates it.
An exercise I do is dump every idea (including a ridiculous idea) onto my notebook. I believe that writing every single idea, not criticizing it, and therefore dismissing it, frees your mind to be more creative and find its way to a strong concept. If you’re constantly cutting an idea off at its legs, you won’t feel safe enough to explore and trust you’ll find an idea.
I then work through concepts by sketching them out and writing questions I have for myself. I find the notes especially stimulating.
I also review my long list of Flickr reference images and spend a lot of time on Behance looking for inspo.
“Friends”
Matea:
How different is your approach to client work vs your personal projects?
Jardley:
Well with client work it involves more pre-production than I do in my personal projects. That involves deciphering the script or brief and providing tangible materials such as moodboards, sketches, style frames or mockups, and storyboard animatics. In my own work I do less of that - the tangible materials. I’m typically holding an idea and composition in my head. I’ll look at a ton of reference images and then go straight into creating it in photoshop or after effects when the pieces feel right. For both, I also am finding the color scheme while I’m working - most times I have an idea of colors, but it’s not settled until I’m working on it.
However, since my recent solo exhibition, I’ve started to see the reason for sketches in my own personal projects. It helps to remind you of what the composition is meaning to be and by having it out on the paper, you’re able to see if it’s working or not rather than just going straight to final. Finding out the imagined concept didn’t work bit me in the ass one or twice on this solo.
Matea:
Huge congratulations on your recent solo exhibition "Joy - This Place I Land." What was that experience like and are you interested in working on more gallery work?
Jardley:
Thank you! The experience was incredible, I’m glad. I was selected as a ARTWorks Fellow for Jamaica Center for the Arts and Learning’s 10 month residency and the solo exhibition came from that.
So it was a 10 month process of figuring out what scenes best represented my theme: what does joy and thriving look like in everyday life. Especially being Black.
Originally I had 6 pieces + an animation I planned, but upon revisiting the gallery space and seeing how much space I had, I added 2 more illustrations. Getting to show what joy is for me, which is really just love in life moments and witnessing how much it resonated with folks meant a lot to me.
I’m not really interested in becoming a gallery artist. I’ll have my work in shows here and there as long as it makes sense to me. Same for residencies. I’m not actively pursuing either. I view it as avenues that are available to me as a creative. Never just confined to one avenue.
“Bart Simpson”
Matea:
I know it's difficult to choose, but do you have a favorite piece in the show and what makes it stand out in your mind?
Jardley:
I have two pieces that stand out for me. “Heritage” for its family ties, warmth and sense of just belonging and “To Be With Friends.” for all the love, lightness, and thriving I continually want for my life.
Matea:
Where do you get inspiration? Are there any particular artists or movements that have impacted your work?
Jardley:
I get inspired everywhere. Walking around and looking at things, overhearing conversations, being with people, looking at the work of fellow creatives, taking in my apartment, processing my life, tv shows/films.
Artists that heavily impact my work are Rebecca Mock and Katharine Lam. Particularly for creating a mood and for their use of lighting. Also Pat Perry, for the still and simple moments of life.
Matea:
How do you stay motivated to create your own work in addition to client projects? Do you have any tips for burnout?
Jardley:
I won’t say that I consistently create my own work and do so alongside client projects successfully. I don’t have a routine. Sometimes it happens that it’s a particularly slow time so I have room for my own work, or there’s an idea I want to get out, or mentally I’m in a space to put the work in and things just flow then. I try to honor where I’m at. I guess I stay motivated because producing client work isn’t my end goal for my career. I want the ratio to skew wherein majority of the time, the work I’m producing is mine. It’s what I’m known for and it’s how I make a living. I still plan on working with clients, but I think my voice and creative project being the end goal is more fulfilling.
For burnout, my tip is to honor it as best you can. When I was a permalancer, that meant speaking up that I was taking some mental health days for myself. When I’ve been working non-stop on client work that means taking as much time as I can in between client work. If I’m on deadline, but am already burnt out and a concept isn’t coming or my brain is frying, I try to take chunks of time during the day to just chill out. Honor it as best you can.
“Heritage”
Matea:
Any upcoming projects you're excited about?
Jardley:
I recently wrapped up an animation where I was the illustrator on it which I’m excited to see in its final. It’s about the stained foundation of America.
I have a personal short film animation that I’m currently researching and world-building on on the early years of the AIDS epidemic and Haitians.
Takeover Tuesday with Rafael Silveira
An interview with Rafael Silveira: Brazilian artist living in Curitiba, Brazil.
Q&A with Rafael Silveira
Read time: 3min
Mack Garrison:
Thanks for joining us for our Tuesday Takeover, Rafael! Your creations have a very unique flavor and they feel incredibly original. For those unfamiliar with your work, could you tell us a bit about your style in your own words?
Rafael Silveira:
Brazilian Contemporary Art with a RetroPopOpPsychodelicSurreal Twist.
Calor Humano - Oil on canvas
Mack Garrison:
Do you think of yourself as an artist or an illustrator? Is there a difference?
Rafael Silveira:
Artist. I think illustration is something different, it's a kind of art you create by demand to clients (usually brands or editorial companies) working together with other creatives (designers, art directors, writers, marketing people). it's also great art and I love good illustration.
Mack Garrison:
Did you have formal training or were you completely self taught?
Rafael Silveira:
I studied art at university (did not finish) and I have a degree in advertising. I think I learned a lot in these places, but I also learned most of things I do today by doing this things and making a deep research, as a self taught.
Mack Garrison:
How has growing up in Brazil influenced you and your work?
Rafael Silveira:
All my personal experiences have a lot of influence in my work. Brasil are very intense and surreal sometimes...
Circonjecturas - Solo show at Caixa Cultural Brasilia
Mack Garrison:
Your textile work looks phenomenal and I love all the little details. Have you always been interested in textile work or is that a new development?
Rafael Silveira:
All these details come from the talented hands of my wife, textile artist Flavia Itibere (my textile works are made in collaboration with her). She influenced me a lot with her fashion/textile references.
Mack Garrison:
Do you have a favorite type or project or medium to work with?
Rafael Silveira:
I work with several mediums. I love oil on canvas and digital art.
Mack Garrison:
Growing up, who were some of the artists or designers that were a big inspiration to you?
Rafael Silveira:
There are a lot of influences...Arcimboldo, Magritte, Mark Ryden, Audubon...I also love anonymous paper ephemera, an artist from 19th century.
BOOM! - Oil on canvas and carved wood
Mack Garrison:
Are there any upcoming projects you're excited about?
Rafael Silveira:
Yes! My new solo show #EspumaDelirante (in english #DeliriousCream ) at Farol Santander São Paulo
Mack Garrison:
Any final takeaways you would like to share with our audience?
Rafael Silveira:
Please follow my insta page for news and more art @rafael_silveira_art
Wild Life - Oil on canvas and carved wood
Takeover Tuesday with Ayelet Raziel
Q&A with Ayelet Raziel, a Graphic Artist from Israel. She studied graphic design at H.I.T and spent a decade in the design industry including print, branding, and UX.
Q&A with Ayelet Raziel
Read time: 10min
Madison Caprara:
Hey, Ayelet! Could you give us a little intro to yourself and your work? Some background if you will?
Ayelet Raziel:
Hey Madison! Yes definitely. I’m a Visual Creator, Graphic Designer, and Artist. I like to play with shapes and colors to express moments of joy, love, and wonder. Some just for fun and art’s sake, and others in collaborations with like-minded people and organizations. I studied graphic design and worked in various industries including press, branding, and UX. After that, I shifted my focus mainly to independent artistic explorations, and nowadays I am a freelancer, combining the best of all worlds!
Madison Caprara:
What led to you initially choosing graphic design as your career path?
Ayelet Raziel:
I was always a very visual person and liked to draw since I was little. My visual perception tends to be rather graphic and abstract oriented, so I was naturally drawn to this field. Since I’m also very musical, my dream was to design for the music industry (album covers and concert posters) and to express music visually.
Madison Caprara:
And once you chose to go down the path of being a professional creative, how did you go about developing the style that we see today?
Ayelet Raziel:
Interesting question! I was working for a UX company, mainly making standard-looking banners and buttons, until I recognized the internal call to quit my job and focus on drawing. In the beginning, I had no style of my own. I started drawing over photo references and slowly gained the confidence to try new things and make bolder artistic choices.
I meditate a lot, I’ve been doing that regularly for about 10 years. Through meditation and other psychedelic experiences, I was able to reach deeper within myself or outside myself, if you will, to see clearer visions and find new realms of imagination. I constantly try to follow this inner vision and let my heart lead me to whatever feels exciting.
Madison Caprara:
That’s so interesting! I always had this preconceived notion that style was something innate, but it makes more sense to have to work at it.
Now, do you use more manual techniques, or do you prefer digital?
Ayelet Raziel:
I like to explore various techniques and switch between them. Each has a different benefit. So it depends on what vibe I want to achieve in the particular project. I feel the digital tools (for me, drawing on an iPad) allow for more freedom. You can add, subtract, and undo countless times. The process can unfold in surprising ways.
On the other hand, manual techniques, such as ink or markers, allow for a spontaneous one-of-a-kind moment with the sensitivity and detail that digital tools lack. If I can, I try to combine the two or start out one way and continue with the other. For example, I designed the cover art for “Found” by TAMACO. The music is a mixture of tribal and electronic elements. I used a mixed media of ink drawings, acrylic sponge painting, and photoshop gradients to convey that atmosphere.
Madison Caprara:
So beautiful! We’ll have to be sure to include a still for readers to see.
Are you still based in Israel? What’s the creative industry like there?
Ayelet Raziel:
Yes, I am probably here to stay! I would say that, just like everything in Israel, the creative industry is very dense and diverse. There is some of everything, including a lot of room for boldness and self-expression. We are a warm-tempered nation, both in climate and in creation.
Madison Caprara:
Has it been difficult to establish yourself? Do you feel you have had to compete?
Ayelet Raziel:
In financial terms, I luckily had savings and my lifestyle was minimalistic enough to allow me to really make the time for my creative process without stressing about money. Personally, the hardest part about establishing myself has been the internal/psychological aspect, in other words, finding my own creative voice and gaining the confidence to use it. I believe that once you start finding your own unique style, you don’t really have to compete. You just do your thing and if it’s right for a specific project it will naturally fit. There are different projects for different creatives.
Madison Caprara:
And what was your first design job? Or maybe even a piece you can think of that was your first personal success? Something you remember being proud of completing?
Ayelet Raziel:
Wow! It’s hard to say because I tend to make up my own projects. Even as a 10-year old, I created a pop magazine from paper scraps and doodles, made some copies in my dad’s office, and gave it to friends! But my first real design job right after school was at The Marker, one of Israel's biggest financial newspapers. I started at the news desk of the printed newspaper and slowly worked my way up to more interesting projects like magazines and special editions, including cover illustrations for those, which was pretty exciting.
Maybe not the first I was proud of, but one of the first that I felt was really my own creation, was another self-initiated project for a funky 80s party I hosted with some friends. We called it Space Salon. I created both the digital art and the physical art installation at the event. It was a success. People loved it.
Madison Caprara:
Do you have a favorite, or least favorite, type of project? It seems like you dedicate a lot of time to your personal works!
Ayelet Raziel:
My favorite projects are the ones where I can collaborate with others on something cool. For example, our party, or a concert, even an event. I enjoy watching the work come to life with others all while serving the ultimate goal of fulfilling a fun, creative purpose. My least favorite projects? Well, I guess that would be those with a stressful deadline or when the client has a lot of last-minute comments and changes, but I usually end up learning and growing from those as well.
Madison Caprara:
We spoke a little on it earlier, but how important do you feel it is to create your own style as a designer? How do you balance this against the client’s or project’s needs?
Ayelet Raziel:
Maintaining my individual style is very important to me. There’s always a way to uphold it while still meeting the client’s needs. There are endless ways to approach a challenge, so as long as you are flexible, you will find a creative solution that works for both sides.
Madison Caprara:
What has surprised you most about the design industry?
Ayelet Raziel:
Since I’ve been a freelancer, I’ve found my own niche. I now feel less a part of some big industry and more like a person just doing my thing. You can say that’s something that still surprises me. Everyone can find their place eventually without needing to push, even if it takes a little while.
Madison Caprara:
And are there any ethical issues you believe this industry needs to work on?
Ayelet Raziel:
When I was working full-time for other employers, mainly within the print and branding industries, there was often a feeling that junior designers are expected to give a lot of time and energy, and aren’t always properly rewarded for that. I hope things improve in that sense.
Madison Caprara:
Where do you go for inspiration?
Ayelet Raziel:
A lot of my ideas and inspirations come from meditating. Sometimes I can sit to meditate and suddenly have a vision or flash of colors. Music can also very much bring me to that place within because I often experience sound visually in shapes and colors. But really, inspiration can come from anywhere; I try to keep my heart and mind open and seek wonder in everything I do.
Madison Caprara:
Well, it was great getting to know more about you and your work, Ayelet. Before we wrap up, do you have any closing points that you would like to end on?
Ayelet Raziel:
Stay true to yourself. Do what excites you; you’re the one who does it best and that’s what the world needs.
