We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daniel Kupakwashe Sithole a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Daniel Kupakwashe, appreciate you joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

The main problem a lot of digital artists face is that in my country, the entertainment industry does not cater to the digital artist. We do not have mainstream content that is in need of a digital artist. In order to make a living, you either work remotely as a freelancer or find really niche studios that offer such services to companies and organizations wanting to advertise.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Daniel Kupakwashe Sithole, but I go by the alias ‘Sith Sensei Art’ online. I am a multimedia artist who started off as a comic book artist. I am the artist and illustrator for a comic book called SABLE, and I was the editor and illustrator for a webnovel called BEHEMOTH.

I have worked on a few projects locally, one of them being a concept artist and an assistant inker for the comic book, NARINI, which was sponsored and produced by Telco Broadband and Beyond, alongside Cherish Waldman who was the Promo artist and assistant colourist, T.S Zombie as the inker and Justin as the colourist.

I have worked on multiple sets, for both film and advertising, and I have helped create content for COMEXPOSED, a creative hub helping digital artist like myself in Zimbabwe.

I have spent most of my art career directing and working under directors to create professional looking content that relates to local and international audiences. My goal has always been to help provide an authentic African lens, assist in creating personal stories, (which were made possible by Telco, Kay Media Africa and the Comexposed community), and to be that guiding light for digital creators in similar situations such as mine.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Being just a creative will not get you far. I used to have the mindset that if my art is good enough then surely someone will notice me. That can work in specific scenarios, but the most important skills to have are your soft skills, and that has taken me time to learn them. A company or client would rather work with an okay artist who can communicate really well and is a delight to work with than a really good artist who is difficult to work with. Being able to understand your client and asking questions when needed is a really small, but priceless skill to have in your toolbox.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Apart from the ones mentioned beforehand, I have 2 goals I wish to achieve: To create an online hub for storytellers to tell unique and interesting stories in a pre-established world, and to get rid of African and other unhealthy stereotypes in mainstream media. Both goals are attainable, but they still require me to learn more about the inner workings of the online creative economy. It is a difficult journey, but it is entertaining!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sithsenseiart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568128678816
• Twitter: https://x.com/sithsenseiart
• Other: https://llinktr.ee/sithsenseiart

Image Credits

Comexposed, Telco Broadband and Beyond, Sith Sensei Art