We recently connected with Jake Morrison and have shared our conversation below.
Jake, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
For the past four years or so, yes. It was a journey similar to many others, and it started with a twenty-year old college student pushing shopping carts in the parking lot of Target for a living. I got my first gig doing small characters for a game that never got made- all the while I was developing my own IP in the form of comic books. The work rolled in slowly- mostly freelance work for animation studios, and board game companies. But the deliverables were limited, and my time there was never guaranteed. Truth be told, I have yet to apply for a creative gig, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive them organically. Things changed though, when I began getting approached by video game developers- and that’s where I was able to make my living full-time. I would recommend to anyone looking for full time work, in any creative field, that you search for the long-term, stable gigs, in conjunction with your more personal works.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I got into art for the same reason that I’m making art today- and that is so I can build worlds. Brevity and believability are my hallmarks, and I try to implement these things into my world-building and illustrations. When I was in college, I had a dream to become a cartoon show-runner- but ultimately the dream was to create a world that people cared about, fictional but real to its readers and viewers. The road is still long ahead but I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think it would be worth the trouble. Now I’m working 12-hour days developing 3 separate IPs in the forms of a trading card game, a rogue-like video game, and an animated property.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I understand why NFTs are considered to be a mixed-bag, but I also think people are quick to judge. I’ve always been interested and invested in crypto currencies, and NFTs are just the next step in the realm of ownership and intellectual property. It just has to get out of it’s initial, unregulated scammy-phase and I think it’ll be fine.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
For the longest time I thought I would be working in animation. But, I had to pivot when I realized I would never own any of the things I was making, even if it was cool they’d end up on a TV screen. It was difficult, especially since I went to college for animation, but ultimately I had to do what’s best for my own fulfillment.
Contact Info:
- Website: jakemorrisonart.com
- Instagram: @jakemorrisonart