Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jason Evanko. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jason, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I think that a lot of people wish they had found their “thing” sooner than later, but in my opinion, it’s all part of the journey. I wouldn’t have been the person I would be without the experiences I have had. Those experiences have helped shape my way of thinking and how I create. I had never thought I would be in a creative career, having always had a passion in engineering and robotics, but where I am today, I can’t imagine another path.

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

I think, like many people, I found my way into my industry because I found a niche that needed to be filled. Getting into the film industry as an artist, I was able to fill my soul, but I saw so many parts of the VFX and film world that could be easily made better all in an effort so that artists can get back to what they needed to do most, create. When the pandemic hit, I saw my opportunity to really make the next move in my efforts which was to teach myself coding.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I think there are a lot of goals that are driving my creative journey, but the biggest mission that I always come back to time and time again is that being in a creative field is and always will be a viable career path, and isn’t just for “artists”. Lots of kids grow up not realizing that working in the arts is a possibility as their arts programs have the funding stripped but the arts aren’t just for people who can draw, act or paint. Being creative can also come in the form of coding to make tools for artists, or even making your own art through science. That is my biggest mission day in and day out, through mentorship programs at Syracuse University and other outreach programs I make sure that our future storytellers and creators understand that everything you do has a creative aspect to it.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I feel like every moment of every day in business, and in life in general, is a bunch of stories of pivoting, but I think one of my more recent most impactful stories happened recently when I pivoted from being primarily an artist to a technical director. Early in the pandemic I, among many others, found themselves faced with a difficult decision about the future of an industry as projects grind to a halt and work became slower and slower, I needed to make a shift to stay afloat. However I wasn’t too sure what that was because I wanted to still be an “artist” and I thought that leaving the traditional art career would be forgoing that. It wasn’t until I found Artistic Technical Directing that I saw my true calling in helping artists. By pivoting into coding, I was able to remove one of the biggest things I hated about being an artist, which was a layer of monotony in my day to day work. I started to make tools to help artists, and by doing this I myself became a better artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jasonevanko.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ctrl_alt_dlt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-evanko-11524459/