We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Keogh recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I’ve been apart of a fair few meaningful projects but the one that first comes to mind was back in 2022 when I joined my first ever game jam.
Over the course of two days I joined a team of fellow creatives – including a programmer, sound designer and artist – we poured our creativity into creating a top-down endless runner game, which we named “Escape the Black Hound”.
On the final day of the jam we revealed the result of our combined efforts and I was delighted to see the character and enemy I had drawn and animated come to life on the screen.

But we didn’t stop there.
Through the game jam we joined Ardán’s “Wild Galway Games Initiative” (WGGI) and continued working on the game. Through WGGI, we were given access to a network of experienced mentor, a dedicated space for collaboration and invaluable support and resources to help us further develop our game. We were able to improve and add new features, refine artwork and explore our ideas further.

The overall experience was brilliant, I met a lot of fantastic people and learnt a lot of new skills. I left it feeling accomplished and confident in further pursuing a career in game design.

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

Hi, I’m Lauren and I am an artist living in Ireland. I love reading, video games and creating art.
I started drawing and painting during my secondary school years, both as a subject in class and as a hobby that quickly turned into a profound interest as I explored various art forms.

Upon leaving secondary school, I enrolled in the Design course at the Atlantic Technological University. Initially, I had intended to specialise in graphic design but discovered a deeper interest in the character design and storytelling of game and animation design. Throughout my studies I enjoyed learning the ins and outs of creating different types of games and animations, from side scrollers to top down rpgs or frame by frame to stop motion.

While I still love to draw and paint, I mainly utilise digital mediums. Be it creating 2d characters and environments with a tablet, or crafting 3d props and objects with a mouse, I love the freedom and flexibility it gives me to bring an idea to life.

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

I have a bunch of stories, characters and ideas sitting in a giant pile in my head that I want to turn into games that people can enjoy playing.
In the meantime I’ll enjoy drawing them and coming up with more things to add to the pile.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part, for me, is seeing the end result.
As much as I enjoy the process of taking that vague idea in my head and figuring out how to translate it onto a page, seeing it fully complete will always be the best.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/laurenkeogh8
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenkeogh15
• Other: Sketchfab: https://sketchfab.com/LKelda

  Itch.io: https://laurenk.itch.io/