We recently connected with Lauren Neu and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

What it takes to be successful in a creative career entails many factors. The first factor to success in the motion design industry is determination and love for experimentation. The creative process is a road that often has its ups and downs from start to finish. Many times in the motion design industry, it can be considered taxing, but what makes it worthwhile in the end, is the excitement to jump into the unknown and experiment to find something beautiful/new along the way. Furthermore, building upon that, one key factor that is important to being a successful creative that needs to be talked about is getting an outside perspective by taking the time for oneself. The creative field’s grind is constant; it’s important to soak in the beauty of one’s natural surroundings and life experiences. This brings a new perspective and resets the mind. Burnout is common in the industry and causes creative blocks. Individuals who know the importance of taking the time out of the day to work on gathering life experiences, in return, burnout less and have more innovative ideas that are relatable. Being creative requires balance which helps lead to bright and fresh results.

Lauren, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My journey into the creative industry was challenging at first. Growing up as a teenager, I came from a family of very STEM-minded individuals; therefore, much of my curriculum in high school was geared towards a STEM field. However, with that said, I always found love and comfort in the field of motion graphics as a side hobby; slowly, I gained more and more experience in this field. When I reached my senior year of high school, I found myself doing all the sports branding graphics for my school teams. At that moment, I realized that motion media was the path I wanted to take.

Since then, I have been pushing myself to continue absorbing information like a sponge and experimenting with the various versatile elements in the field of motion graphics. I love curating design and animation for projects, especially in branding, finding new friends and colleagues, and hitting milestones along the way. It has been a wild ride, and the element that I am most proud of is leaping to switch from a STEM path of career choices to that of motion graphics and digital design. If I had not dared to become a motion designer, I wouldn’t be as happy as I am today!

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is when you crack something you didn’t know you could accomplish. Being in motion graphics, I know there is a lot of versatility and always something new in the industry. Therefore, figuring out a new technique that pushes a project further is super exciting and rewarding.

On the other hand, another rewarding element of being an artist or creative is collaborating with other creators. Collaboration is something that I deeply love about the motion graphic industry. Working with other creators is amazing as it helps to build a project with many ideas that are elevated to the next level. This allows the creative process to be shared with other creative-minded individuals. Another pro of collaboration is making new friends and connections that steadily build a great community of brilliantly talented individuals.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

The particular goal driving my creative journey is creating work that leaves an impact and a story that allows viewers to feel the raw emotion. Visuals can be nice to look at, but what pushes a visual further is having a story that connects to a viewer and their emotions. Seeing a person’s reaction to a piece I create and the raw emotion coming across their face makes me feel the creative process is worth it. As artists, we create for ourselves, but as designers, we create for the people. Therefore, my particular goal in my creative journey is to create work that inspires, brings emotion, and impacts those who view it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laurenneu.com
• Instagram: @a.neu.design
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-neu

Image Credits
All Images Owned/Designed by Lauren Neu
Special thanks to Stephanie Sandoval (The Bear Rebrand), Full details on collaboration on my website.
Special thanks to Caitlin Crooker (Rebellions to Revelations Project), Full details on collaboration on my website.
Special thanks to Hannah Ford