We were lucky to catch up with Pauline Voss recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Pauline, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
I got my first client thanks to a seed that had been growing for a long time. In the art entertainment industry you have to reach a certain level to meet client expectations, and it helps enormously to be part of a community that supports and teaches each other. I found that in the Drink & Draw crew in Berlin in 2016.
My first job came through a friend who was already established and passed it on to me. I worked my ass off to meet the quality standards, and I was incredibly nervous, but I delivered and it led to more opportunities.
The excitement was huge, the fear just as big. I believe failure is part of the journey, and every step, including the failures, shaped me into the artist I am today.
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 am Pauline Voss, also known online as Skadivore, and I create illustrations and concept art for the entertainment industry. My clients include Disney, Magic: The Gathering, HarperCollins and Netflix. In my illustrations I shape light and color into moods that tell stories, while in concept art I love imagining entire worlds of magic and wonder down to the smallest detail. I also create personal work, both digital and traditional with gouache, oils and pastels. Through my art I try to express the values that shaped me, because I am passionate about a kinder and more inclusive world.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I will tell this story with a wink. I once had a job with Riot Games that I completely messed up until they eventually let me go in a very kind way. I was so paralyzed by the opportunity that my brain simply stopped working. I no longer knew how to paint. I stared at my canvas all day with no clue what to do. And hey, at least I did not throw my pencil in the trash.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to stop believing that I can fit 1 million things in my 24 hour day. that might sound pretty cliché but every creative I have talked to so far struggled with this at some point and it is part of the reason why mental health and work life balance are such discussed topics. we do not grow up getting educated on this. We have to figure out the hard way. I hope to do better for my children.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.skadivore.com
- Instagram: @skadivore
- Linkedin: Pauline Voss
- Twitter: @Skadivore
