We caught up with the brilliant and insightful William Deloe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

William, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I started my journey last year in December, when I got my first job offer as a 3D Environment Artist. I previously worked at a bakery shop for a year after graduating from school and getting nowhere with job offers. I was very happy and grateful that I could finally do a job that I love to do. I wish I had applied to more internships during College as that seems like the best way for students and graduates to get a entry job due to the competition. I focused too much on my grades in school when I should have been more attentive to making connections and applying to as much internships as possible, because unfortunately most that are offered are for students only and not graduates.

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 this industry because of my love for animated films and video games.

For my job, I Develop pre and post digital concept architecture used to visualize realistic renderings and animations.
I Coordinate with Account Executives to deliver swift marketing materials for vendor contracts and proposals.
What sets me apart from others is my ability to be consistent. I always strive to accomplish my goals and will not stop until I do so. I am most proud of my ability to be kind to others and to treat people with respect while in a stressful environment.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

For creatives, the main difference in job applications is the inclusion of a portfolio. That is the golden ticket to getting a job; having a good portfolio. Unfortunately, creatives need to work on portfolios in their own time in order to have a chance at a industry job. There is no ‘getting off work and relaxing at home, playing video games, etc’, you have to spend your free time on this additional document. It is not enough to have experience on your resume. You must be good at what you do and have proof, which is different from how non-creatives experience applications. For entry level artists, in order to get their foot in the door, cannot afford to take a break after work.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Support entry level artists. Give a chance for beginner artists instead of seeking the perfect unicorn or hiring a desperate industry veteran for cheap. If a company refuses to hire junior artists, who is going to learn from the leads and take over when they are gone? Outsourcing is not sustainable. You cannot expect a seed to grow if you don’t give it water.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/bkdeloe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bllly.d/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-deloe/