From digital artistry to big business: 3 trendsetters on making creativity your career

Adobe’s annual creativity conference, Adobe MAX, returned this year, held October 26th through the 28th, bringing together digital creators from all walks of life practicing in a variety of mediums. Adobe MAX is all about exploring new shapes and forms that digital art can take, and in today’s modern world, the possibilities have expanded into a number of fields that wouldn’t even exist without some of the technologies developed over the past decade. This year’s conference, which featured keynote speeches from Chloé Zhao, Keenan Thompson, Young Thug, Tilda Swinton and more, ranged in topic from design and animation to competitions and workshops aimed to broaden creative skillsets.

Today, BDG Studios is focusing on three artists who have not only chosen to center their work around the emerging areas of VR and AR, but have crafted strong, diverse careers utilizing their skills on projects for a broad range of clientele. While their expertise are disparate, all three share similar positions on how best to manage the most important aspects of being a digital creator—your time and how your work is represented online.

Heather Dunaway Smith

A self-professed “late bloomer,” Portland, Oregon-based Heather Dunaway Smith spent 11 years working in various digital art roles designing websites, apps, and games before taking the plunge and pursuing her own creations. “I had a job that I loved as the lead artist at a mobile game studio, but I knew deep down that I needed to make my own work,” Smith says. “That truth kept coming up, over and over. Eventually, I couldn’t ignore it. If I didn’t take the risk to pursue my art full time, I would regret it.”

Trusting her intuition, Smith saved up money for 2 years, left her job, and started practicing daily and posting online consistently. She says that once she started sharing, the response was immediate. In 2020, she was awarded an AR artist residency at Adobe. “If you go after something with your whole heart the universe will respond,” Smith says.

Much like in her own life, Smith’s first biggest piece of advice for any aspiring digital artist is to develop a daily practice and document it. “Only consistent effort will develop a new skill. Learning to create art is just like building muscle. You can’t go to the gym once and instantly be in shape,” Smith says. “Steady effort over time will lead to skill 100% of the time.” Smith also recommends setting up a social media plan and sticking to it, whether that’s posting on a daily basis or 3-4 times a week.

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Skeeva

Eugene Golovanchuk, also known as Skeeva, had similar advice. Acknowledging how saturated the market currently is, Skeeva suggested focusing on one “main” social media platform where you are less restricted in your sharing, and then choosing a secondary platform that only focuses on the highlights. He also praised Adobe’s Behance for its accessibility, both on the front and back ends. “I would highly suggest creating a portfolio on Behance and building an audience there. Making a good project with a neat presentation will surely attract some clients, plus you’ll already have your portfolio ready.”

Skeeva’s path is particularly inspirational given his autodidactic roots. He began his career as a self-taught Art Director and Digital 3D Artist, with a particular flair for the dark, surreal, and cyberpunk styles. It was only until he submerged himself deep into the world of 3D rendering and digital fashion did he truly find his calling.

“I started my career as a Junior 3D Generalist doing some small gigs for friends or small clients,” Skeeva says. “Since the 3D world was my work and hobby at the same time, I spent all my free time learning and exploring the possibilities of all the tools that were on the market. And it was so amazing and inspiring.”

His most important advice? Trust yourself and do your own thing, as it’s much too easy to follow trends in today’s oversaturated market. “I’ll keep saying this over and over to everyone because it’s important. Keep trusting yourself and do your own thing. Even if most of the people don’t get it. There's always a huge temptation to do what everyone does because people get more attention, likes etc... But this is a short-term strategy. In a long term run you want to have a unique voice and aesthetics in this massive and evolving CG world. Shaping that takes time and patience. But it’s worth it!”

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Dr. Helen Papagiannis

Another pioneer in the world of AR is Dr. Helen Papagiannis, whose groundbreaking contributions date all the way back to 2005. Her artwork, prototypes, and thought leadership over the last 16 years form the foundation for many of today’s AR experiences and lexicon. She is the author of the best-selling book Augmented Human: How Technology Is Shaping The New Reality (available in 5 languages worldwide) and a longtime user of Adobe Aero.

She encourages new artists to “go in there and get their hands dirty,” especially with the democratization of new tools. “The technology has come a very long way over the last 16 years that I’ve been working with AR,” Dr. Papagiannis says. “In 2009, our AR lab at York University, led by Dr. Caitlin Fisher, developed the first drag and drop AR software for artists and non-programmers. My recommendation to anyone interested in this medium is to play, explore, and experiment. Try as many AR demos and experiences as you can. Start simple and create something meaningful to you.”

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Ready to turn your artistry into a business? Visit Adobe MAX for more creative inspiration and learn how to bring your ideas to life.