Do you think you’ve gained anything from being self-taught as opposed to being formally trained?
After learning that there’s these communities online that actually watch short films, I came across these video contests online and I started to submit to them. Finally I got accepted to some film festivals that I was able to travel to when I was a senior and when I had just graduated high school. That’s when I got to meet a lot of young filmmakers, some who were in high school, some who were not, then I started to learn from them. My friends became my mentors. I would bug a lot of my friends about questions or just kind of try to absorb their vocabulary and the way that they would talk about films and the way they would describe their process. I would go to these film festivals and sometimes there would be these film professors and professionals just walking around and being in the space. I’d always be so eager to talk to them because for me it was my only opportunity to meet fellow human beings who are in film. It was my only chance to learn something from someone way more experienced. So I would say [being self-taught] helped me gain confidence on my own at the beginning. Some classroom environments work for some people and not others. I was a very shy student; I would never raise my hand to ask questions, so I feel like going to film class might have swallowed me up. I maybe would have been really, really shy and not learned as much. But, being online and learning things on my own helped me gain my own confidence. It made me confident in my own voice and what I had to offer.

I know there have been some debates over whether things like video games and other kinds of new media can be really considered art. Have you encountered that debate in your work at all?
There are a lot of games that are beautiful and handcrafted made by an independent community of developers that tell these personal stories. Then there’s games that exist where people just want you to come back to them, spend more time on the game and spend more money at the game store. Aside from that whole world where entertainment and commerce collide in this way, there are so many games that are grounded in soul and story, and they’re so artistic. Sometimes they don’t get that much attention. Now, I think that’s changing. There are so many different niche spots that we can come across and discover. I think making games is an art and a science, almost like magic and wizardry. I want to learn more about game design because it’s all about intention, like how can you teach someone something without saying one single word in the English language? How can you teach someone something without saying one single word in any language? How can you teach someone something through a gesture? Or through the design of the space? How can you make someone feel like they’ve accomplished something or that they’ve reached a goal? How do you create a world and fill that world with characters that you’re rooting for?

The world of technology is very male-dominated. How do you navigate being in those spaces?
I was really obsessed with virtual reality. It’s getting more popular now, but two years ago it wasn’t as popular. I was like, “Where can I find resources to learn more?” I just wanted to be in front of people who are talking about VR so I can learn what they’re talking about. Then I learned that there are game developer conferences, VR conferences, and interactive media conferences. I live in Southern California, so I have access to things that are happening in Los Angeles. I would sneak into one of these conferences and find little ways in like posing as a student or write ‘Something Studios’ on my badge just so I could walk into this space and no one would question it. The reason I felt comfortable to do that was because I was like, “I am here to learn, and I have something to offer to this space that they have not seen yet.” Don’t slouch, don’t feel nervous, and don’t feel like you don’t belong there because once you feel like you don’t belong somewhere then everyone else in that room will be like, “They don’t belong here.” It’s really psychological. If you trick your mind to feel like you belong in this space, then that’s what will help you get through those moments of going into those spaces.

What is one piece of advice you’d like to give to a young artist?
In the beginning, as hard as it is, when you’re just finding your voice, create things for the joy of your own creation because that’s something that I miss. Now, it’s a bit harder. I make something, and I’m really eager to share it, which is also a great thing. Do share your work and throw it out there! Get it in front of people and share your passion! One thing that’s going to come from that is you’re going to learn to have a very thick skin. It’s OK if not everyone gets what you’re doing. You’ve got to be confident in your own voice and know why you’re creating what you are making. That will help you navigate that space of putting yourself out there. Another thing is that we will all be figuring ourselves out till the end of time. There will be no moment where we are entirely comfortable with every single facet of ourselves. It will never feel comfortable, and if it does feel comfortable then something must be wrong. You have to always feel a little uncomfortable to be spurred to grow. ♦