We recently connected with Aaron Cobb and have shared our conversation below.
Aaron , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
For me personally, it’s been a bit of a journey to get to a point where I do feel confident as a person and as an artist. I was very confident making art when I was very young, and then I began to waver in college when I compared myself to others, and now professionally I feel I’ve regained it. At every step though, my sense of confidence was made possible by the people I had around me.
It definitely started with my parents. From a very young age, they introduced me to the idea that there were no limits to what I could be. They put no conditions on my dreams. There was never this implication that what I wanted was unachievable or a long shot. There was nothing too big for them. Every goal, no matter what the size, was something that could be broken down into smaller pieces. They taught me that the only limitation to what you could achieve was how much you could understand it and how hard you were willing to work for it. I didn’t realize until later how invaluable that mindset has been, especially working as a person of color and being in so many rooms and spaces where people don’t have the same background as me.
Aside from my parents, I think my friends over the years have played a huge role in making me more confident in myself. Going to college and being surrounded by such gifted and hard working artists, I definitely found myself doubting some of the things I had once loved about my art. I had to, with the help of my friends, teach myself how to believe in my art and myself again. I talked about confidence, imposter syndrome and feeling like you’re not good enough at length with them throughout college. We would be drinking coffee and drawing for hours as we tried to break down what we thought was special or unique about our work. Spending time in that environment reinforced the idea that I had to be the first person to stand by my work. Even if I knew it still had some flaws or it wasn’t quite where I wanted it to be, I had to stand by it. I had to be confident in what I had done and proud, while listening to feedback with an open mind.
We learned this back in college and it has been invaluable professionally. Its kept me from being hurt by feedback because, like my friends showed me, I’m confident in where my art is at, and like my parents taught me, there’s no limit to what it could be.
I think my confidence has been a conscious effort that was made possible by the people I have had around me. I think confidence can be like riding a bike, with the people closest to you holding you steady until you learn how to do it yourself. My family and friends believed in me until I learned how to start believing in myself.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am Concept Artist working in the animation industry. I’ve designed characters, props, vehicles and sets for animated series and feature films. I’m currently working at Lucasfilm Animation as a concept designer for their future shows. It’s a bit surreal at times to be working on the franchise that contributed so much to my childhood imagination. Being able to be a part of something that meant so much to me growing up is one of the best parts of working at Lucasfilm. It’s second to being able to learn from some of the best artists I’ve ever worked with.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the three qualities or skills that I think have been most impactful for me have been confidence, consistency and an eagerness to learn. Learning to be confident in myself and my work has kept me going I think when it would’ve been easy to stop. Consistency has always been something I’ve strived for personally and professionally. This is probably going to make me sound boring, but I love a sweet daily routine. It helps me stay balanced and focused on the things that are important to me. Lastly, I think an eagerness to learn has kept me from not getting too set in wherever I am at. I try to learn something new every day, whether that’s from my coworkers, friends or a random YouTube video.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I think when you’re getting overwhelmed it’s because you think things are happening all at once and you can’t tackle everything. What I like to do first when things are moving too fast is to take a moment and just slow everything down. Stand up, stretch your legs, take a breath and realize that you don’t have to do everything in that moment. All you need to do is start the process. I then try to break it down and see if I can make whatever is overwhelming me manageable. If it’s still overwhelming that’s when I do what I think is the most important thing to do in those situations, I ask for some help.
I think a lot of the time, especially when we’re starting out at a new job or we’re in a new setting, we try to figure too much out on our own. I learned early on that there is a value in being resourceful and being able to solve your own problems, but there’s also a value in knowing when you need some help.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kingcobb.portfoliobox.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingcobbbb
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-cobb-13546a98
