Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Huining Shi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Huining, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Before embarking on my journey as a professional concept artist, I explored various design disciplines, including illustration, stage art, digital media design, and more. A few years ago, my career path wasn’t clear, but one thing was certain—I had an unwavering passion for painting and design. Through relentless exploration, diverse course experiences, and navigating through different professional directions, I ultimately made a firm decision—to become a concept designer.
I’ve always embraced curiosity, dared to try new things, and consistently refined my understanding through numerous mistakes and failures. In the end, I discovered the career I longed for and a well-defined life purpose.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am currently an environment concept artist at Treyarch, involved in the development of several well-known game series, including the ‘Call of Duty’ franchise. My primary responsibility involves conceptualizing game scenes, encompassing atmospheric illustrations, scene props, set dressing, and graphic design. I specialize in creating immersive environments, and carefully managing the tone and layout of the scenes. Additionally, I possess the ability to rapidly sketch concepts, and beyond that, I excel in summarizing and controlling shapes, with experience in graphic design as well.
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?
In the course of my career, I’ve come to appreciate the essential qualities of passion, curiosity, and focus. I see life as an ongoing quest to uncover our innate talents. In this pursuit, passion, and curiosity act as my primary motivators, propelling me forward, while focus allows me to delve into profound exploration, expand my cognitive horizons, and consistently push the boundaries of what I can achieve.
For those starting their careers, success begins with maintaining their initial enthusiasm, persisting in the pursuit of their passions, and embracing challenges and failures without fear.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
In my view, dedicating oneself fully and capitalizing on personal strengths is the key. Expending efforts to excel in areas of weakness may not be the most effective strategy. I firmly believe that life is a continuous exploration of our inherent talents. Each individual possesses unique strengths, and one should immerse themselves in areas where they excel, tapping into their natural passion and abilities. To illustrate with a less fitting analogy: if the exceptionally talented footballer Messi were compelled to delve into the realms of mathematics and sciences, we would forfeit a phenomenal athlete. Hence, in the trajectory of a professional career, channeling full efforts into leveraging one’s strengths is the optimal approach.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://huiningshi.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huining1010/?hl=en
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/huining-shi-418432150
