Meet Benji Selby

We were lucky to catch up with Benji Selby recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Benji with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

My work ethic comes from my upbringing. My mother is a Haitian immigrant, and culturally, working hard is the standard, not necessarily an option, so to speak. My dad was career military in the army so lets just say there wasn’t much room for slacking off. I remember a time where my dad got on me about my GPA dropping .2 percentage points and that still sticks with me today to work hard even in the little aspects that most people wont notice. That’s not to say that I don’t have my short comings, I’m naturally a procrastinator and seem to thrive in the pressure of a deadline, but that’s not always healthy in business. Having hard working parents and a hard working older brother is a reminder to work hard.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a multidisciplinary artist, working in illustration, animation, fashion, travel, and filmmaking. Instead of narrowing my focus, I use my diverse skill set to help clients bring their visions to life while creating art that resonates with me. With the rise of social media, I specialize in helping people build authentic and unique brands through content creation, including filming, editing, and designing posts and reels.

Currently, I’m developing my first animated short film, featuring my robot character Royce on a regular day in NYC, getting a slice of pizza. I visit NYC a few times a year because its energy is unlike anywhere else.

In 2025, I’ll be launching my clothing brand, Stay Groovy. It’s designed for creatives who want comfort with style—think oversized tees, hats, and workwear that adds flair to the classic black tee and cuffed jeans vibe.

What I love about the creative industry is how people connect more than just with products. I’ve found that people come to me because they like my work, and that’s my approach—making projects I’m passionate about, for myself, and others.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Honestly, this is such a good question. Depending on where you’re at, this will hit differently, but for me, three things that have been key: delusion, confidence, and figuring it out.

Delusion sounds crazy, but it’s that gut feeling that whatever you put your mind to will happen. I used to see people doing things I knew I could do and think, “Why not me?” It’s easy to sit on the sidelines, but you’ve got to get in the game. Success isn’t overnight, but every step is preparing you for when it all falls into place. The big question I always ask myself is, “Am I willing to stick it out?” And I’ve decided I’d rather struggle to give my all than sit back and wonder, “What if?” So, every day, just take that one step that gets you closer to where you want to be.

Then comes confidence—that’s what keeps you going once you start. Celebrate the small wins, because after a while, you’ll see that your delusion wasn’t so crazy after all. Betting on yourself is the best move you can make. When I lost some client work at the start of 2023, I decided to double down on myself. I didn’t have the cash to go to creator meetups or buy film gear, so I got a side gig driving a school bus between projects. It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked. You make it happen, however you can.

And that’s my last nugget of advice—learn how to figure it out. Whether it’s getting a mentor, watching a million tutorials, or just doing bad projects, the ability to figure things out builds your confidence. Practice won’t make perfect, but it’ll get you ready for the perfect moment. I once met one of my favorite creators, Andy To, and he said, “Keep shooting.” That’s what it’s all about—just keep going, one project to the next, and soon enough, you’ll have your own story to tell.

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?

Honestly, I think it depends on your experience and what you’re trying to do. For me, being well-rounded has been a necessity, both as an artist and as a person. Growing up, I played pretty much every sport and ended up on the varsity team for four of them in high school. On top of that, I grew up in a military community, so I was constantly exposed to different cultures and ways of thinking. That shaped me a lot. I guess you could say I was kind of groomed to be a jack of all trades. I’ve always been curious and hated feeling left out of things. Even though I wasn’t the best student, I always did well in art, which gave me the confidence to explore different areas.

There’s this line from The Internship that stuck with me: “Who would you rather be stuck with at an airport bar? The ten millionth kid who knows… or the out-of-the-box thinker?” I love that quote, and it kind of sums up how I approach this question.

Having a bit of knowledge and skill in different areas has gotten me into rooms and helped me land jobs, simply because I wasn’t just another specialist. I’ve found that connecting with other creators who also have a broad range of skills makes the collaboration better. Plus, knowing a little bit about various things helps me communicate my vision more clearly—kind of like learning new languages. Don’t get me wrong, being a specialist has its perks, but for me, being well-rounded has opened way more doors and given me a deeper connection with the people I work with.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Gabe’s globes, eggonry, Jordan C. , Seth Alexander Films, Damien Photography

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