Meet Blood Draugr

We were lucky to catch up with Blood Draugr recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Blood, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?

The official answer is I persist due to vampirism and drinking blood out of the skulls of the haters. The unofficial answer is that I continue my artistic journeys by making art for myself and myself alone. I do what I do because it’s fun, not because I’m seeking the approval of others or attempting to conjure mainstream appeal (if I were, I wouldn’t have chosen such a niche genre of music to perform as metal). The only person who can ever cause me to stop creating art IS me if I find it to not be enjoyable anymore (the exception being if Van Helsing finally catches up with me). I refuse to let anyone else be the reason for quitting doing what I love. Sure, even the undead struggle with self-doubt and wonder if their actions are enough. But as you sit there contemplating your worth in the pale moonlight, know that if the process gives you gratification, that inherently has value no matter the end result or how people might receive it. Were you to bury your art six feet deep beneath the ground to never see the light of day, and nobody gets to experience it but you, it still has merit, for you made it and enjoyed the ”undertaking.” When you look into the mirror, you will see someone who is following their dreams, unless you don’t cast a reflection of course.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I make spooky stuff! For nearly two decades, I have haunted film and television, inflicting such atrocities on the industry as compelling mortals to do unnatural things (directing), trapping souls within images (camerawork), manipulating illusion magic (editing), bringing inanimate beings to life (animation), and making scary sounds (voiceover). These dastardly deeds have been recognized, for better or worse, with awards and international infamy. In addition to bedeviling the mediasphere, I summon music and artwork from the horrors of my mind, including a brand-new, original album entitled Vestige, which emerges from the planes of Oblivion on December 20th of this year. This searing symphonic black metal entry, featuring cover artwork meticulously illustrated by yours truly, is the culmination of years of effort and collaboration with some very talented individuals. My morbid moniker, Blood Draugr, was spawned from my love of both the macabre (Blood being relatively self-explanatory) and the mythological (Draugr being a zombie from Nordic folklore). The plagues of infectious viral content I have visited upon the internet include a music video for my metal cover of “The Mob Song” from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (as seen on Inside the Magic), as well as a winning entry in a video contest for the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online. Of my known co-conspirators, I represent Bethesda (the creators of The Elder Scrolls series) as a brand ambassador and also produce videos and voice act for Skywind, the fan-driven remaster of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind! I can neither confirm nor deny that necromancy is also a hobby of mine.

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?

Firstly, nothing beats a desire to pursue your goals. This drive will serve you to last in your chosen field far longer than merely phoning it in for fame or money. Let your passion be undying! Secondly, consider yourself a lifelong learner. Even if you have the lifespan of a vampire, never assume you know everything (trying to explain TikTok to Dracula was a bloody nightmare). The world is constantly changing, and to survive in any industry, so must you. Fortunately, we live in a digital age where good and often free resources for nearly anything you could set your black heart toward are readily available, so drink in that knowledge like blood! Lastly, intentionality will always keep you moving forward. Whether your endgame is writing a song, drawing an image, or even taking over the known universe, choosing to make progress towards your master plan regularly, even in tiny amounts, leaves you closer to your goal than you were before every single time. So, you know, chip away at that chord progression, add a few lines to that sketch, or whisper some dark thoughts into the minds of the rulers of that first country you wanted to conquer.

B̷͔͖̘̏ȅ̶̯͝l̵͚̅̐̎̿i̷̩̱͈͇͋͐̈ͅễ̵̦̯͕̇ͅv̵̛͖́͑ȩ̷͕̺̞̔̄̑ͅ ̶̢̹̖̞͚̓́̄̀͋i̷̛͙̿́̈ń̸͎̌̀̈͝ ̷̢͚̥̌͒y̵̨̢̞̟̌̔̉o̷̦͓̔̾̕ù̵̜̚r̸̼̓̄͒̉̎ś̶̲̼̺̬̓̚e̶̺̾l̸̢̫͖̫̀́̇͗̄f̸̝̙̝̈́͒!̸͕̖̪̖̓

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?

I think that, even if you specialize in or gravitate towards one particular skill in your chosen industry, it is important to learn as much as you can about other areas of expertise pertinent to your field to communicate effectively with adjacent professionals you might collaborate with. For instance, while studying to be a film director, I took acting classes to better engage with the actors I worked with. These classes would enable me to grasp the verbiage of acting and better understand what goes into the craft so I could direct talent compellingly. In addition, you never know when acquiring these skills may facilitate your finding another activity you are passionate about down the road! Years later, when I became a voice actor, all those acting classes came in handy despite having taken them without the intention to pursue acting. It made me a better filmmaker in the past and opened the door for what would become a new creative passion of mine in the future! Had I not joined those classes, I may have still discovered a love for voice acting, but I would have had a considerably longer path of research and practice ahead of me to get to where I am now with my abilities. Immortals have infinite time to learn, but that’s no reason to not be efficient when possible!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Blood Draugr

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where does your optimism come from?

Optimism is the invisible ingredient that powers so much of the incredible progress in society

Confidence
Stories of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Learning from one another is what BoldJourney is all about. Below, we’ve shared stories and

Resilience
The Power of Persistence: Overcoming Haters and Doubters

Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made