Meet Maya Khalil

We were lucky to catch up with Maya Khalil recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Maya, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong or like I’m not good enough, but when that happens, I look back at everything I’ve achieved and remind myself that I earned those things for a reason. I also noticed that the artwork I made that got the best response was the one I created while having fun and not stressing about what others might think. That really helped me get out of my own head. I haven’t fully overcome it because I think every artist goes through this, but doing these things helped reduce it a lot.

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

Hi, my name is Maya Khalil! I am a multi-award winning artist from Egypt with a strong passion for motion, compositing, and 3D.

My background is in Graphic Design, and I have been fortunate to work with well-known clients like Cartier and BCG. These experiences helped me grow and shaped my creative style.

In my professional life, I wear many hats. I design, animate, and also do programming. I enjoy being involved in different parts of the creative process because it helps me bring ideas to life in many ways.

I feel most connected to animation and video game development. When I was young, I would always jump into these worlds after school. That love for storytelling never left me. I also enjoy watching movies from many genres. They teach me a lot about visual language, camera framing, and intention, and this helps me improve my own work.

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?

Looking back, I think the three most impactful things in my journey were curiosity, adaptability, and storytelling.

Curiosity helped me keep learning all the time. I never felt like I knew everything, and that made me want to explore new tools, techniques, and ideas. I believe it is important to stay open-minded and keep asking questions.

Adaptability was also very important. In this industry, things change quickly. New software, new workflows, and new trends come often. Being able to learn and adjust without fear helped me move forward and not get stuck.

The last one is storytelling. No matter what tool you use, like 3D, animation, design, or even programming, the story is what brings everything together. I realized that good visuals are not enough if they do not say something meaningful. Learning how to express emotion and purpose through my work made a big difference.

For anyone just starting, my advice is to not worry about being perfect. Focus on staying curious and trying new things. Learn the basics well, but also give yourself time to play and explore. Watch films, study scenes, read about games, and connect with other creative people. Every small step will help you grow and find your own voice.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I believe it is important to find a balance between both. Going all in on your strengths helps you stand out and build confidence. But at the same time, working on your weaker areas can open new doors and make you more flexible as an artist.

For example, I started with a strong background in design, and that was my comfort zone. I focused on it a lot because I enjoyed it and people noticed my work because of that. But later, when I started working on animation and 3D, I realized I needed to learn some technical skills too, like programming and working with new software. At first it was very hard. I felt like a beginner again. But I kept trying because I wanted to bring my creative ideas to life without limits.

That experience taught me that your strengths will carry you far, but growing your weak points can help you go even farther. It also helps you work better with others and understand their part in a project. Now I can design, animate, and code when needed, and it gives me more control and freedom in my work.

So I would say, know what you are good at and make it shine, but do not be afraid to learn the things you are not great at yet. You do not have to master everything, but understanding more parts of the process will always help you grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mayakhalil.com
• Instagram: @mayakhalil.c4d
• Youtube: @mayakhalill