We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Roman Slappey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Roman below.
Roman, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
My optimsim comes from my upbringing. I just always felt that things would get better no matter how bad things were for my family and I. Thats where my ambition, discipline and work ethic come from because I know that bad times dont last forever. The only constant in the world is change. Nothing lasts forever, whether it be good or bad but you should always stay optimistic and resilient because it will pass. This will sound very corny but one of my favorite exapmles of resilience and optimism would be Spongebob. He has a terrible boss, co-worker and neighbors. Everyone is mean or annoyed with him, but everyday he wakes up positive and ready to get it. He’s failed his boating test countless times, but it doesn’t matter. He’ll keep trying.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Character Designer, 2D Animator and Illustrator currently in Hollywood, CA. I’ve also done comics as well. I’m orginally from from Detroit’s west side. 8 mile to be exact. Sinced I’ve moved here I have made a lot of connections and progress toward my goals. Like most artists/creatives, I just want to be able to support myself with my art. I want to be credited on an animated show/movie in the near future. I really enjoy sharing my art with the world. I have a few new animations coming soon and some new limited art prints.
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?
The first quality you have to have is optimism or belief. If you’re in any creative field, you cannot be pessimistic. The creative field is very harsh and unforgiving so if you’re going to be pessimistic then don’t even waste your time. Second would be discipline. Whatever you plan to do , you have to stay disciplined and not motivated. Motivation will come and go but discipline will keep you consistent. Lastly, you have to enjoy/love what you do. If you’re doing something because you think it’s easy or because it may make you a lot of money then you will fail. At that point it’ll be a job you don’t want to do instead of something you’re passionate about.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Lets start with the avoidance part. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, I like to plan out my tasks by writing them down like a to-do list. After that, I like to give each specific task a certain time limit to finish for that day. For example, I can get distracted easily. So, if I have to work on a animation, I’ll set a timer for 2 hours and play music. Having the timer and deadline help me to stay focused. Now when I’m feeling overwhelmed then I’ll have to step away and do something completely different to take my mind off of it. I’ll go play basketball/work out, play video games, watch an anime, listen to music, watch a podcast or just leave my house to get some sun and reset. I think you should have a hobby outside of work that can be peaceful for you when you’re feeling stressed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.viewtifuljeau.com
- Instagram: @viewtifuljeau
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