Meet Stephan Jackson

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephan Jackson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephan below.

Stephan , we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?

For self-care when I need a break from a project:

-I take a weekly trip to the Torrance Farmer’s market each Saturday, and take a drop of Lion’s Mane Tincture alongside a refreshing meal

– I attend church every Sunday to get into the Bible, as well as socialize with my church family

– I play my Nintendo Switch 2 with YouTube video essays or a movie playing in the background

– I go take a walk to Redondo Beach or Wilson Park

I feel these have all had a strong impact on my effectiveness, because it helps keep me grounded, allows me to partake in the community around me, and oftentimes inspires new ideas.

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

I currently work freelance as a Digital Illustrator, as well as a photo editor/sales rep for Memoreez, a small gift shop in Del Amo Mall that specializes in photo printing.

Working with digital art in general is exciting, and the 3 parts that get me the most excited are: 1) The research aspect 2) Experimenting with colors, expressions, shapes and props for a character and 3) The detail work that goes into the piece

I was inspired to pursue art when I received a Nintendo 64 on Christmas Day at 8 years old. I was enamored with the colorful, fun character designs in the game Diddy Kong Racing. As I explored more of the Nintendo brand and their games, my passion for design grew even moreso.

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 three qualities I felt that most impacted my journey are…

1. Persistence: I feel that this impacted me, because it helped me refine my style through trial-and-error, and kept me wanting to learn more.

2. Patience: This served me in my journey, because it helped me realize that some pieces take time and to also see the bigger picture.

3. Adaptability: This helped me to pivot my creavity in new directions, when my initial ideas turn out differently in practice than in my head.

To anyone who’s struggling in these areas, here’s some words of wisdom I’ve picked up around me:

1. Persistence greatly pays off, and it takes time to see results. Even if things don’t work out as planned, you’ll have learned a lot of valuable things along the way. Keep those things youve learned along the way close to you, because that opportunity to use them may be right around the corner.

2. Patience with others, and especially yourself, is key. Growth takes time, and comparison of yourself to others slows you down. Instead, compare yourself to the past version of yourself, and you’ll be blown away by how much you’ve evolved. If you find doubt within, just ask yourself “How would past____ feel about this?” Give grace to yourself reely, because you’re still learning something new each day.

3. Adaptability is key to lasting long as an artist, because change is inevitable. To make yourself better at adaptation, give yourself a chance to try new things. Even if said thing doesn’t work out, it’s an opportunity to learn more about yourself and help you towards something else new. Being flexible and having multiple plans is also key to being an adaptable, because it’ll help navigate the unpredictability that comes with being creative.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

An ideal client for me is:

– Someone who is self assured, and knows what they want

– Someone whom is open-minded

– Someone who is easy to communicate with

– Empathetic

– Understanding

– Flexible

– Encouraging

– Knows the value of fun

– Has a sense of humor to balance with professionalism

– Passionate

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tar0pand4bear
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/taropandabear
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephan-jackson

Image Credits

Stephan Jackson