TLDR: Maybe, but most likely no.
While I've met many encouraging ones in a variety of fields, I'm aware of how my Vtuber concept can come across. Some have expressed how unprofessional either my avatar looks or the topics I speak about are. The pastel colors I prefer and/or the pitch of my voice is unprofessional to yet others. But rather than dwell on this, I keep working behind the scenes to build my business and expand my network.
Creativity has been looked down upon in professional fields for quite some time and I'm not the first to have this happen to. Famously the animation industry is largely ignored by award shows and the first to be cut when "money is tight" (RIP Craig of the Creek). Then you have your voice actors and script writers essentially playing pretend which some others may decree only worthy as a hobby and mock the actual work that goes into it.
The video game industry is not much better as it's also based on imagination and creativity. The developers essentially put themselves in a make believe situation so that the player can then do the same. What IF I was a very angry cloud that wanted to ruin peoples day? What IF I was a duck detective that solved crimes? What IF I lived in a world filled with dinosaur looking machines that I hunted while trying to discover my past?
Surprisingly a few mocking comments I received came from some that worked in video games, but don't worry I know just because I meet one bad pixel apple it doesn't mean the rest are just as bad. I've met far more good people than not.
However it does bring up the question, what makes one creative endeavor less important than another? Is there such a thing? Must creatives not only battle the big bad corporate Bowser, but also the Chun-Li in animation? I think there's plenty of room for all creatives to work side by side with each other and to bring up rather than tear down, a harmonious D-pad if you will to complete the metaphorical Konomi Code.
During the multiple lockdowns just a few years prior what brought people sanity was not tenderly recalling how their business suit was the perfect dull shade of what Crayola would call "Grueling Gray" (right next to "Circle Back Black" and "Navy Blue Bandwidth")
It was creativity and imagination! Suddenly people were roller skating and painting and getting to that poorly neglected stack of video games they've always wanted to eventually play. Yes, more structured job fields are needed, I'm not saying they're not. However it is creativity itself that drives innovation, so why must it live in a black or navy suit with a three quarter turn and default LinkedIn background?
Creativity and imagination is not less than and it's not more than, it's equal to. In other words, it's just as important then any other type of business.
I currently have the privilege of working with Antony Evans at the UK company Digital Puppets in order to test out a new app he's working on that is specifically designed for Vtubers that livestream. *This market is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of over 70% from 2023 to 2031. What ultimately convinced me to work with him though was the passion he had for his work.
When the topic came up of why he and his brother Scott Evans like to work with 2D and 3D avatars, no it wasn't just a light I saw shown through his eyes. Can you guess? If you said creativity and imagination, ding ding yes, you would be correct.
Innovation is also not local, it's worldwide. As each innovative step is placed, it lifts another up so that more creativity can follow.
South Korea has just entered a new dawn of using virtual avatars in business, specifically Kpop. 5 member virtual idol group Plave (플레이브) were brought to life via CEO Lee Seong Gu (이성구 대표), his startup company Vlast (블래스트), and the motion capture suits the artists wear. When it comes to real time motion capture and livestreaming, Vlast is a company that is making great strides within this area. What is the goal that CEO Lee Seong Gu puts at the forefront of his mind?
**"We hope that Vlast will become a 'real-time graphic' company in the future. With an excellent combination of artistic and cinematic production, Pixar is Vlast's role model. Pixar is the perfect combination of art and technology."
Aha, here it is! We have come back full circle, back to our beginning. One creative venture has been inspired by another. In fact, it's one you may not have expected. The road from our imagination to completion is not a straight one and it intersects all types of thoughts, experiences, and mediums.
It makes me quite happy to be honest and even if I tried my best I don't think I would be able to get across how much creativity and imagination is a NEED in my everyday life rather than a "nice to have". What may seem like an overwhelming amount of interests to some, is actually the glue for my sanity. Yes, I do want to voice act in season 3 of Bee and Puppycat. Yes, I love video games and want to know how they're made all the way down to the code used. Yes, I would love to interview Plave in English along with writing a 3 piece article about them because it combines my love of music and the latest motion capture technology.
However, my personal mini-map that guides and orients myself in the professional field does not currently have a final destination. I'm still sorting out what kind of job would suit me best and how being a Vtuber Virtual assistant would play into that. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
So, must one choose to be either creative or professional? In my opinion, no. Creativity does not negate professionalism. They combine to make one big rolling Katamari of innovation and imagination. To separate the two would be to cancel out any positive results from either.
While I may have bunny ears and voice that doesn't seem to be able to pronounce "s's" or "t's" correctly (curse my bunny teeth), I implore you to look past what you may think of my exterior and see me for what I'm capable of. After all, "a famous explorer once said that the extraordinary is in what we do, not who we are." -Laura Croft
