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# Tommy Truong
Integrated Media: Digital Painting and Expanded Animation, 2017. Digital Artist, Director, Animator
Contact Information
Graduation Year2017
KeywordsFaculty of Art
Integrated Media
> My biggest take away was realizing the importance of a support system – a group of people who share your passion for the arts, and who also understand the hardships and anxiety that comes with the profession.
**Why did you choose to attend OCAD U?**
In my early twenties, I decided to change my field from finance to art. Being an artist was a childhood dream, so I took the leap into art school, and the first art school to come to mind was OCAD University.
**Please briefly describe your current job/practice.**
I am a person who tries to juggle multiple projects at once. My job is a combination of varying art-related projects, including art administration, volunteering at artist-run centers, workshop facilitating, filmmaking, animating, technical directing, and studio support.
**How did you get started in your career?**
My career started the day I decided to become an artist, which happens to also be the same day I enrolled at OCAD U. I wanted to get to know the art community, to learn about different styles of art, and to find out what it means to be an artist – something I am still trying to figure out.
**What were your policies regarding internships, volunteering, and paid work?**
I did not have one. I saw every art job (paid or unpaid) as an opportunity. Even now, my full-time job is simply an accumulation of assorted art-related projects around the city. If I can commit full-time hours to art – I call myself a full-time artist.
**What do you enjoy most about your work? What is the most challenging aspect of your work?**
I enjoy how different every project is from one to another. My mind is constantly stimulated by different topics and asked to solve a different problem. I also enjoy collaborating with other creatives on a project and working towards one common goal. Scheduling different projects, and being on top of my commitments across the city is a continuing struggle, but it is not as bad as my daily hour and a half commute into the city.
**What skills or relationships developed at OCAD U helped you participate in your field? Is there anything you would have done differently?**
I’ve learned plenty of technical skills, and art theory from OCAD U, but my biggest takeaway was realizing the importance of a support system – a group of people who share your passion for the arts, and also understand the hardships and anxiety that comes with the profession. I have developed many relationships during my time at OCAD U, from professors to peers, they are all part of my community, and have been essential to my professional development.
**What are the key responsibilities you maintain for your practice?**
There are endless administrative tasks that come with the profession, like meetings, follow-up emails, and submission deadlines. For my creative practice, I try to carry a notebook with me where ever I go, and I scribble down any concepts, project ideas, stories, superpower ideas, and/or intriguing thoughts that I come up with.
**What are your personal and professional goals for the coming years?**
Professionally, I want to continue creating work. Personally, I want to prioritize spending time with my family.
Grow2017 VR Animation
Restless Still - Film Selection. Interaccess Preservation Permanence
Restless Still - Film Selection