The only way I know how to learn anything-- lots of Youtube, lots of ChatGPT, google search, and lots of trial and error. It's useless advice, but just the truth: you just have to start. Find an idea you're really, truly excited about. That's the only way you can be obsessive about learning. If I was a smarter person, I'd find a mentor in what I'm trying to learn and work hands on with them. If I was more patient, I'd take a class. But I'm often impatient and impulsive, so the internet works for me.  

By consuming a lot of media from different worlds-- games, illustration, animation, 3d, photography, design. Having a wealth of beautiful things that I love naturally fills me with more unique ideas and fun connections. I don't actively "try" to have a style, it naturally shows in what I make. Everyone has a style-- you too! The best way to develop it is to be curious and keep seeing and learning new things.

Figma for 90% of what I do. Procreate (rarely, Photoshop) for illustration. For advanced prototyping, a bit of v0.dev, Cursor, Unicorn Studio, Framer, Play, (rarely, AfterEffects). I also program in React/JS/HTML/CSS when needed, and C# for game development in Unity. This website was built in Webflow.

For design inspiration, X/Twitter, Pinterest, Cosmos. I'm also an avid portfolio stalker-- if you use Arc browser, here's a folder of all my favorites. In general, I try to curate my social media feed with craft that I like, spend a bit of time scrolling every day, and save any image I like to MyMind, where I now have a wealth of media that inspires me.

I wish I knew :) I'd like to continue creating things that I care about, things that connect people, tell stories, inspire joy, etc. How I do that doesn't matter as much to me! I'll likely be working full time for a bit as I wrap up university & post grad, but I'm always tinkering on side projects and freelancing occasionally.

For any freelance inquiries, or if you'd like to find a time to chat, please email me at emartial@usc.edu. Please include context on the project or why you want to talk. Lovely to meet you!