Meet Carla Cordelia | Visual Development Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carla Cordelia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carla, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always been into watching shows, cartoons, anime, and movies growing up. I picked up on drawing not long after, just doodling for fun. In my last 2 years of university, I discovered Visual Development, something that I can actually make a good career out of. There’s nothing more rewarding to me than having a creative outlet and for me it’s through painting.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a Visual Development artist currently on Netflix working on an unannounced animated feature. I got picked up by Netflix 2 months before my graduation day, which is great news for international students like myself. Living the first 18 years of my life in Jakarta Indonesia, I knew I wanted something more for my career. I moved by myself to California to pursue art when I was 18 not knowing anyone or not even comfortable with the language. Being from a different country, we have our own separate struggles to stay and work in the US. Having to prove myself that I am “good enough” to be here, I promised myself when I was in my last year of university that I will do my best and build my career right that moment. I woke up extra early before my classes start to learn on my own from youtube and pinterest and learning to paint better, or even, be one of the best students to get me closer to my dream. Six months after I studied on my own, I landed an internship at a small animation studio, and four months into my internship, other companies started to notice my work and reached out for future opportunities. Though it seems pretty smooth on the outside (especially for people who look at what is happening in my life the last few years), rocky days are the ones that got me here in the first place. There were months of doubt, where I thought I probably would not make it in the industry right away. In these times, I know how crucial it is for me to stay positive. I believe how I talk to myself and allowing myself to feel doubt while also improving myself and my skills despite it all holds a lot of power to success (in my case, breaking through the industry I had no prior connection to). Even now while I am working, I still develop my own stories, projects, and things that I see myself doing in the future. My dream life is not one that I can achieve without hard work, so every day I try to bring myself closer to it. Sometimes I look at my life like it is a card game, yes it might need some sort of luck, but also it’s about the player, not the cards we are dealt with. A great player can still make the best out of the cards dealt and still win even if the cards were “bad luck”.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I absolutely fell in love with LA when I visit. Little Tokyo is one of my go-to spots to find a new art book from Japan or get new mangas to read. Urth caffe in Arts District is a great place for brunch- love their green tea boba!
On Sundays, Melrose Trading Post is a fun activity with friends! I think what I love most about La are the smaller business shops that sells really cool things, I like knowing that it’s made with a lot of care and love.
The Last Bookstore in La is also great for book lovers.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to thank my parents back in Indonesia who has supported me the entire time, even when they had no idea where my art career could take me. They have faith in me always and I will always be grateful for that.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cordeliacarla/

Image Credits
Portrait picture of me: @avxa on instagram