Meet Jakub Zegzulka | Digital Designer & Artist

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

Hi Jakub, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I never thought of myself as creative or artistic, and neither did anyone else. In school, I was always the worst in art classes, and people told me I wasn’t creative. I was the tech guy, which is what originally led me to design. I started with Minecraft, then moved on to websites, logos, and eventually UI/UX. But even then, I didn’t see myself as an artist.

It wasn’t until I started questioning creativity, why I struggled to come up with new ideas, and why I felt unoriginal that I really dug deeper. I read books on creativity, studied how artists think, and slowly realized that creativity isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you train. That shift in mindset changed everything.

Through my career, I have noticed that the best designers are also artists. Now, I fully embrace that side of me. I love exploring, thinking in new ways, pushing creative boundaries, expressing myself, and bringing subjective opinions into the work. I think that’s super important. Today, I confidently call myself an artist. Everyone is one. They just need to embrace it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart is my passion and drive. Design isn’t just what I do, it is my life. Which is both good and bad, but it makes me put in more effort than most people. There is a clear difference between someone who just follows instructions in a nine-to-five job and someone who spends weekends learning new things, not because they have to, but because they want to.

I think about design all the time. I want to build big things. I love this game.

I have always been more excited about the journey itself, pushing the limits of what’s possible in life. I have always wanted to work with the best people on the best projects. I am constantly unsatisfied, always wanting more, better, and different. It drives me as a designer and as a person, constantly striving to create something better. But at the same time, it makes me very dissatisfied because I rarely stop to appreciate what I already have.

That said, working at Meta and Apple has been a big achievement for me. Getting to be part of cutting-edge projects and work with some of the smartest minds in the world has been inspiring. But it also made me realize that I am still just at the beginning.

My journey here wasn’t easy. I applied for internships thousands of times and was rejected more than I can count. But I never let that stop me. Instead, I refined my skills, expanded my network, and kept reaching out.

A major lesson I have learned is that opportunities don’t just come to you, you have to create them. I have cold-emailed hundreds of people, asked for mentorship, shared my work fearlessly on social media, and constantly improved my craft.

It all comes down to how hard you are willing to push, stay adaptable, and take bold risks. Nothing is too crazy. We need to be crazy, have crazy dreams, and always push for the best. There is nothing bad that can happen. Our time is limited, and we often overthink things that don’t actually matter. I don’t even know what actually matters.

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.
Funny enough, most people who visit LA see more than I have in the last two years because work and school keep me so busy.

I want to explore LA more myself. LA has everything, the best and the worst. But what I love about it is the people. I can meet inspiring people literally anywhere. To me, LA is freedom. It is a space where I can do whatever I want and have all the opportunities I need.

Czech was amazing, but it was also distracting. Too many friends, too much drama. LA is just me, in my zone, in my apartment, with every day to create and push myself forward.

Art – Nicodim Gallery, LACMA, Getty
Cafés – Superba Coffee
Food – Paper Rice (Spring Rolls)
Places – Huntington Garden
Fun – Universal Studios

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe a lot to my parents, who have been my biggest supporters throughout my journey. My mom constantly motivated me to push forward. She even paid for my Minecraft servers when I was just seven. She was also the one negotiating with my teachers so I could take internships instead of regular classes in high school.

My dad played a huge role in shaping my interests early on. He bought me my first PC when I was four, and just observing him work, trading, and solving math problems had a big impact on me. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I absorbed so much from him. Finances, the importance of being knowledgeable, reliability, and caring for others. He always taught me to be on time and keep my word.

Being on time is something I have struggled with since moving to LA. I constantly remind myself to stay true to my culture and not fall into some of the bad American habits.

Website: https://www.zegzulka.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zegzulka/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jakubzegzulka