Today we have an interview with the young an super talented Richard Roberts. His work is extremely unique and has a way of standing out. He has been featured in issues of Computer Arts, Advanced Photoshop, and Digital arts Magazine as well as big sites like PSDtuts and Abduzeedo. On top of that he is a part of Depthcore. Here is an interview and just a glimpse of his work. If you want to see more go to www.theotherstream.com.

John Mark: Hello Richard and thanks for taking the time for me to interview you.  First, can you tell us a little about your background? Where did you grow up?

Richard: Well I was born in the Wales, and moved to the States when I was about 5 and have moved around quite a bit.  I am currently living in Wisconsin, USA but also lived in Massachusetts, New York and Indiana.  I would say my favorite out of the four are Massachusetts and New York, I love the east coast.  I love all forms of art, but really enjoy surrealism. I have been illustrating digitally for about five or six years. I use my wacom tablet for everything, my works are a mix of digital painting and also manipulation. Apart from art i enjoy movies, music, nature, soccer and food.

John Mark: How has your background influenced your work?

Richard: I have been working digitally in art for about five or six years. I would say the past few years have really had a profound influence on my work. For the past two years I have been attending a online public high school. This has really let me focus on what I truly love, it enabled me to spend most of my free time on my art and let me excel and still is . I would also say being apart of online collectives such as depthcore has helped me improve. Being around so much talent and so many professionals makes you work harder, and they are there to help if need be giving comments and suggestions etc..

John Mark: People tell me that you should constantly be growing as a designer until the day you die. How do you grow as a designer?

Richard: This is so true, no matter where you are at, there is always room for improvement. Always new things to learn. Myself I have so so so much more to learn and gain, it’s infinite really. Those who constantly push themselves and learn new things are the people who really excel. Off the top of my head I still have so many goals I want to achieve. I want to keep building my portfolio, start working with some big clients. Grow theotherstram have some one work with me etc.. I also want to keep improving my illustration and overall art skills. I think untill the day I die I will keep learning new things.

John Mark: Your work if very unique How did you discover your style?

Richard: Well thank you! I am actually not sure what my style is exactly as I always love to learn new things and push myself harder.  I would say I don’t really have a definite style, what I do really love is surrealism. Which really plays a role in my work, and I think that shows from comments and feedback I hear. I have always had a thing for work that tells a story not just work that looks nice. My new works is much more scene type pieces, although I do love working in abstract and being very versatile which is extremely important as it is better for clients. Ask me this question is  a few years time and I may be able to give you a better answer

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Self-promotion is one of the most critical things a freelance creative (in any field) must do. It is also one of the toughest things to accomplish successfully. I am learning this right now but quickly coming to the conclusion that if I stick to my gut, don’t change my mind all the time (like the client you don’t want to have), and strategize the way I communicate myself and my business to my target market, it is becoming easier and easier.

The client that nit-picks is the worst. Don’t be your own worst client!

The idea of promoting myself, marketing to the masses, and gaining world domination is only a dream. Reality is that it is a necessity to promote your services, communicate the benefits your services have, why you are better than your competitors, and the way you communicate that to your customers is essential. You have to keep you and your business in the eyes and minds of your target market at all times. You have to make a lasting impression through visual communications, your personality, and the truth that is felt in the statements, facts, and descriptions of what you do, why you do it, and how you do it. This, in turn, will create a customer that wasn’t even looking for your services tell you the magic words you want to hear. It will make that consumer that is actively seeking your services turn to you for the job instead of your many hard working, well-known competitors. (more…)

The Blind Project

Liem Nguyen started a movement called “The Blind Project”. They are a collective of passionate individuals, Devoted to empowering women and children rescued out of the sex trade in south east asia. They work with established aftercare facilities, to meet the physical, emotional, social and economic needs of Women and children rescued from the sex trade. In order to restore and reveal the true value of their lives.

Learn more at www.theblindproject.com

My thoughts:

I Just read a story about a mother and father in thailand who sold their child in to the Sex trade for $2 US dollars and a bag of freaking rice. Is that how desperate they are? That they would essentially take the life of their own daughter?

It makes me realize how selfish I am. I waste so much money. what the hell does a $1,800 Macbook pro do for me? What about my iTunes with $150 worth of music? Why do I buy mcdonalds when I have a full pantry full of food. Why do I care more about the next apple product then those 7 year old cambodian girls getting raped in brothels 15 times a night by fat nasty men. Im so screwed up……

Read these Stats:

-Its Estimated that 2 Million Children are enslaved in the global sex trade.

-Subjects of trafficking are subject to rape, torture, forced abortions, starvation and threats of torturing or murdering family members.

-Nearly one third of Global trafficking trade, of about 200,000 to 225,000 Women and children, are trafficked annually from south east asia.

-Some Prostituted children are as young as 5 years old.

-Virgins are highly sought after and purchased for as much as $750 for their first sexual experience.

-Child sex tourism involves people who travel from their country of origin and engage in commercial sex acts with children.

-25% of child sex tourists are US citizens.

-Many of these young women and children are either sold into prostitution or forcibly recruited on the street for work in brothels where they are required to have sex acts with as many as 30 men a day.

-A brothel owner will pay as much as $100 for the ownership of a young girl. The average income in Cambodia is $286.

-An estimated $9.5 billion is generated in annual revenue from all trafficking activities, with at least $4 billion attributed to the world wide brothel industry.

Imagine yourself walking into a brothel in bangkok, thailand. You go into the back of a restaurant where you are led down some stairs to the basement. You stare straight down the hall way. On both sides are small rooms. In these rooms are children, ages somewhere around 5 and up. You walk down the hall. All you can hear is the crying of children, and heavy breath of the men on top of them. You See out of the corner of your eye a small room with a stained curtain pulled back. You go into a room where you see a small thai girl. You notice how lifeless her body is, its as if the soul has been sucked right out of her flesh. Her face, which was once full of beauty and laughter, is now pale and bruised. The life in her eyes is gone.

You look at her. She looks up at you. You make Eye contact and say. “Guess what! I just got a sweet Macbook pro!” She looks confused. “Its super fast and isn’t not vulnerable to viruses. It cost me $1800 dollars but it was worth it for what you get! I know I literally could have bought you out of the sex trade. I literally could have saved you life. But I really needed (wanted) a new computer, I hope you understand”.

Crazy right:) its kind of funny in a way only because of how insane it is. Who would actually choose a computer over that poor little girl.

I’m not saying our stuff is bad. I’m not saying we shouldn’t buy stuff. What I’m saying is this.

I own a computer that —LITERALLY— is worth (by the sex trades standards) 18 human beings…… thats f’d up.

Why?

If We have the power to make a change, one soul at a time. Why don’t we? and whats so sad, is it really wouldn’t require that much.

We are so blessed just to have been born into america. We don’t realize the reality that that could have easily been us.

So What is it that we care more about? Thats what we need to ask ourselves.

is the pleasure that we will get from getting the newest gadget more important than that 10 year old girl who, Lives in a 6′ x 6′ room, with a 1 inch mattress? That little girl who is regularly gang raped by multiple men at a time and starved/beaten if she refuses? The little girl who is forced to have sex with complete strangers for $30 to $40 dollars? Is that what she is worth? Wait!….. did they just put a price tag on a human being? nooo… What about that that Little girl who has had her life, purity and soul, DESTROYED by evil men. Her view of human nature lays in pieces. Her trust in humanity is crushed. Her hope in life is gone.

If only she could know that someone. Someone somewhere. Believes it can be restored. And prays to God it will be.

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