Ever since Reg O’Connell ‘19 was young, he knew he wanted to create.
When O’Connell was in middle school, his German teacher told him about Moore College of Art & Design’s Young Artists Workshop, a historic and immersive art and design experience for students in grades 3-12. O’Connell recalls attending an Open House for Moore’s youth programs, where “a seed was planted” in his mind. A few years later, he was accepted into Moore’s Illustration program.
O’Connell enjoyed Moore’s supportive environment and working with Illustration professors Joe Kulka and Richard Harrington. He says he’s grateful for the trust he built with his peers and the Illustration curriculum, which helped him strengthen his skills and grow his professional network.
After graduating from Moore, O’Connell experienced a brief yet frustrating period of art block. In search of new inspiration, he watched the 2019 film Rocketman, a musical drama about the life and career of Elton John. He started creating fan art about the musician, leading him to unexpected and exciting opportunities.
“It was just the film I needed to see at that point in my life,” O’Connell said. “It captured my fascination and tugged at my heartstrings in just the right way, and it ultimately opened huge doors for me.”
Soon after, O’Connell hosted an Elton John charity zine project with 30 other artists across the globe. Although leading the project was difficult, he learned valuable skills through the process.
The charitable nature of the project garnered the attention of Elton John’s music company, Rocket Entertainment Group, who requested a copy of the zine. A month later, they reached out to commission themed coloring pages from O’Connell.
Using the skills he learned at Moore, O’Connell utilized the connection as an opportunity to network with the company. He reached out and pitched a series of cartoon designs, eventually landing O’Connell a chance to meet with Luke Lloyd-Davies, the chief operating officer of Rocket Entertainment Group. The company soon purchased his art for T-shirts, holiday cards, GIFs, Yoto cards and more.
“My 'Business for Illustration' class helped a lot because I wouldn’t have had the same confidence without the support and advice from my professors,” he said. “I wouldn’t have had the confidence to make all these cold pitches. I had to take initiative myself.”
O’Connell found an agent and also reached out to the Bucks County Illustrators Society to assist him. His work was featured on John’s merchandise, some of which was sold during his final tour. Since then, O’Connell has continued to work with Rocket Entertainment to create illustrations for new projects.
In 2022, O’Connell brought his creative spirit back to his alma mater when he was hired to manage Moore’s new TikTok account. He became Moore’s full-time social media coordinator in 2024, where he crafts informative, humorous and relatable content for the College and the Moore community.
O’Connell advises Moore students to lean into their strengths and interests and recommends taking creative work seriously, as the doodles he used to disregard have now become his passion. Finally, he encourages students to look for inspiration everywhere.
“When you’re going through art block, seek inspiration wherever you can, because you can find it in the most unexpected places,” he said.
Moore College of Art & Design is the only independent art and design college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Want to learn more about the Illustration major at Moore? Contact our Admissions team at enroll@moore.edu or 215.965.4015 to set up a call or a campus visit. We'd love to tell you more!
