Lindsey O’Brien ’17 grew up in Bucks County, PA, while going to school in Northeast Philadelphia. She was part of Moore College of Art & Design’s first class to graduate in the Animation & Games Arts major in 2017. She is an instructor of 3D animation and web design for Moore’s adult Continuing Education program, and she teaches digital art classes for the Young Artists Workshop.
O’Brien is a freelance digital artist and Indie game developer with an emphasis in 3D modeling and interactive narratives. Her personal work focuses on the importance and impact of player choice in interactive narratives and telling stories about members of the LGBT+ community, in hopes of adding more representation to the industry. She talked with Meg Wolensky, Continuing Education program manager.
What brought you to Philadelphia?
I grew up living close to Philadelphia—the city was always a big part of my upbringing. When it came to choosing where to go to college, I was more than aware of Philly’s strong connection to the arts, and staying close to home felt like the best choice.
What have you been feeling inspired by?
Lately, I gain most of my inspiration from other artists and independent game makers, it’s a quickly growing field and I love to see what new directions people are taking in interactive media. Along with that, I get a lot of inspiration from leading tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons for my friends. Games of that style tend to take a lot of imaginative planning that often bleeds into the art I create.
What’s your biggest creative career achievement?
I’m still just getting started in my career but my biggest moment would either be self-publishing my first game or when I got the chance to take part in a roundtable interview for the tv show FTW Philly discussing women’s place in the gaming industry and e-sports.
What do you love about working for Moore College of Art & Design?
I love working with the high schoolers in the YAW program. By the time they get to my class, most of them are bubbling with passion and ideas that they are ready to explore. I never know what they will come up with; because of this, they keep me on my toes when it comes to finding new examples geared to their ever-growing ideas.
So far, what’s exceeded your expectations when working with the students in Moore’s CE program?
Being an alumna of Moore’s BFA program, I knew firsthand about the drive and passion that Moore students have for their art. I see that same drive in the CE programs as well. Most of these students are so open to learning and sharing their ideas. For many of my YAW students, my class is their first taste of digital media or the animation workflow. They all have so much determination to create, and what they are able to come up with in such a short time exceeds my expectations in the best way possible.
