Before the win.

It's intriguing how a single life event can significantly impact your journey as an entrepreneur and artist. For instance, tomorrow (11/2/23), I'll be taking the stage to present SREALFX, a product that emerged from my recent four-week journey into thought leadership. SREALFX is a plug-and-play animation tool for Houdini that allows for the quick creation of special effects.

Reflecting on the person I've become and the knowledge I've accumulated during my four years in college, the transformation is remarkable. My current aspiration is to be a VFX artist specializing in Houdini for advertising. Just one year ago, I was unaware of Houdini's existence; two years ago, I had only dabbled in Blender, and three years ago, I had no inkling that 3D animation could be a viable profession. It all began in the winter of 2020 when I ventured into 3D animation. At that time, I developed a product called "water weights," which were water-fillable dumbbells to customize their weight. This venture marked my only participation in an entrepreneurial competition until today.

In hindsight, I can see the profound impact that competition had on my life. Without the need for a pitch deck, I wouldn't have pushed myself to learn Blender to impress the judges. Even after my water weights project concluded, I continued with Blender for two more years. I started creating TikTok videos and sharing them on Instagram, which expanded my reach, leading to commissions and a presence on social media. During another startup event, I attended a presentation on marketing for creatives. Interestingly, the presenter never showed up, but it was there that I met SKVWALKER, a rapper with over 2 million followers on TikTok, serving as my gateway to the world of Lil Mopptop, a rapper and pop culture figure. Meeting Lil Mopptop became a pivotal moment, leading to a lifelong friendship and a business partnership. Without him, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to work on NYC billboards, a significant factor in gaining admission to Baiada, or the ability to pursue my co-op more independently.

Is this type of introspective beneficial? I bet by going back in time long enough you could always find a period where you are surprising yourself.

“When I was 1, I couldn’t run, but now at 22, I can!”

Dumb example, but is there a point to be made? Yes, of course after 4 very formative years of college I would get to completely new heights, but in a typical case, how much do people change? In many ways, I have always felt like I was fighting the clock. The mentality that “if not now, then when, and if not me, then who?” has been a crucial factor in getting the work done now. The amount of exploration I have done in personal development seems very specific to entrepreneurship.

As I find myself in the final years of my college journey, I've chosen a path. My primary focus is on 3D animation solidified with my animation minor, and my work done with LennicaDigital and SREALFX. However, thought leadership has also given me an avenue to diversify my efforts. My goal is to develop a unique and recognizable style, one that is recognizable as Liam Halsey. Interestingly, this artistic pursuit doesn't necessarily have to revolve solely around 3D animation. 

I've thought about the option of stepping back—after all, I'm an entrepreneurship major, not exclusively an animator, and there's no obligation to specialize if it doesn't resonate with me. I sometimes think this feeling is the fear that in the end, I won’t be able to accomplish everything I want to in animation. If I stop now, maybe I won’t waste all this time on a skill that has no practical purpose. Wouldn’t something less mentally demanding be better? I am uneasy about this because it is difficult to say if it is the part of my brain that wants easy good times now, telling me to stop, or if this worry is a genuine problem I need to address. In both cases, I should address it but I will not accept the answer that is it too hard, so I must quit. I reject that idea entirely.

In truth, I believe I can find happiness in animation, but the uncertainty of the future is a constant source of concern. Therefore, I believe that expanding my thought leadership journey to encompass purely artistic endeavors is a positive step for me. Regardless of what unfolds in my career, I will always be creating. That's a certainty, a constant in my life that has persisted for as long as I can remember, or perhaps even longer.

Writing this before the competition, wish me luck, who knows, maybe this competition will lead me in another direction