Third time lucky for Olivia Blackwell

Finding the right creative path is not always a smooth ride. But after a few false starts (including architecture and fine arts) Whitecliffe’s Olivia Blackwell has finally found her fit.

The talented Bachelor of Design + Digital Media student is “suuuper passionate about digital illustration”, and it only takes a look at her Instagram feed (@oliviablackwelldesign) to see she’s got the flair for it.

“I absolutely love digital illustration, as to me it’s limitless,” says Olivia. “I especially love the traditional Japanese style of work and that has a massive influence on the balance that I try to maintain throughout my pieces. That said, it seems like almost every week I find a new source of inspiration that alters the direction of each project!”

But digital illustration hasn’t always been Olivia’s gig. In fact she spent her childhood banking on becoming an architect.

“Before Whitecliffe I spent most of my life preparing to go into architecture but after doing an internship with an architecture firm I realised it wasn’t the field for me. I wanted something with a little more creative freedom.”

Whitecliffe provided her with precisely that, giving Olivia the chance to dip her toes into different mediums to see what stuck.

“I completed a Certificate in Arts + Design and a Certificate in Digital Media (she gained first place in both), and did a year of the Bachelor of Fine Arts. However the more I got into fine arts and started to see my career path, the more I realised this wasn’t quite right for me either.”

This year though the stars have aligned, and Olivia now knows she’s right where she’s meant to be.

“My biggest challenge has been figuring out exactly where I fit between art and design. Switching to design was one of the hardest - but best - decisions I’ve made. I knew I enjoyed the digital side of illustrating but the more I move through the Bachelor of Design and Digital Media the more driven I've become."

“Coming to Whitecliffe to study has possibly been one of the most life changing decisions I’ve made. The amazing lecturers have taught and guided me towards my own style, and are always pushing me to go out of the box and do things I’ve never done, or even considered.”

Her lecturers and peers are a constant source of inspiration, as are artists like James Jean, Ellen Sheidlin, Samuel Rodriguez and Alex Stoddard - and of course Behance, the world’s largest creative network for showcasing and discovering creative work.

“I absolutely love seeing what people around me are capable of and I think it’s vital as a designer to be in the know about what’s going on around you. Inspiration feeds inspiration and can result in beautiful things.”

To check out more of Olivia’s work follow her on Instagram (“an outlet to voice my political opinions while also sharing what I can do with the world”), and keep an eye out for her signature illustrations on soon-to-be-released surf wear t-shirts.