Margarita Rangelova – Game Dev (Fundamentals)

Margarita Rangelova is part of the Game Dev (Fundamentals) program at ARC Academy. As a person of the arts, subjects like math and physics have not held her attention for long. Instead, art classes have been a “lively” interest for her, to say the least.  As someone who knew early on that she would not become a doctor or a lawyer, she dreamed of turning her passion for art into a career. In her search for the right place, she stumbled upon ARC Academy and the adventure began for her.

See what advice and experiences Maggie shares with people who have taken the digital arts path from our interview with her: 

Tell us more about yourself. What do you like to do, what are your hobbies and interests?

I’ve been interested in drawing since I was a little girl – my favourite class at school was art, and there wasn’t a force in the world that made me sit down to seriously study math or physics. My first encounter with video games, on the other hand, was when I got my first computer. At the time I had no idea how they were made, but subconsciously they always excited me. When I entered high school it just became abundantly clear that there was no way I was going to be a doctor or a lawyer, so I decided to pursue drawing and started wondering what exactly I could do after I graduated. By then I knew a lot more about the game industry and I was just sure this was the career for me.  Outside of ARC, I’m currently finishing high school, have been training pole dancing for almost 3 years, and am a huge fan of the horror genre, especially horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil. 

 How did you learn about ARC Academy?

My mother was the one who first introduced me to ARC. We were looking for a university that offered majors related to the things I was interested in and hoped would become my career – animation, drawing, and digital art. She came across an interview with Anthony by chance and immediately forwarded it to me. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study after high school, but I decided that being an ARC was a great opportunity and I wanted to give it a shot.

What motivates you to create?

Finding new artists or mediums that inspire me is an important part of my creative process. Meeting artists, new people, films, music, and games (especially games!) that make me happy, excite and impress me, and inspire me to work on new projects.

What have you enjoyed the most about your studies at ARC so far?

The creative freedom we have with our homework is unquestionably something I value the most. The strong relationship between the teachers and us, in my opinion, distinguishes ARC from other art schools in the country. I’ve never felt hesitant or embarrassed to ask a lecturer for feedback, or even to inquire about their career and experience in their industry, and this is extremely important to me.

What do you believe is the most important quality that an artist should possess?

This is the most difficult question for me to answer because I can think of so many qualities. The most important thing is to  accept feedback and not become overly attached to your work. As an artist, I understand how upsetting it can be to hear that someone dislikes or 

criticizes a work you’ve put your heart and soul into. However, regardless of how difficult it may be, it is critical to view this as a guideline for your future work and to see it as an opportunity to improve rather than as a source of frustration or anger. Especially if you intend to work in a studio, where you may have to do up to ten revisions on the same sketch.

What have been the most difficult challenges in your training thus far?

Accepting that I’m bound to make mistakes, especially if I’m just getting started with something new. Making mistakes or being unskilled is normal, even if it appears to be something you are confident in and believe 

you are good at. As someone who tends to go to extremes when it comes to figuring out the details, I find it extremely difficult to accept that I lack skills and that I have a lot to learn in order to become truly proficient. But I try not to dwell on it too much and let it affect or derail me. The sooner you overcome your fear of making a mistake, the faster you will improve.

What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling in ARC?

I wholeheartedly encourage them to apply! In addition to all of the knowledge they will gain, they will meet a plethora of amazing and talented people with similar interests to their own and form meaningful connections with them. It won’t be easy, and it will undoubtedly take some time to adjust to the way and pace of work, but once things “click,” everything becomes incredibly fulfilling and exciting!