Hey Mikaela! Tell us a bit about yourself. I'm a motion graphic artist working in the 3D digital art space. I love exploring the overlap between technology and the natural world through my work.

What made you start making your own graphics? Prior to COVID I was working as a stage designer and installation artist so when the live music industry was on-hold I decided to spend the lockdowns upskilling – so I started teaching myself 3D motion graphics from YouTube. I saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change career paths and make the most out of a horrible situation. I started learning in May 2020 and gave myself the deadline of February 2021 to be working full-time as a freelancer and that’s what happened!What do you love about 3D motion graphics in particular? The sense of possibility. There are almost infinite stylistic possibilities and ways to create other worlds that otherwise wouldn’t be achievable. So with all of the potential pathways and different ways it can be applied across a wide range of projects and contexts, it feels like there’s no ceiling to hit with it. As the software continues to develop, you can continue to grow as an artist or designer.

How much or little do you plan your work? If I’m making work for myself I rarely plan much. I definitely prefer to create in a more intuitive way and sketch my ideas out in my animation software and see where it takes me. I very rarely have a finished goal in mind that I work towards – it’s definitely more about exploring possibilities than trying to figure out a solution to an idea. However, if it’s for commercial or collaborative projects a fair amount of planning has to go into any project to ensure everyone’s on the same page with a shared vision.What’s the actual making process like? Chaos! I change my mind often, come across tech problems, try and do too many things simultaneously and often doubt the final outcome. Although it’s a messy process at times, I actually like that about it. I like discovering parts of my imagination I haven’t been able to access before and I often do this by trying out different techniques or by looking up tutorials I haven’t experimented with before. I often find this a helpful way to stay engaged with my work and up-to-date with my skills.

What additional tools do you use when you create your artworks? I often bring my digital work into physical contexts whether it being large-scale prints or public art contexts. An important component of my practice is to merge the tensions between virtual and physical; natural and technological; and fiction and fantasy. A recent example of how I did that was printing works onto satin silk and framing them in custom sand casted aluminium frames. I wanted to connect the biophilic qualities of the artwork into the framing so being a part of that process and being in a workshop is always so much fun.Do you have a fave artwork you’ve made? This is a hard question to answer! But if I had to pick one, it might be a motion piece I did earlier this year called Orbit. I was lucky enough to exhibit the work on a massive 8 x 12 metre screen in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD so again, having the work on display in an accessible and large format way was an incredible experience and opportunity.

What’s next for you and your work? I have an exhibition at Modern Times. I’ve been collaborating with a friend on some more aluminium casting projects and developing new ways to frame my digital works. I’ve also started doing glass blowing for fun which is something I’ve been wanting to do for years! The intention is to find new and exciting ways to explore ideas and motifs that I create in my motion practice, in physical and more traditional art mediums.How do you keep creatively inspired? Going to as many exhibitions as possible and finding pockets of time to relax! I often find when I’m relaxed I’m most inspired as my brain has time to process ideas and think of ways to make them possible. I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time overseas and getting inspired by how other artists from other countries and cultures explore similar research interests.

How did you find working on the MSI Prestige 16 Studio laptop? The MSI Prestige 16 Studio is an epic laptop! It’s able to run many of my design programs such as Cinema 4D really well compared to other laptops which is amazing for when I’m travelling or working interstate. Considering how powerful its processing power is, it’s super slim and lightweight which is a massive bonus for me. I usually work from a large gaming PC so it also meant I could easily login with all my Windows accounts and sync to my everyday computer seamlessly.Any tips for people looking to get into making their own 3D motion graphics? I think the best thing you should keep in mind is that it takes a long time to get your head around how the software works so be kind and patient with yourself while you’re starting out! It’s really important to experiment with as many ideas as possible in the early stages so you can develop a personal style that feels authentic to you – that’s the most important part of being an artist. Don’t feel pressured to follow trends or what you see other people doing, just keep doing what makes you feel good and it will very quickly start to show in the quality of art you create. This momentum is what will keep you excited and engaged with the work you make.

This chat was presented by MSI and their new Prestige 16 Studio . It’s thin, light and super powerful plus boasts up to 13-hours of battery life for when you’re working on the go. For more, head to au.msi.com