Meet Ivy Harris | Game Design & Asset Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ivy Harris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ivy, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always loved all types of art, and being creative has been my way to express myself to the world. Whether I was feeling happy, sad, or just wanting to make a change and impact using my art, I knew at a young age that a creative career was my future, so I began my journey by going to art school for my degree in graphic design. After graduation, I began creating wedding cakes with botanically correct sugar flowers, custom invitations, and branding small businesses. I began to learn photography and eventually began directing photoshoots for ad campaigns in the Bahamas for local companies. Learning everything I could, felt important to help me become well-rounded and able to create anything imaginable. Since I always had such a strong passion for video games, I decided to go in another direction with my art and graduated with my second degree from the Digital Worlds Institute at the University of Florida in video game development focusing on 3d modeling. Creating art for gaming has been the most challenging, fun, and humbling part of my entire creative career and having the opportunity to work with others who are also creative and passionate about the same things has been such an amazing experience making why I pursued a creative path professionally one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Getting to where I am today wasn’t always easy and definitely had its challenges. Being a single mother was the first major challenge throughout my career. I didn’t want to miss anything in my son’s life, so being there for him but also building a career was equally important which meant I had to learn how to balance both. I also had a few health scares which made building a career very difficult at times. In 2015 I suffered a myocardial infarction and was diagnosed with thyroid papillary carcinoma. I had to step away for a few years from my career to focus on my health. This was really a stressful time in my life and I emotionally struggled with not being able to do my passion and build my brand. Once I had surgery and things seemed to be getting better, I got right back up and began once more creating until 2018 when I was diagnosed with recurrent thyroid papillary carcinoma, which meant another surgery and more time away from my career. Again, another challenge and battle to face but this time, I kept working to keep my mind off of my health and didn’t allow it to get in the way too much. However, in 2020, I had a fluke accident that left my cervical spine fractured and once more facing another challenge but throughout all my health scares and being there for my son, I always knew that nothing would keep me from creating.

I learned that no matter what hardship you are facing, whether that is small or grand in scale, that staying positive through it all, really makes all the difference. I never once allowed myself to get sad, or feel defeated. I knew that it was only temporary and that everything I was experiencing would show throughout all my future creations. I used every single challenge I faced as fuel to keep my passion burning. What keeps me busy professionally these days is coming up with ideas for new video games and finding inspiration around me in my everyday life to use for my creations. I spend countless hours drafting concept art, storyboarding, creating 3d assets, and dreaming up beautiful fantasy worlds that I bring to life for others to enjoy. I have never found anything more rewarding and creatively challenging than this in my career ,and while I may be extremely busy creating, this path has been a journey I am passionate about.

I would like the world to know that I am a creative force. I don’t give up, I won’t give up, and I am never going to stop creating. Everything I’ve ever gone through has only molded me to become the strong independent woman I am today. I am so proud to be my son’s mother, and an inspiration to him as he grows up to become a young man following my path in the creative arts world as well. I hope my story inspires others to never give up and always continue to grow and keep your eyes on your passion. No matter how long it takes to achieve, it is always achievable.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend is coming to have a week long trip, I would plan out that we stay at my favorite resort, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. I absolutely love their luxurious suites with amazing ocean views and of course they have amazing restaurants like Hakkasan and Stripsteak. The Lapis spa is probably my favorite part of the resort and spending an entire day lounging on a bench at the pool, getting a massage or facial is the way to pamper myself and my best friend. Their nail salon is also I think the best where they use only my favorite polish by Smith & Cult.

Aside all the resort fun, enjoying the night out in Little Havana is a must. Enjoying sangria, dancing to Cuban music and dressing in your best flowy dress to twirl the night away always makes me smile. For a calm afternoon, I would take my bestie to Coconut Grove which is another one of my favorite Bohemian themed places in Miami. The vibe here is so fun for creative people and I just love shopping here from local artists and of course, you can’t visit Miami without seeing Coral Gables for its beautiful Mediterranean architecture. This is defiantly one of my most favorite spots in Miami for just wondering around and taking photos. I think that a week of just going to local spots is the way to go for a fun girls weekend vacay.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In my younger 20s, a new mom to a my amazing son, I worked for a small bridal boutique and became very close with one of my coworkers, Sharon Townsend, now the owner of the boutique, Tiffany’s Bridal in Richmond, Virginia. She gave such wonderful advice, and always encouraged me to continue being creative and finish university with my degree in graphic design. With her support and my son by my side cheering me on, I was able to graduate and eventually open my first storefront. Both my son and Sharon’s support and encouragement is how my story began in the professional world of art.

Website: https://ivyharris.dev/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquaivythegamer/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrisit/

Image Credits
All images and designs are by myself.