MSc Design Lecturer | Unreal Engine, 3D, VR, VFX, UI/UX | Adobe Certified Expert & Instructor | Blender, C4D, UE | 15y professional experience | MSc, BA

Find out more about Sofia

• When did you start practising? How did this passion find you?

  I have been painting and sketching since I could hold a pencil, they gave me so much joy
  and were my favourite activities for the longest time. I also always remember being in love
  with creative arts such as music and cinema. Then during school, I got obsessed with
  disposable cameras, so much film was sacrificed!
  My love for technology started taking shape when I used my mother’s 90s Macintosh - she
  was amongst the many artists of that time who didn’t like the transition to technology. I was a
  very curious kid that loved a challenge, so I started experimenting with digital design and
  using Photoshop. By the time I was finishing school, I was obsessed, and knew I wanted to
  spend the rest of my days surrounded by art and technology!

• Whose work has affected you the most?

  Sir Ken Robinson has been my greatest inspiration. His ideas transformed the way I think
  about creativity, making me an advocate for nurturing critical thinking through creative and
  innovative education. This helped me discover I can use my knowledge to help and inspire
  people, giving them the opportunity to see their visions become reality. I believe that if we
  cannot solve the problems of the world, maybe we can inspire others who will!

• How did you begin to teach?

  I began by tutoring my classmates in university, making me realise my love for teaching.
  Which lead to my first teaching position at 22 - never stopped since!
  Thankfully I followed a career path that allowed me to gain diverse skills, as I was eager to
  immerse myself in all types of digital media. This variety of experiences eventually assisted
  me in supporting other professionals involved in the creative industries.

• Have you ever been surprised by a student?

  Throughout the years, I have had the pleasure to teach students of all abilities and ages
  (from 5 to 75!) and witness many inspiring stories. I saw young students discover new ways
  of expressing creativity and communicating their feelings, professionals like myself that use
  these skills daily, and enthusiasts achieving life-long dreams such as visualizing music.
  To sum up, through practicing and trusting the creative process I’ve seen students flourish
  and evolve their skills in ways they didn’t think possible. I believe there is a very important
  shift that occurs when we watch ourselves do something that we thought we couldn’t, and
  that’s what happens when we keep creating - even if sometimes the process feels
  uncomfortable.

• What is your advice for someone starting on creative projects?

  My understanding is that we are all inherently creative beings, what we maybe need more of
  at the start is diligence. Put another way, the biggest breakthroughs happen outside our
  comfort zone, so even if the task feels impossible at first trust the process, don’t give up
  keep creating and learning! (and have regular breaks to stretch your back!)

• What do you enjoy the most about being a tutor?

  I feel a great sense of fulfilment in helping my students realise their full potential and that in
  itself is hugely rewarding. I enjoy using my knowledge to help people see their visions come
  to reality and would love to devote my future to inspiring and educating creatives.

• Which creative achievement are you particularly proud of?

  For my MSc thesis research, I solely designed and developed a collection of Virtual Reality
  experiences. These worlds and the experience they provide aim to explore the therapeutic
  uses of VR as a medium, targeted to enhancing mindfulness and mental health. Some of the
  effects users reported were pain relief, calmness, an increased feeling of owe, focus, and
  joy, as well as achieving deeper breathing and lower heart rate. The project had a very
  positive impact on testers and I hope to publish the experiences to a wider audience soon.

• Being a Superprof is an art! What is your secret?

  No secrets, love what you do and do what you love!