LightworQ: The Professional Platform You Need

As artists, the importance of networking is extremely crucial within a creative career. At SCAD, making community is the core of the enriching experience this school has to offer. However, outside of school, connecting with professional creatives can be more overwhelming and challenging than one may think. I had the opportunity to interview the founders of LightworQ and SCAD alumni Jamil Primas and Jeffrey Tindi, who, with the creation of this platform, aim to welcome digital media artists into a wholesome and welcoming professional community. 

What is the purpose of LightworQ? 

LightworQ is a professional platform aimed at facilitating connections between students, beginners, intermediate, and Senior Visual Effects artists, Animators, Game Developers, Graphic Designers, and beyond. It enables artists to connect with recruiters more easily, ask questions, share portfolios, and learn about the good and bad from everyone within the community. 

What is the story of LightworQ?

As fresh as last year, LightworQ started with the reflection of Jamil Primas on how he began his career journey. Realizing how challenging networking can be coming out directly from school, he was inspired by his own questions and his own frustrations to create this professional platform for everyone to benefit from. He enhanced the value of this platform by saying: “I wish that there was something like this when I was coming out, for students to have easier access to industry professionals… When my career actually took off was when Senior artists started to school me on some of the things that you don’t really get in school. ” They hope to continue growing throughout the years, valuing feedback from artists as they join. 

Joining hands with Jamil, graphic designer Jeffrey Tindi shared the same perspective on valuing the feedback and guidance of all artists. Asking questions is what enhances any career journey.  Therefore, a little bit after Jamil started working with the platform, Jeffrey Tindi decided to join him and push forward his vision of helping artists connect. 

How would LightworQ compare to other professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn?

The biggest difference is the artist’s intention within the platform and how all artists are willing to share their knowledge with the community. On the other hand, LinkedIn can be considered a broader networking platform, where the casual and back-and-forth between members is not seen as much as how it is seen in LightworQ. 

LightworQ is much more straightforward and specific to digital media artists. Here, artists can make their profile and upload the demo reel and portfolio directly to it, facilitating the hiring process for recruiters, something that LinkedIn doesn’t necessarily have. When building LightworQ, Jeffrey Tindi highlighted that one of the main goals for creating this platform was to also save the recruiter’s time so they can focus more on the artist’s work instead of the micro-time-consuming interactions that can sometimes be seen on LinkedIn. LightowrQ’s focus is for artists to interact and get hired more easily. Recruiters can not only see the artist’s work but also the way they interact with others through the platform considering both software and soft skills on the same page.

How is LightworQ growing?

LightworQ plans to grow in conjunction with the industry and the artists within the platform. As Jamil Primas said “What we will see in the future is not only this balance of Junior artists having access to Senior artists but also Senior artists being able to mentor and coach people on the future of our industry. Junior artists coming in will eventually become mids, seniors, and veterans that will coach incoming generations.” The main aspiration of LightworQ is to transform this platform into the go-to hub for all things professional CG, where artists get to collaborate, connect, and eventually get hired. 

They also want to enhance the culture of CGI. The aspiration is to not only improve the culture of the industry but also guide Junior artists and incoming artists to be better professionally and take care of their energy and mental health for improvement in their professional and personal development within a healthy environment. 

How do you feel that LightworQ enhances your purpose and your passions within your creative career? 

Both Jamil Primas and Jeffrey Tindi approached this question by enhancing how their story and experience have pushed forward the mission and vision of LightworQ. This platform and its purpose go hand in hand because LightworQ provides an opportunity to put their talents, knowledge, and experience as a means of service. Their hard work and leadership is an example of what they strive to accomplish with this platform. Leading by example through creative service, both Jamil and Jeffrey enhance how enriching this platform is for the artist’s community.

Advice for artists who are trying to build their own company or business? 

“Just go ahead and start. Start with what you have, you will learn along the process of actually doing it.” – Jeffrey Tindi

“It’s important for artists to be able to quiet down and really listen to themselves, listen to the direction they really want to move in. Being able to identify what it is that you are working on is an alignment of what it is that you want…Be brave to follow that voice. ”- Jamil Primas

LightworQ’s Socials:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightworq

https://www.instagram.com/itslightworq/

LightworQ’s social media platform is full of enriching content to enhance the healthy environment and community. The overall approach of the social media content is to get more eyes on the platform, but also have golden pieces of advice that anyone can take advantage of. 

Image Courtesy of LightworQ Instagram

Networking does not have to be overwhelming thanks to the team from LightworQ. By joining this community, artists will definitely gain a highly enriching experience with peers who are willing to help and guide those who need it. Special thanks to SCAD alumni Jamil Primas and Jeffrey Tindi, for putting their work and talent into service of many artists, particularly SCAD students as well, who look for a healthy community like LightworkQ to enhance their early creative careers.