Today we’d like to introduce you to Azarya Samtani.
Azarya, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, and went to boarding school in Perth, Australia for high school when I was 13 years old. After graduating high school, I packed my bags yet again and flew to the United States, because for my mom, having an international education was an important part of shaping a person’s personality, and for that, I will always be grateful, because today I have been able to make a home wherever I go. When I was younger, I had always found classes such as math, science and history challenging, instead I would lean more towards the creative and computer-like classes and noticed that they were the subjects I would thrive in and take a greater interest in. Growing up with a book smart brother, I often felt compared to him and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t excel in the classes that he could – the non-creative classes. Today as I look back on it, it all makes sense. I was always a creative person. I guess I just never realized it.
After I graduated high-school, like any fresh graduate, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to major in and base my career on, so you could say a whole lot of research started to happen. I dove deep into my college applications and came across a university called SCAD, an art school. Something I had never even considered. I stumbled across a major on their website called “Graphic Design” and once I read its description, it seemed like something I could be good at, so I completely winged it.
I graduated from SCAD Atlanta on June 2, 2018, Magna Cum Laude. I can proudly say, winging it, was the best decision I have ever made. Throughout my journey at SCAD I got to learn from highly talented professors, it was definitely an insanely stressful four years but I came out learning so much about the design world, and learning about the talent inside of me that I didn’t even know existed.
During my time at SCAD, an app I created, designed and implemented, Cloak, won 2nd place (Silver) in the International Design Awards (IDA) 2018 and got nominated for a Red Dot Concept Design Award in 2018.
“Cloak is a simple and fun way to create outfits based on its appropriate occasion/event! Whether you are in need of something to wear for an interview, a wedding or even just for going to class, Cloak makes this easy by having your entire closet on your phone and seeing what your outfit would look like on an avatar that looks just like you! Say goodbye to wasting time and being late over finding the perfect outfit, no more excuses, Cloak has got your back.”
Cloak was a game-changer for me. I can safely say it kick-started my career after I graduated. It landed me an internship not only with CNN but with Cartoon Network too (13-year-old me was definitely screaming when I accepted this position).
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There have definitely been some bumps on the road along the way. I always questioned myself when I was younger. I didn’t think I was ever a smart kid. I couldn’t figure out my purpose in life, not until I found SCAD and I really felt like I belonged somewhere. SCAD itself was a journey on its own, that brought the inner me, and made me realize and be proud of who I am and what I do.
Another challenge I often faced was being homesick. Don’t get me wrong, I found a family in the friends I have made here in Atlanta, but being an international student from across the globe where your family lives 25 hours away by a flight, you start to get homesick once in a while. I missed countless amounts of birthdays, religious festivals, anything and everything you could possibly think of. I was lucky enough to be able to go home once a year but sometimes, you wish you had more time with them.
During my Junior year at SCAD, I went through something that changed me not only as a person but as a designer I am today. My parents went through a divorce and it was an emotional and struggling journey from me, as I always thought I was daddy’s little girl, but in this introspection journey, I came to realize the parent that was always fighting for me since day one, is my mom. Their divorce made me channelize all my emotions into my work and tried my best to stay focused at SCAD. To be honest, it forced me to grow as an individual and as a designer. Pain is a very powerful emotion to reflect and I was no more scared to show my true self through my work which made me come out of my comfort zone and grow. After much thought, I decided to take on my mother’s last name and drop my father’s for a name is one’s identity and I wanted to be proud of my identity. However, that meant the name I had my whole life, Azarya Mukhi suddenly changed, along with my initials that I branded myself upon. Thus, my entire rebrand was created, Azarya Samtani, also known as Zar. With a new name, came an entirely fresh look, a more mature look.
Tell us about your work – what should we know?
I am currently a Visual Designer at a small Marketing Agency called Creative Mischief in Atlanta, Georgia. I work on digital design, currently focusing on Web Design. I absolutely love the digital design world and the endless opportunities it has to offer. I know that’s where my strongest talents lie. Every time I see my work out in the real world, it still gives me butterflies, I can’t believe it’s mine. I hope this feeling always remains with me, as one should always feel excited and proud of one’s work. Passion is key to my creative process.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There is no way I would be where I am today without my mother. She is my rock, my inspiration, and my mentor. Through her, I learned that only being creative isn’t enough, you need to set your goals and work hard to make it happen, and I am grateful I have her as my role model.
My elder brother is another person who has contributed a lot to who I am today. Growing up, I used to think I had to compete with him since he had raised the bar so high in our family, but today you could say he is my better half and together we complete one another and make a strong team. He has a brain for business and me for creativity. The constant support I have received from not only my mother and my brother, but my whole extended family and friends is something I am so thankful for every day. They have all been my personal cheerleaders since day one, supporting me through it all.
I would like to give a special shout out to my professor at SCAD, Holly Quarzo. She started my love for digital design. She constantly pushed me in the right direction and made me realize where my talent lies. I wouldn’t have gotten such an incredible start to my career without her. Thank you SCAD for making me continue to believe in myself every day.
In addition a special thanks to CNN and Cartoon Network, both the teams I had the privilege of working with, they opened my eyes to the real world, landing an internship and being noticed by both companies made me feel like all the hard work I went through at SCAD finally paid off. They made me feel like I have a real talent and can spread my wings and someday, I would make something of myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.azaryasamtani.com
- Email: azaryasamtani@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zar.______/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azarya-samtani-mukhi-9a458b141/
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