At a cursory glance, some might say there are two distinct sides to senior Jeremy Quant’s life: the creative and the ambitious.
There is Quant the artist, who surrounds himself with other creative types and craves all that is imaginative, colorful, and strange. And then there is Quant the businessman, who reminds himself daily what his life goals are while trying to balance his classes and work.
Yet for Quant, 22, his creative and ambitious sides are one and the same, he said. To him, planning out his future is just another art form.
“It’s another way of creating,” said the art animation major. “Instead of creating artwork, you’re creating what you want out of your own life.”
Proof of his combined drive and talent is found in his most recent project of directing a graphic 3D webisode with fellow artists from around the area.
He said the venture is a long shot, and even though the group intends to pitch the idea to various studios, including Starz, they’re taking a huge risk in time, money and skills. Yet Quant has no trepidation about trying to accomplish his goal.
“Risks are really the only thing you have to having a life!” Quant said, laughing. “If you don’t take risks, so much of your life will have been wasted.”
He credits much of his passion for success to a series of books by Napoleon Hill called “Think and Grow Rich,” which Quant said changed his life. The books, which focus on how to achieve what you want in life, have given Jeremy focus and have encouraged him to make specific goals for his future.
For instance, he intends to become “crazy successful” by the time he turns 25.
“I’ve got three years, so I’ve got to move very fast,” Quant said. “But, I haven’t stopped, and I won’t stop until the job is over.”
While his newfound ambition was inspired by Napoleon Hill, his artistic side comes from a genetic source, he said. Son of a graphic designer, cousin to a storyboard artist, and brother to a screenwriter, Jeremy comes from a long line of creators. Thanks to the artistic influence of his relatives, he’s stayed true to his roots.
“I come from a family of artists, in a way,” Quant said. “It was going to happen; I was going to end up doing art, and I love it. I wouldn’t trade it for any other career.”
Interested in art since high school, when he started taking art classes, Quant has focused on enhancing his skill ever since. After taking classes at a community college, Quant chose to enroll at CSUN because it offered a good art program. Although he struggled in the beginning, and dealt with professionals and peers “tearing his work to shreds,” Quant kept creating.
Now in his last year of college, Quant has no shortage of art in his life. When he’s not working on his webisode, you might find him in one of his many art classes. Or perhaps he is doing freelance for a graphic novel. Then again, he might be at his internship for Film Roman, an animation company.
As if his schedule wasn’t busy enough, Quant must do it all without a car, he said. And what’s a young art student to do without a vehicle of his own? Quant uses his bike to get almost everywhere; his commute from his home in Canyon Country to CSUN sometimes takes up to an hour and a half. Leave it to Quant, though, to turn an obstacle into a clear-cut goal. He is determined to buy his own car in the near future, he said.
Although Jeremy is majoring in animation, he refuses to stick to one art form. Like many artists, he’s dabbled in various media including clay, photography and acting. His next project is to tackle choreographed dance. Dipping his creative toe in every area, it seems there is nothing Quant won’t try.
“To be honest, as long as it involves creativity, and this intuitive, expressionistic self, I don’t care,” Quant said confidently. “If I could make a good living off of it, then, man, my life is set. I can just create, and I don’t have to worry about what the world says, because it’s really mine.”
At his core, Quant is a determined creator. He describes himself as the “free-spirited guy,” yet he is more three-dimensional than that. While the free spirit lets life take him where it may, Quant is determined to maintain control. The free spirit may be happy as a clichéd starving artist, but Quant has serious goals regarding success.
