Rising Stars: Meet Moya Turner of Southwest

Today we’d like to introduce you to Moya Turner.

Hi Moya, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi! My name is Moya Turner and I am a 20 year old artist currently attending ArtCenter College of Design. Although I am now heading into my third year at university, I always had a passion for creating.

When I was in 5th grade, our class was asked what careers we wanted to pursue. Obsessed with cartoons such as ‘My Little Pony’ and ‘Star Vs the Forces of Evil’, I remember thinking that I wanted to one day direct my own animation or series. Although it was a very ambitious aspiration for a 10 year old, I’ve had my heart set on it since!

Around midway through high school, I decided to seriously pursue this childhood dream and study the arts at an extracurricular studio. This is where I started to develop my skills and practice the basic fundamentals, all building towards a portfolio for art school applications.

Eventually that led to where I am today: directing a student animated short film with a group of my friends from ArtCenter! Although I still have a lot to learn, I am endlessly grateful for everything and everyone that has helped me get to this point.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s been a few bumps along the road! Part of being an artist is figuring out how to communicate your ideas and respond to criticism. It’s definitely pushed me to become more confident when presenting my work while also staying open to other perspectives. Outside of this, I think one of the biggest struggles for me has been learning to not compare my progress to others.

Being surrounded by so many incredibly talented people, it’s easy to feel like you need to be as good as everyone around you. I sometimes have to remind myself that everyone has their own strengths and backgrounds. And at the end of the day, we’re all here to learn! I think that mindset has made the process a lot more enjoyable.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Previously, a lot of my work came from introspection and leaned towards edgier tones. Now, I find myself creating pieces that originate from pure curiosity and the exploration of “what if” scenarios. I love visual storytelling and the little mundane moments that can spark fun ideas! I’m also really intrigued by the juxtaposition of something cute with conceptually darker undertones.

Although I work across a variety of media, I’m particularly interested in focusing on storyboarding and 3D modeling for the future. Hopefully, I can use these skills to help bring stories and imaginative worlds to life!

I don’t believe every piece needs to convey something deeply profound– sometimes, it’s enough to make someone smile or laugh. What matters most to me is making art that connects with people through sincerity and imagination.

How do you define success?
For me, I think the definition of success is constantly evolving. I can achieve a long-term goal, but then immediately set a new one and still have that same passion to accomplish it. It’s made me realize that success isn’t a finish line!

I believe it’s important to be able to look back and know that I’ve continued pursuing these dreams, even as they grow with me. I was once told that I have a very “tenacious” spirit, and I think that perseverance and willingness to keep going is what I define as success. There will always be something to work toward, and it’s about continuing to push forward and finding fulfillment in that process. To me, it truly comes down to being happy with where you are while still being excited about where you can go next!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://moyaturner4.wixsite.com/my-site-3/gallery
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mooyeah.israndom
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moya-turner-67b87232b/