Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Arnold.
Hi Benjamin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in the US, but I spent most of my life in the Philippines. I come from a background where saying yes, following the expected path, and not rocking the boat were seen as virtues. So when it came time to choose a major, I picked marketing. It wasn’t my passion, but it was considered practical and stable, safer than trying to make a living through art, which I had always quietly loved.
My first job out of school was at Gadgets Magazine as a graphic designer. I hadn’t even applied—they found my profile on a local job board where I had listed Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign under my skills. They called me in, and that was that. I moved up quickly to Art Director, then became a staff writer, and eventually the Creative Director. From there, I tried freelancing with a boutique ad agency, which led to a full-time role at Summit Media. I worked on local editions of Esquire, Top Gear, and FHM, then got promoted to Senior Publisher, leaning into my marketing experience, overseeing branding and business development for youth titles like Disney, K-Zone, and Total Girl.
After a few years, a good friend invited me to join the pre-opening team for a new flagship Shangri-La property. I accepted and helped establish the hotel’s brand from the ground up. It was intense but fulfilling work, and I was on track to become Director of Communications.
That path might sound impressive, and I’m proud of the work I did. But looking back, I realize something important: I never really chose any of it. Every one of those roles came to me because someone offered them. I didn’t go out and apply; I was selected, recruited, invited. And while that can look like luck from the outside, it also meant I was constantly responding to what others saw in me, rather than asking myself what I really wanted. I felt pressure to say yes. To follow through. To not let people down.
Still, I value those years. They gave me experience, confidence, and lifelong friendships. I wouldn’t have the skills I have today, or the friendships that still mean so much to me, without them. But in that final year before I left the Philippines, something shifted. I started to ask myself harder questions, not just about what I wanted to do, but who I wanted to be. That’s when I came to understand and accept that I’m bisexual. It was a private realization, but it cracked something open in me. I began thinking about identity, choice, and the kind of life I could build if I gave myself permission to break from expectations.
At the same time, I had been going to Comic-Con regularly and meeting some of my favorite artists in film, games, and animation. One moment that stuck with me was hearing Andy Park from Marvel Studios talk about his journey into visual development. That conversation stayed with me. I didn’t just admire these artists—I wanted to become one.
So I made the biggest decision of my life: I left everything I had built behind, moved back to the US, and enrolled in art school.
It was liberating—but also terrifying.
Moving “home” felt both exciting and alien. I had to rebuild everything: friendships, community, a sense of belonging. I was on my own without my usual support network, figuring out how to start again as both a creative and a person.
Then the pandemic hit.
Like many others, I had to shift gears. I relied on my background in marketing and communications to take on freelance projects, working with boutique hotel consultancy agencies, indie game developers, and small animation studios. I eventually graduated, but finding a full-time role in the industry has been far harder than I expected. It’s been a tough, nonlinear path.
But I haven’t given up.
These days, I work with independent artists to help them tell their stories and market themselves, teaching them how to pitch, present, and promote their work. I also volunteer as Chief Communications Officer at a nonprofit called Asians in Animation. It’s been a way to stay connected to the industry, give back to emerging talent, and build a new community here in the States.
And in the middle of all that, I’ve been working on something personal too: a webcomic called Prince & Ben, which I’m creating with my boyfriend. It’s based on our story: how we met, how that relationship helped me understand my identity, and how it pushed us to live more honestly. We’re planning to launch it on Patreon first, followed by a free release on Webtoon a few months later.
I won’t lie. There are days when I question it all. Days I feel burnt out or like I made things harder than they needed to be. I gave up a life that was stable, well-paid, and predictable for something messier and uncertain. But I also gave myself permission to be who I am, for maybe the first time.
And to me, that trade-off is worth it. I’m still here. Still building. Still choosing my own path.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not. From the outside, it might look like my early career moved smoothly. Yes, I was promoted often and offered new roles without having to apply. But part of the struggle was internal. For a long time, I wasn’t really choosing my path. I was saying yes to what was offered, even when I didn’t fully know if it was what I wanted. That’s something I didn’t know how to question until much later.
The real upheaval came when I decided to leave my stable career and move back to the U.S. to pursue art. That meant walking away from a clear trajectory, starting over in a new country without my support system, and trying to break into industries like film, games, and animation that are already extremely competitive, especially if you’re coming in as a newcomer with no local network.
On top of that, the pandemic hit right in the middle of my transition. It disrupted everything—school, job prospects, connection. And beyond the career and financial instability, the emotional and mental struggle has probably been the hardest. There have been stretches of burnout, isolation, and doubt. Some days it’s difficult to stay focused or hopeful when you’re in survival mode. You start questioning your worth or wondering if you made the right call, leaving a stable life for something more uncertain.
But I think that’s part of growth. It hasn’t been smooth, but it’s been honest. I don’t have everything figured out, and I don’t know exactly how things will turn out. I’m still working on it, still trying, still adjusting, still doing what I can to move forward. Even with the setbacks, I know I’m building something that feels more true to who I am. And for now, that’s enough to keep going.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a visual development artist focused mainly on environment and background art, though I dabble in character design now and then. I’ve done freelance work in both games and animation, and recently volunteered as Background Lead on a pilot animatic called Tea Leaves Last with Asians in Animation. That was my first official credit on a production that has been released, and definitely something I’m proud of. It felt like a real milestone since deciding to pivot into art.
Outside of that, as I mentioned, I’m also working on a webcomic called Prince & Ben with my amazing boyfriend (obviously, his name is Prince, and he’s an amazing artist as well). I’m mostly writing the story, and we both work together on the illustrations. It’s based loosely on our own experiences, and it’s been picking up a following on Instagram lately in the queer art community, which has been both surprising and encouraging.
In addition to art, I’ve always had a parallel track in writing. Mostly in marketing, brand, and communications work. That background gives me a different lens when it comes to visual storytelling, especially when thinking about tone, clarity, and audience. It’s also helped with presenting my own work and making connections, I guess it’s debatable if it’s actually an advantage in terms of career momentum. lol. But all jokes aside, I think having both creative and communication skills has given me a broader toolkit and perspective as an artist navigating this space.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Finding a mentor or building a network isn’t easy, especially if you’re pivoting into a new industry or starting over in a place where you don’t have a built-in community. For me, what’s worked best is volunteering and showing up consistently in spaces where I actually want to belong. That’s how I got involved with Asians in Animation. I started by offering my skills in communications, and over time, I built relationships with people who shared similar values and goals. That turned into creative collaborations, mentorship, and real friendships.
I’ve found that people respond to sincerity and consistency more than anything else. Not just asking for help, but being curious, offering value, and finding ways to be useful without expecting something right away. That’s how trust builds.
Social media has helped in smaller ways, mostly through mutuals, the occasional commission, or casual conversations that led to coffee chats. It hasn’t brought big opportunities, but it has made me feel less isolated at times, which still counts for something.
Ironically, I come from a public relations background, and yet I still struggle with staying connected. I go through stretches where I disappear or go quiet, especially when things feel overwhelming. It just goes to show that even people who’ve built their careers on communication don’t always have it figured out. I’m still learning how to show up, for myself and for others, even when I don’t feel totally ready or visible. Because at the end of the day, connection doesn’t happen all at once. It builds slowly. You just have to keep finding your way back to it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.benarnoldart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benarnoldart/ ; https://www.instagram.com/iambenarnold/ ; https://www.instagram.com/princeandben/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iambenarnold/
- Other: https://www.patreon.com/princeandben ; https://ko-fi.com/princeandben ; https://linktr.ee/princeandben
Image Credits
Prince & Ben Webcomic Artworks (@princeandben) by Benjamin Arnold (@benarnoldart) and Prince Valenz Masong (@privalenzs)
Tea Leaves Last Tea-ter (Tea Theater) Building Design created for Asians in Animation Pilot Pre-Production Program 2025:
Building Design: Benjamin Arnold
Executive Producer/Supervising Director: Saira Umar
Art Director: Flo Young
Assistant Art Director: Kaitlyn Chen
All other art and images are credited to Benjamin Arnold (@benarnoldart)
