Today we’d like to introduce you to Will Wiggins III.
Hi Will, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Thanks so much for having me! I have always been fascinated by the world of creation. Much of my early inspiration came from playing, with my brother and I starting our obsession with creation through “W Man and Lightning Man.” This further led us to explore the possibilities of different characters we could create. In middle school, we both got really into online roleplaying, where we took characters we made during this time, and started fleshing out stories based on interactions with others online. These earlier interactions led me down a path of visually artistic endeavors that I never knew were possibilities.
In high school, I joined a painting apprenticeship at a fantastic organization called “Artists for Humanity,” where I gained an “bigger picture” understanding of being an artist. I was surrounded by students in my same age group who far exceeded anything I could do at the time, and through observing and applying new skills I learned there, I refined my craft. At Artists for Humanity, I had the opportunity to not only grow my skills and sell my paintings, but I also had artwork I created hung up in galleries all across the US. My artwork ended up in financial buildings, auction houses, and in private collections. What I accomplished at Artists for Humanity gave me the confidence to make a living through my art, and in some cases, thrive.
In college, I gained valuable insight, experience, and a vastly expanded knowledge of the arts that exceeded my earlier experiences. Because I was able to more specifically concentrate my time and efforts on creation, I learned more about furniture design, sculpting, printmaking, painting, illustration, drawing, and digital imaging. It was during my Junior year that I started an entity to create digital designs for others (while still selling my paintings.) I ended up creating a variety of merchandise assets for college clubs, as well as for the college itself, all while amassing clients in my hometown Boston during my summer breaks. 2009 was officially when I started using the Black Oni moniker as my business. Additionally, I lived in Dumbo NYC as part of my school’s art program, where my classmates and I lived life as artists in one of the most artistically vibrant cities in existence. While there, we created art, exhibited our work in a show at “Superfine,” visited renowned artists, and toured world renown production studios.
After college, I continued to work with entities and individuals, primarily in the Boston area, utilizing my skills to not only gain clients but to create a unique presence. I began working as a graphic design intern for Teach Plus, where I used my knowledge of the digital medium to create reports, website designs, event assets, and more. I was the sole designer for some time, working my way up to a senior position where I was responsible for overseeing and creating collateral for over 9 sites for the organization. During this time, I continued to freelance for other businesses while also creating online gaming content in both video and livestream form.
Now, I run my business full time, working as a designer, illustrator, gaming content creator, and consultant. My work has been used for a huge variety of purposes, from brand development for Hollywood talent David Hayter, to running informational creative panels on how to brand yourself for Twitch’s creator camp, and designing the Request for proposals for Real Estate Agencies. I’ve worked on visual assets for Snoop Dogg, the quick-start guide cover design for “Into the Motherlands,” and developed instructional workshops.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My path has definitely been tumultuous. Looking back at it, many of the opportunities in internships, project proposals, or jobs, have been met with friction or rejections. The biggest lesson I learned was that everyone has to deal with some level of rejection in their life, and in the ever competitive field of design, often times, employers or hiring managers are looking for a very specific visual style, in which the artist doesn’t have to make any adjustments to what they do for that particular brand. However, at times it felt at times that the more I tried, the less I was recognized. This also trickled into my other passion, gaming. I also wanted to be a writer and host for game coverage companies, but was never chosen for these roles, regardless of what I was able to contribute to the community and the obvious high response I was getting for my thoughts and opinions on games. This led me to creating my own blog site for reviewing and covering gaming media, in which I lead a team of writers and content creators, which gained a sizable and loyal following. This allowed me to branch out into avenues that not only validated my contributions, but also led me down another career path that was completely inaccessible to me prior.
The very first in-person event I attended as the owner and lead contributor to my business opened my eyes to the very real possibility that many of the decisions to keep me out may have been racially charged- Because the response to what I was actually doing was overwhelmingly positive. This rings true to this day, as other creatives have tapped me for creative work, which really blows my mind because many of these individuals and entities could be going to much larger and well known entities who also do amazing work.
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?
My work primarily consists of three key elements- Graphic design, illustration, and gaming media. Ultimately, my specialization is in brand identity development, but I do so much more.
For graphic design, this work consists of brand identity development and website design. For illustrations, those cover concept art, comic book art, emotes, and for gaming media that includes podcasts, tournament commentary, hosting, and voice acting.
I do so much because I’m passionate about a lot of things. While focusing your business on one key element allows you to specialize and be the expert in that one thing, it’s also limiting and may cause one to narrow their focus too much without considering the possibilities of what other interests and disciplines can bring to the table. I believe this is what sets me apart from others, where my specialization is really in the strength of knowing a lot outside of one specialized skill. This is reflected in my tagline “Where Passion Meets Purpose.”
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be when I first discovered Metal Gear Solid, a game that pushed the boundaries of what we could consider possible for a medium. It challenged the way I approached the game, because so much of it had a huge production value and went beyond just a game. It was a movie, it was a thought experiment, and it was an experience that was far and above beyond anything else we saw. Playing this game, especially at such a young age, challenged me in so many ways, and it became an obsession. Everything from the voice acting to the music, and the complex story that weaved real-world issues and concepts into it, just opened the world of possibility!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blackoni.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/blackoni
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/blackoni
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackoni
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/blackoni
- Other: https://twitch.tv/blackoni
Image Credits
Headshot image credited by Wes Ellis Photo. All other images are created, and credited to myself.
