Jill Bencsits Shares Some Inspiration
Jill Bencsits, Production Designer and Scenic Artist
Jill Bencsits studied Scenic Design for Theatre Arts, Costume Design, and Technical Theatre and Design at Cal Poly Pomona. Her dream job includes designing theatre sets for Broadway. Being from Los Angeles, a city run by film and TV, there isn’t much opportunity for set designing in theater. Jill is committed to designing and has made quite the career for herself working as a Production Designer and Scenic Artist. Jill and I met on a freelance gig, painting, carving, and creating promotional pieces for the launch of a new kid’s video game. I asked Jill some questions about her journey to her dreams. Here’s what she had to say:
What motivates you to want to make your dreams come true?
“My motivation is money now. Im motivated not to be rich but to make a good living from what I enjoy doing. I will take any job that has to do with film or painting because I know it will pay and if there was a set design job out there that offered a decent pay I would take it too.”
How are you dealing with fear, doubt and worry?
“My only fear is the inability to make a living doing what I love to do. Im not looking for fame or fortune but a comfortable and consistent lifestyle.”
What steps are you taking towards reaching your goals?
“I am constantly looking for work. I am always sketching and intermittently taking art classes. I just try to constantly better myself and take the jobs I know I’ll benefit from.”
Who or what inspires you to stay motivated?
JIll Bencsits with Bill Morse
“Bill Morse will always be a huge motivation for me. Ever since he passed away I’ve made a point of staying focused in the design field and never giving up on myself no matter how scary or hard something seems. Even before he passed away I was motivated the most by him. He gave me several books for research for projects I was working on. To this day I still try to continue building my library. He was one of the most kind human beings I have ever come across. The way he treated people with such patience and kindness is something I’ve tried to emulate myself. I try to adapt to situations the way he used to. Above all else, I try to keep a sense of humor like he did. That man loved playing pranks.
My boyfriend and partner in production design, Nico is another huge inspiration for me. He ambitiously went after a dream which lead him across the entire pacific ocean! To make a dream happen is just inspiring for me everyday. He continues to push himself even though it gets discouraging. The way he approaches a project or a challenge is methodical and well executed. I try to pick up and apply a lot of his positive characteristics. He’s someone I constantly learn from and get inspired by.”
Be sure to stop by Jill’s website to check out some of her amazing work!