The Unofficial Luis Hurtado™ Fan Club - All Hurtado, All the Time

My Last year of HS, I walked up to a video game company in Santa Monica with a nearly empty resume, and coaxed 2 guys smoking out front into letting me in, by telling them it was my first day on the job. They let me in, and I asked who the president was. Gave him my resume (pretty much just my name and address) and told him I wanted to work there. That was Pandemic Studios, and it was still a small, ‘start-up’ shoppe. I had no idea that experience would shape my though-processes for what was to come.

I figured I should go to college… so I quit, and started Santa Monica College – took art history, drawing, welding, body shop, photography & design for about 2 years. No degree, just taking disparate classes which interested me.

Randomly, I met up with a few ‘television’ hosts of some Internet TV show I used to watch when I was in High School. We met up at Disney Studios, they said to call them up in a few months, they had something brewing. Turns out they were starting a tv channel about video games, and I’m their first intern.

2 weeks into my internship, one of their guys moves to another department, there’s an opening and they offer me a full-time job, so I’m like, “Hell yeah!” and I instantly quit school.

I end up working there for like 6 years. Started off as a dude who took tapes and recorded them, put them up onto the internet. Ended up becoming a web designer, then lead web designer, got bored of that so I decided to work on a television show as an animator.

Did that for like 2 years, but got bored of the daily grind, and figured I didn’t want to go work for another large company like MTV, or something..

So I decided to work in advertising. I did that for like 2 years, made a bundle of cash, what I call “Drug Dealer” money – because it’s ridiculous how much those people will pay you – but I didn’t like it because it was like selling your soul to the devil. I was working a lot, making a ton of dough, hanging out at bars during work hours. Coming home super late, waking up late and strolling in hungover, only to start drinking again at 3pm. It was awesome.

But alas, everything comes to an end, I got burnt out on ad agency work, so I decided to stay home and see what I could do by just taking on projects and managing virtually.

That’s when I decided to focus on InvertedChaos with full-time effort.

A few years back when I was freelancing at a couple different production companies and agencies, I ran the gamut on different creative offices and types of folk within them. I was fresh out of a large organization and I wanted to make my mark on the Los Angeles Design & Interactive scene. Typically, I was the “New Guy” on the team, which didn’t bother me very much, because everyone was always so friendly and open.

Most of the time, I would be sitting next to some of the most talented designers and animators, illustrious luminaries. I felt like a complete noob in comparison to them. I dreamt of one day, perhaps being lumped into the same group as them, but I knew I was far from it. Sadly, as things do, time moved on and we all went on to other projects.

Shortly thereafter, I landed a gig at a small, but up-and-coming Interactive shoppe. Everyone was incredibly nice, and I felt like I could definitely contribute to this organization. I sat down at my desk, looked around and saw nothing but young faces. For the first time in my life, I was one of the ‘Tribe-Elders.’

It felt good. I felt like I had arrived. I wasn’t the kid lookin’ up at, “Team Awesome” – Perhaps, maybe, I was one of those people lumped into that aforementioned group. I would walk in playing “Highway to the Danger Zone” in my head, giving finger-pistols to the cute, hipster receptionist chick. It was fantastic! I felt like Top Dog.

That’s when I sat down again, at my desk, looked around, and saw nothing but young faces. This time I had a moment of realization. I was the King of the Hill. But of what hill?

I could stay here and revel in ego. I could contribute tons to the organization, but would they be investing in me? I knew if I stayed I would not be learning or growing on a personal level. Every project handed to me would not challenge me in the slightest. I knew I could phone it in, and people would still be impressed. But I couldn’t do it.

There had to be some other hill, or mountain to climb, even if I couldn’t currently see it at that moment.

After a very long-winded story, my point is: if you aren’t continuing to grow or increase knowledge, then you are stagnating. It may be fun for a little while, but it’ll definitely end up biting you in the ass in the long run.