I would be lying if I said I have always loved art and doing art... I would always be frustrated and A.D.D. when I was in art class growing up.  I couldn't draw to save my life... still can't! However, I had a huge interest in manipulating music.  I would take my favorite songs and remix them using an old program call Goldwave. I thought I could be cool spinning records and creating my own beats, which lasted about a year or two. Editing audio seemed similar to editing video so I got involved in a video production class in high school. This led me to go to college for it, resulting in an Associates Arts degree for video and motion graphics from Madison Media Institute.

Along the way I took my first official class in Photoshop and thought huh, now this is something that fits my thought process. I bought a personal copy of the program and played around with it every night since. It made sense to me to transition from remixing music to remixing photos. After college I moved to Minneapolis and found a job as a video editor and motion graphic designer at DreamWorld studios, where I currently work.
      
I have yet to feel completely comfortable being called an artist. In my mind I have so much to learn and experience before that title is earned. I create and experiment in my free time, and what I create is very personal to me. I create for my sanity and myself and if other people can enjoy it, that’s a bonus.

- Riley Lester