S2 E13: Waddy Dacay on how he sold his mom on an art degree back in the 70s, how anthropology helped expand his worldview, and how he adapted to the d...

GUEST BIO

Waddy Dacay is from the island of Kauai, Hawaii. He attended Kapiolani Community College on Oahu in 1973 then went to art school in 1976 in Oakland CA at California College of Arts and Crafts, now called California College of the Arts. He graduated BFA in 1978 and got a job in Palo Alto doing technical illustrations for two years. Then he took another position with Lockheed Martin as a technical illustrator and transitioned into 3D animation for 15 year, joined Electronic Arts in 1995 for another 15 years and finished his remaining 7 years at Bandai Namco Gaming as a Senior Marketing Artist..

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DEFINITIONS

• Kokua: To cooperate and pitch in without regard for self and to have consideration for others.
• Pidgin: A grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn from several languages.
• Creole: A mother tongue formed from the contact of two languages through an earlier pidgin stage.
• May Day/ Lei Day: A statewide celebration in Hawaii that begins in the morning of May first every year and continues into the next day.

TAKEAWAYS

1. Having a rare and highly sought after skillset can sometimes shield minorities from some workplace discrimination.
2. When in unfamiliar places, we tend to seek other people like us, who share our experiences.
3. Reacting defensively isn't the only way to assert and protect your own beliefs and sense of identity. Listening and understanding other viewpoints doesn't mean you agree with them. Arguing is not always productive. So engage with open ears and hearts, and pick your battles carefully.
4. Art is everywhere you look. Art isn't just fine arts.
5. Tech breakthroughs are always a challenge to navigate, but often, the only choice is to adapt like Waddy did. We are now at the cusp of a similarly far-reaching breakthrough with AI and ChatGPT.

CONTACT

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Hosts: Lazou & Ariadne Mila

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