7Q: Ariel Hart

Seven Questions with Animator, Art Director, and Designer Ariel Hart

7Q is where I ask a creative person I admire seven questions. Today’s guest is Ariel Hart.

Ariel is a motion graphic designer and illustrator who spends her days in advertising and her nights crafting. She’s all about imaginary products that could totally be real if you squint hard enough and believe in magic. Social media is her canvas, artist's statement, and possibly her living will—because who doesn't want their legacy to be a series of looping animations? She calls Kansas City home, where she juggles pixels and plants, and is always on the lookout for animation-first projects with soft deadlines.

Fun fact: Ariel and I once leaned into a tacky ‘90s Memphis Style rebrand of the Seinfeld (in syndication) social channels that resulted in a 300% increase in organic engagement during its launch month.

Okay, no offense, but the bar was set low….

She’s also the artist behind the Lisa Frank Tarot cards that went viral a few years back.

Without further ado…. Seven Questions with Ariel Hart:

1. What routines, rituals, or processes help you get into the creative zone?

Allowing myself all of the time in the world and not showing anyone have been really powerful tools for me lately. The ease that I make work when it doesn't need to end up being (good?) content is really staggering.

2. What’s the project that got away?

The project that got away for me was when a friend asked me to be the Art Director for a film adaptation of "The Witch Boy", a graphic novel by Molly Ostertag. I was super excited about the idea, especially since he wanted me to create a unique look for magic in the film. We see a lot of green smoke or sparkly blue mist in movies, but I envisioned ” something more like an oil slick in the air, flashes of neon and semi-hidden symbols. Unfortunately, they decided not to go with me in the end. Even though I've been an Art Director for a decade, my experience is mostly in marketing, and film is a whole different ball game. The film was eventually scrapped by the production company altogether. Still, it was a dream I would have loved to bring to life! 

3. In another lifetime, what’s a job you’d love to do and think you’d be shit at?

I think something as simple as being a bratty mixologist. I saw bratty because I imagine it being like a ‘you take what I give you’ situation. There's a lot of creativity there, but the front-of-house/people-facing part of it would make me ill.

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4. What advice, encouragement, or wisdom would you give yourself when you first started?

You are not your job. A pull-string line of mine lately has been that whoever told us, "If you do something you love, you'll never work a day in your life," was a real joker. Artists tie themselves down by defining their careers through job success and the instability of creative gigs mixed with their cruel correlation to your survival— it can't sustain your heart. Go into lobotomy mode, honey bunny. 

5. What non-creative problem in the world do you think creative people are uniquely positioned to solve?

I've been seriously considering going into the health advocacy field—because, let's face it, healthcare shouldn't be like trying to decode ancient hieroglyphics. In healthcare, creatives can enhance communication between medical professionals and patients. By designing clear, engaging, and empathetic educational materials, creatives can help demystify complex medical information, leading to better patient understanding and adherence to treatment plans.

6. What’s a thing you wish existed for you to enjoy as an audience member (but isn’t a thing you’d ever make)?

Lots of terrible stuff! Dating app reality game shows (I was OBSESSED with Tinder's SWIPE NIGHT), TikTok-style porn apps, and large-scale alternate reality games set on social media.

7. What’s something (a show, a talent, a tool, a song, place, recipe — truly anything) you’re loving right now that you think more people should know about?

I'm making a lot of ice cream: mango sticky rice, melon and prosciutto, Thai tea, corn, and basil—ANYTHING I CAN GET MY HANDS ON. For absolutely no reason, because I live within walking distance of the best ice cream shop in Kansas City. But it feels super powerful.

Vegan sugar-free mango, purple sticky rice, and coconut! 

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Thanks for reading! Let us know what you liked by leaving a comment below. And, if you have suggestions of who I should interview next… please tell me!