Be inspired: Meet the man with hands, yet he’s the #1 artist on LinkedIn (SNAPSHOT)

Desmond Blair is a skilled 2D and 3D artist who was ranked in LinkedIn's top 1 percen Most Endorsed for 3D Modeling in the US

Desmond Blair

Earlier this year, the professional social media platform LinkedIn celebrated 200 million users worldwide — with roughly under a half of those users being in the US. Twenty-six-year-old Desmond Blair, of Dallas, TX, is ranked in LinkedIn’s Top 1 percent Most Endorsed for 3D Modeling in the US. Although he has been nationally acknowledged for his exceptional 3D skills, he’s also a very talented 2D artist.

His amazing achievements may be shocking to some because Blair was born without hands. His captivating 2D art has been requested for numerous venues and events throughout Dallas. Although he has been offered large sums of cash for his talent, Blair said he prefers to sell his art for charitable causes because people have helped him along the way. Although he’s young, he has taught art at the collegiate level for several years.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Blair, who is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., to discuss his path to success. You can read excerpts from the interview below.

Maria Lloyd: Who and/or what inspires you?

Desmond Blair: First I’d have to say my greatest inspiration comes from my family. I think they really gave me a solid foundation in terms of how to approach life. They taught me that you have to stay focused on solving problems rather than letting circumstances overwhelm you. Other sources of inspiration have really been friends and mentors. I have always believed that you can learn something from anybody and it’s the people around me everyday (my artistic/creative mentors, teachers, people at my church, the staff at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, my instructors from the South Dallas Cultural Center) that also continue to inspire me. I like to think of life as a novel and each day we are blessed with [the] opportunity to work on our narrative. So I like meeting and working with people because everyone one can inspire you in their own way.

Maria Lloyd: What are your goals? What are you pursuing?

Desmond Blair: My most immediate goal is to attain my PMP certification. Aside from that, this year I’m looking forward to progressing my traditional and digital art skills to the next level while looking for opportunities to start and grow a business in that realm. My long-term professional goal now is to either work as a Producer, Creative Director, or Production Manager in the gaming or film industry. A more personal long-term goal is to release a graphic novel. Then, hopefully, when I’m older go back to teaching college classes.

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