Every once in a while, I run into someone who absolutely inspires me, and I instantly want to learn more about them. A few weeks ago, I received an email from Nikolai Deleff, a young man who is from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. He had visited West Edmonton Mall with his family and was awestruck by the work we did there in Galaxyland and around the mall. As he carefully studied the theme work, it lit a fire in his brain. To quote Nickolai’s email, “The themed architecture, tiled roofs, vibrant paintwork, and whimsical details (like the dirigible) completely captivated me. My family quite literally had to pull me away. That experience struck something at my core as an artist and gave me a moment of clarity: this is the kind of work I want to pursue as a career.” He then did his research, and eventually that led him to us.
His words made me remember my first visit to Disneyland so many decades ago, for I knew well all those same sentiments I read in his email. I did a little online research and quickly discovered how remarkable this 22-year-old is. Here’s his website. Nikolai already has two short animated films and two self-published books to his credit. His website is organized and well-thought-out. I decided to give him a call. As I spoke to him, I discovered that while full of confidence, he was down to earth, humble and extremely eager to learn. We talked for a while, and I invited him to drop in for a visit if he was out this way. He inquired about my schedule and then booked a flight - my kind of guy! We spent today together, talking about this business and answering many questions he had. This evening, we went into the shop to look over the projects and for a little hands-on basic training. I sent him back to his hotel tonight, and I’ll spend some more time with him tomorrow. Before he left, I gave him a notebook and a pen to write down his thoughts and questions, as I knew his mind was racing a thousand miles an hour. He won’t sleep tonight, I’m sure. The force is strong with this one. :)
