"Being able to have space to grow is important. And in practical terms that basically means having the space to do nothing other than play around."

- Everything developer David OReilly

During our recent Twitch stream we had the chance to ask Everything and Mountain creator David OReilly for his thoughts on how budding artists can establish themselves in the creative industry and carve out a career. 

The Irish game designer and film maker says he has strong feelings about the current state of education in the art world, and above all else implores anyone looking to flex their creative muscles to escape the confines of peer expectation. 

"The thing to know is that anything specifically that's ever happened to me is never going to be valid for anybody else, because you're coming into the world through a totally different ecosystem with totally different rules," offers OReilly. 

"But the core things are going to be the same, so here's what I'll say. Try and allow space for yourself to grow your talent without clients or teachers being involved. In other words, just do that for yourself. This is the problem with education in art right now, is that you're basically trained to please an authority figure, which is kind of a stand in for a client."

Ultimately, OReilly believes it's critical for artists to give themselves room to breath, in both practical and theoretical terms. That means following your gut and investing time in projects that are personally gratifying. 

"You won't produce your best work if you're trying to impress a person like that. Maybe you will if you really respect that person and you value their opinion. But being able to have space to grow is important. And in practical terms that basically means having the space to do nothing other than play around."

To hear more from OReilly, be sure to check out the full stream right here. And if you like what you see, why not follow the Gamasutra Twitch channel for even more game dev insights and conversation.