Demystifying the Creative Process with Pranav Volety

Written by Brett Byers

Pranav Volety, The Vault’s creative director, held a seminar on April 4, 2024, titled: “Demystifying the Creative Process.” This is the second engaging seminar of a three-part series that delves into the ins and outs of the creative industry, allowing students to gain hands-on experience and obtain guidance on working in their prospective field. During this seminar, Volety explained how to create a methodology and foundation for publishing and monetizing one’s creations, streamlining the creative process based on his extensive experience. 

Starting at the age of 14, Voltey found a passion for music production and song compositions across different genres. He provided the audience with an anecdote of sneaking out of his conservative home to drive to downtown Chicago, where he would DJ and make beats every night for local artists. This eventually led to him making album covers and music videos for them. During this time, Volety worked with notable professionals in the industry such as Anthony Kilhoffer (Travis Scott’s old manager and Kanye West’s engineer) for a project that Kanye was working on at the time, as well as world-renowned artist and designer Virgil Abloh. 

Drawing upon his experiences, he outlined the creative process, delving into key attributes and values essential for creating the work you desire within the creative industry.

Personal Belief 

Volety stated that it is not only important to believe in yourself, but also create a  thesis you strongly believe in for any project or idea you’re crafting. Specifically, he emphasized the importance of internalizing this thesis in order to promote personal

Humanism 

Volety noted that it is important to prioritize collaboration, working within communities, and teamwork. In particular, you should focus on finding ways to help people achieve their goals in everything you do. Memorably, he said, “if you believe that human nature is fundamentally good, you will create groups of people that are doing good.” 

Ubiquity 

The creative director then transitioned into the idea of ubiquity within the creative space, relaying that, “there is no ubiquity in story.” This exemplifies the idea that no single story will resonate or appeal to everyone. Further, your story and another artist’s story will not be the same, which should be embraced in order to allow for more personal and diverse creations. 

“You are One experiencing itself. Catalyze Change” 

As a way to promote change, which will naturally increase personal growth, Volety stated that: “When you have a camera, a voice, or a gift, you have the responsibility to help the world around you experience itself.” He went on to explain that when you have that gift, it’s your chance to either tell someone else’s story or delve into your own narrative. You are the center of your own work.

Personal Growth 

Volety mentioned that personal growth can be forecasted, but not sped up. He emphasized the significance of experiencing the feelings and work inherent in one’s field to understand and evolve from them. He stated that while hearing about others' experiences is valuable, firsthand experience is essential for a true understanding and development. 

To conclude, Volety provided solid steps to launching a personal brand and promoting growth within it. He emphasized how building your network, as well as figuring out how to make and sustain revenue and marketing, will allow you to become closer to achieving your goals within the creative industry.  Further, he stated that it is crucial to talk, post, and work as much as you can, all while practicing media optimization. He noted that the work is the important part, and the rest comes after.

Overall, with his abundance of experience at such a young age in a variety of fields, Pranav’s seminar offered some insightful guidance and notes to all those who want to achieve their goals in the creative industry.

Edited by Lauren Veum, Hana Razvi, and Sam Teisch