Overseas Web Marketer

Joana Brauer

- Please tell us why you joined Celsys.
I already liked to draw illustrations and manga, and I was a user of Clip Studio Paint before I even joined the company. I wanted to work at a job that would allow me to make use of my hobbies and to grow as a person by working on something that I was passionate about. I researched the developers of Clip Studio Paint and came across Celsys.

- So you were initially a user of Clip Studio Paint! What kind of application was Clip Studio Paint to you?
Until I discovered Clip Studio Paint, I hadn’t found an application with specific functions for manga creation that would also allow me to convey what I wanted to through my art. I tried drawing manga with traditional mediums, but it was a lot of work; the tools were expensive, and I needed space for them. It became inevitable that I would have to improve my digital art skills to express myself. For these reasons, Clip Studio Paint was a lifesaver and absolutely necessary for drawing manga.

Nowadays, I think that Clip Studio Paint has become an application that is suitable for much more than just manga production. Compared to other apps, it is easier to share your brushes and communicate with other content creators on social platforms such as ASSETS, etc. We've also recently implemented the function to import Photoshop brushes, so Photoshop users can join the community and share their work.

- What are your current job responsibilities?
I am in charge of various tasks in the international marketing team. Often times I manage global projects and answer inquiries about collaborations from overseas. Social media marketing and communicating with artists is also something that I do on a daily basis. Since I joined the company, I have been involved in large-scale projects, which I find very rewarding!

- What do you focus on in your work?
I think the most important thing is to treat others with care and respect. Regardless of whether they are a customer or a team member, everyone has their personal circumstances to deal with, which are not always obvious, so I try to understand their background and be considerate of them. If a problem arises, I try to carefully consider not only what the problem might be, but also what the cause of the said problem may be.

Another thing that I try to pay attention to is spelling someone's name correctly in emails. This is important to me as people tend to misspell my name.

- What is the most rewarding aspect of your work and what are you most proud of?
Being able to work with creators who create wonderful works of art is genuinely satisfying. Everyone is so kind and inspiring! Interacting with many creators from all over the world has been very inspiring and has helped me grow as a person.

I am also proud that my ideas are often adopted and that I can be involved in projects for an international community of creators.

A collaboration video between Ann Reardon, a popular YouTuber with 4.68 million subscribers (as of May 2021), and Clip Studio Paint was made possible by Joana's project.
10 years of H2CT & Can DAVE bake Macarons? | How To Cook That Ann Reardon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhgjaHAWeqA

- Celsys has a large number of international staff. What makes it a positive work environment for them?
I think there is a strong sense of teamwork among the international staff. Working with people from different countries has helped me to better understand the experiences of different people, and I can use this information in my work.
Looking at the company as a whole, there is a great atmosphere where we can easily discuss and exchange our opinions with all the staff without being particularly conscious of being the “foreign employees”.

- What were the most memorable moments that happened in your career?
There are many, but I particularly remember the “21-hour Drawing Party” held by Celsys during the “Connected Ink” event organized by Wacom in 2020.

I participated in the live stream as a moderator. Apart from the fact that it was a very long project, it included people from Japan and all around the world, so I spent several hours talking and drawing with artists from various countries in the middle of the night. It was a rough battle against sleepiness. Despite being tired, it was an exciting and fun experience, haha!

https://youtu.be/LFV73Nkbpfo

Case Study: Connected Ink 2020
https://www.celsys.com/en/clipsolution/connectedink/

- What would you say are the best qualities of Celsys and its products?
Compared to when I first joined Celsys, I feel that it has become a much more global company. At the time, we had only started small initiatives with creators around the world, but in a short period of time, we expanded our horizons and the number of international projects has increased considerably.
The IT industry is growing at a dizzying pace, and it is all the more apparent when working at Celsys. We were very quick to promote telework and were able to adapt to the new situation in the world. I think this rapid evolution and the fact that we are a global company is one of the most attractive aspects of the company.

As for Clip Studio Paint, it is that it is an application that can be used to do basically everything. When I first heard about Clip Studio Paint, I thought it was only an application for drawing manga, but it can be used to draw anything from webtoons to GIF animations for social media, not to mention illustrations and comics. I believe that creators can use this app to show off their skills to the fullest.

- What are your goals and plans for the future?
I would like to convey the appeal of Clip Studio Paint to creators around the world. The software is being used in many different productions, and I hope that one day it will be used by Hollywood or other major production companies! I hope, that one day, I can look at a collection of illustrations of popular video games, and see that they were using Clip Studio Paint. For this reason, I would like to make sure that the new generation of creators knows the unlimited possibilities that Clip Studio Paint can offer.

- Do you have a message for people from overseas who want to work in Japan?
First of all, do your best to communicate in Japanese. Your experience and skills are important, but I think the most essential of all is developing communication skills. Communication is one of the most important aspects when establishing a relationship. Understanding each other is important if you want to communicate your ideas and opinions and being able to work as a team. This is my message if you want to work in Japan, but also a message to myself.