Meet Kevin Cravens of Worlds of Wow in Denton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Cravens.

Kevin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I went to art school with the intention of working as an animator but ended up with a job as a concept artist in the theming industry. Going from art school, where you got an “A” for just showing up, to a job where the success of the company was, in part, based on my ability to connect with the client was the beginning of my real education. It was at this company and under the direction of the Art Director (and still good friend) that I began to understand the positive impact that well-designed environments can have on the development of children. It also helped clarify my role of being in service to the client and their vision and that true creativity happens within budgets and deadlines.

During this time, I started taking on freelance work and I clicked with one client, Worlds of Wow, in particular. The owner’s vision, my talent, and our combined work ethic helped us to grow the company to where it is today. Over that time, I went from the artist solely responsible for concepts, detail drawings, and any digital production to the Creative Director managing a team of ten artists, developing new products, and helping to grow our brand into other markets. Being a part of a startup to where we are now has taught me so much over the years. I’d love to go through it all, but in the interest of making sure I don’t lose you, I’ll just share a recent revelation.

I’ve always considered the journey of creating a solitary and sometimes grueling endeavor with the real enjoyment of what I do happening during the revealing of the finished work. And while I still think that is sometimes the case, my best work has happened in collaboration with others. Working with talented people with a clear goal in mind not only makes the reveal of the work enjoyable but the journey to get there as well. This is a lesson I’ve learned (and am learning) to apply to my career and my personal life.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Definitely not a smooth road! I started my career with a lot of insecurities about my work, my abilities, my leadership, and well pretty much everything. That translated to being afraid to have a voice and to letting my talent being taken advantage of. My main struggles have been two-fold.

The biggest struggle was being willing to put my work out there. Looking back, having a job as a concept artist where I had to produce based solely on a salesperson’s interpretation of what a client says they want was the best way to overcome that struggle. I had to get a lot of work in front of others quickly and, whoa, sometimes the feedback was, let’s just say, blunt. But I’ve learned not to take it personally by separating my sense of worth as an artist from others’ opinions of the work that I produce. If a client doesn’t like what I do I’ve had to work on changing my self talk from “you’re untalented and everybody knows it” to “the work was solid but you missed the mark. Listen, adjust, and get back out there.”

The other struggle was learning to lead. I take what I do very seriously. What I do is fun, but my goal is always to listen to a client’s vision and exceed their expectations. When it was me listening and doing the work that came pretty easy. Growing into the role of Creative Director has meant still listening but learning to guide and direct my team of artists to do the work without micromanaging. This has been and sometimes is, a big struggle for me. I know some of my artists get frustrated when I jump in and revise the work rather than helping them discover the way to get there on their own. I may be able to do the work quicker and better, but I also know that keeping myself as the center of everything creative is not healthy for the company or myself.

Worlds of Wow – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The company I work for is Worlds of Wow. We are the experts in creating engaging theme and play environments for kids and families. If you have a kids space and want it to look like a castle, we work with you to concept, design, produce, and install based on your vision, budget, and timeframe. The spaces we transform are kids areas in churches, pediatric dental offices, family entertainment centers, theme parks, and really any destination for families. We are part of a larger company, PlayCore, which builds communities through play and recreation.

I’ve been with Worlds of Wow since the early days and the thing that I’m most proud of is our team based culture. We understand that what we do takes a group of talented people working together to create something beautiful. The journey to the installation can be messy. We struggle and sometimes drop the ball, but we give each other grace, stay solutions-oriented, and always make it right for the client.

What sets us apart is our ability to provide a true turnkey solution. Many of our clients are relieved to know that working with us means that we can fully bring their vision to life from beginning to end. They don’t have to pull in several different companies to get things done. We take care of it all for them. From concept development, project management services, to production and installation. We work to make it easy and enjoyable for our clients.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I used to define success by my title, the size of my paycheck, and how well-liked I thought I was. It’s been a journey to understand that all of that means nothing if I’m not connected to the people in my life. So, success for me is working with a young artist to help them establish a lifelong career in their chosen industry, struggling through a problem with my team to arrive at a solution the client loves, or hearing how a space we designed positively impacted a child’s life. Those are a little abstract and maybe not the easiest to measure in terms of whether or not they were successful. I do have more concrete goals that I track. I just know that I feel the most successful in life when I am inspired by others, am able to pour in to others, and am able to struggle through to a solution with others.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1800 Shady Oaks Dr, Denton, TX 76205
• Website: worldsofwow.com
• Phone: (817) 380-4215
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/worldsofwow/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/worldsofwow/

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.