Personal information
Biography
Willie Schaefer was born in Michigan and raised in Tennessee, where his passion for technology began at an early age. At just seven years old, he started exploring computers after his brother introduced him to an IBM clone. This early exposure ignited a lifelong interest in digital creativity. During his early teens, Schaefer honed his skills in digital art using Mario Paint for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, where he first learned to use a mouse for drawing.
As the dot-com boom of the late 1990s took off, Willie was already designing websites for DJs and electronic musicians while still in high school. This hands-on experience paved the way for his formal education, culminating in a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Tennessee at Martin. Fueled by a deepening interest in art and concerns about the design industry's stability, he pursued an M.F.A. in Computer Art from The Memphis College of Art. During this time, he developed his unique style of digital image distortion, a signature of his artistic work.
Following graduate school, Willie expanded his horizons by working and studying in Japan for two years, further refining his craft. With over 25 years of experience in graphic design, primarily using Adobe products, Willie has held various positions in the industry, from marketing coordinator to designer and video editor. His extensive career in higher education has seen him serve as an assistant professor, instructional designer, and currently, Adobe specialist at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).