2026-2027 Grant Equipment for Indie Accessory/Video Game Production

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Vinzy is a digital artist and graphic designer currently studying Graphic Arts and Criminal Justice at Delgado Community College. As a child she was inspired by her favorite characters in shows, games, anime, and books, and began to reimagine their universes through drawing. Her art practice became a crucial tool on her journey to better mental health as she navigated struggles brought on by childhood trauma. “I remember my emotions feeling too big to fit in my body,” she explains. “I'd draw for hours, and hours, just to make a fraction of the burden disappear.”

Vinzy’s grant will allow her to purchase equipment that she will utilize to design a video game inspired by survival, resilience, and reclamation of personal power. “The idea I'd love to pursue is an indie physiological horror game about the experience of being a CSA survivor. It's the best way I can think of reaching out to the audience I hope sees me,” states Vinzy. The game will use metaphorical story telling to loosely mirror surviving CSA. “I hope that one day I'll be able to show others like me, their future is not defined by their trauma,” she explains.“If the player can survive all of his/her horrific experiences, and still come out as the lovable hero they are, who's to say you can't?” She recognized the important distinction between being hurt and being broken. She views her ability to continue creating with relentless passion as evidence of her survival.

Vinzy primarily uses a tablet and stylus to create her designs. She plans to tap into the community of creative friends with similar trauma for assistance with graphic arts, voice acting, and music development. When she is not dreaming of video game production, she is thinking about manufacturing her own clothes and accessories. Vinzy first joined the YAYA Guild in 2019.