Lilly Cottrell

Lilly Cottrell

Creative Strategist | Comic Creator | Multidisciplinary DeveloperLawrence, United States
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Lilly Cottrell

Lilly Cottrell

Creative Strategist | Comic Creator | Multidisciplinary DeveloperLawrence, United States
About me
I've been drawing for over 15 years, starting with lessons from a friend before moving on to self-teaching and taking art classes whenever I could. I later studied fashion design and merchandising at Johnson County Community College. For a few years, I co-founded an indie comic studio with two other founders and several members. Eventually, I launched my own comic, Karma's Sin, which I published on Webtoon. I paused the comic because its genre—psychological fantasy—featured complex characters with interconnected backgrounds. I wanted to give them more distinct personalities and meaningful connections, but the available writing tools didn’t meet my needs. Many felt half-baked, overlooked executive dysfunction, ignored user feedback, or prioritized profit over functionality. When I couldn’t find the right tool, I developed the concept for one myself. Now, I’m working on H-CAT: Holistic Character Assessment Toolkit—a multidisciplinary concept designed to enhance creative work like character building, storytelling, world-building, and TTRPG design. H-CAT aims to address gaps in existing tools by focusing on depth, accessibility, nuance, and efficiency. It features a modular structure that allows users to mix and match sections to fit their needs. The toolkit also reimagines research tools and quizzes, applying personality frameworks in innovative ways to support character development, learning, and even non-creative applications. Accessibility remains a key focus, along with building collaborative partnerships to develop the concept further. I’m a creative thinker who thrives on exploring new ideas and finding unexpected connections. My strength lies in thinking outside the box and envisioning comprehensive solutions, even if I sometimes excel more at ideation than execution. As the saying goes, “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” The phrase originated in the 16th century with positive connotations, referring to someone with broad abilities. Over time, it took on a more negative tone, implying a lack of deep expertise. However, the second part—“but oftentimes better than a master of one”—was added later, restoring the original meaning and highlighting the value of adaptability, something I embrace fully in my work.
Projects
  • Art introduction to The--Dots
    Art introduction to The--DotsI just joined, so I thought I'd share some of the art I've done for various projects. It includes original character designs, concept art, a site graphic I experimented with, a logo design for my website, and pieces where I practiced new techniques.