Self-taught through trial and error, Dacian didn’t come from art school — he came from gaming forums, where you learn fast, fail often, and level up in public.Good gaming trained his eye, his reflexes, and his instinct for world-building: never leave the page blank, always build the map, always find the next solution.He feeds on collective energy, rewires ideas through discomfort, and keeps “haz de necaz” as his native operating system. Dacian thinks Romanians have a unique ability to process trauma and hardship through laughter. It’s a coping mechanism turned into an art form. Today, at Bookzone, he’s swapped forum signatures for national campaigns — same drive, higher stakes, same gamer brain: visual problem-solver, morale booster, sleeves up. And when TheAlternativeSchool’s intensive training and brief-competition pressure cooker pushed him further, it amplified everything he already had — proof being his pole position in Young Lions Design, alongside Andrian Brinoveanu, now heading to Cannes next June, propelled by Ursus and #TheAlternativeSchool.

1. WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR SOUL SING? WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

It’s the collective energy. Whether it’s the chaotic dynamic of my friend group or the silence of my family home, I feed off the people around me. They are my reality check when anxiety hits and my main source of momentum.

2. A CHILDHOOD STORY THAT ANNOUNCED THE CREATIVE PERSON YOU ARE TODAY 

I didn’t see myself as creative back then. I spent my childhood building fantasy worlds and character lores in my head. I was filling the margins of my math notebooks with sketches. That refusal to leave the page blank was the first sign.

3. THE BEST CONTEXT FOR INSPIRATION

Discomfort. Inspiration is everywhere, sure, but the best ideas come when you are backed into a corner or placed in an unfamiliar situation. Comfort breeds routine; discomfort forces your brain to rewire itself and find a new solution.

4. THE PROJECT YOU LOVED MOST

My personal projects. No client brief, no feedback rounds, just pure, unfiltered expression. They are time capsules of who I was at that specific moment, and looking back at them is the best way to measure my growth.

5. THE BEST THING ABOUT LOCAL CREATIVITY

I’m gonna go with the survival humor. Romanians have a unique ability to process trauma and hardship through laughter. It’s a coping mechanism turned into an art form. We don't just tell jokes; we use humor as a shield.

6. THE BEST STATEMENT OF LOCAL HUMOR

„Haz de necaz" (Making fun of trouble). It’s the source code of the Romanian mindset. No matter how bleak the situation, we will find the punchline.

7. ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL HEADHUNTERS REGARDING LOCAL CREATIVES

Stop looking in the obvious places. The most talented people here aren't always in the spotlight; they are often in the subcultures, on forums, or working on passion projects. Dig deeper.

8. BEST PLACE IN BUCHAREST

Teoria Cocktail Bar. It’s not just about the drinks; it’s about the curation. The hospitality is genuine, and they seamlessly blend mixology with art. It’s the perfect spot for a Saturday night reset.

9. BEST PLACE IN ROMANIA

That’s a tough one because there are so many. If I had to pick a city, it would be Brașov, but honestly? my home village, it’s where I go when I need to escape everyday life.

10. THE MOST DISTURBING CLICHÉ ABOUT ROMANIA IN GLOBAL MEDIA

The "Cold Eastern European" trope. The reality is the opposite. We are incredibly hospitable—we’ll invite you in, feed you, and share a beer even if we don't speak the same language. We are chaotic, warm, and loud, not cold.

11. ROMANIA SHOULD BE KNOWN FOR…

Its raw, untamed potential. From the landscapes to the creative talent, there is a richness here that is still waiting to be properly discovered.

12. YOUR VIEWS ON SPIRITUALITY

It’s all about perspective. Whether you believe in the stars, fate, or a higher power, spirituality is just the language we use to make sense of the unknown. We are all spiritual; we just use different dictionaries.

13. YOUR VIEWS ON MONEY

I see money as a tool, but also as a symptom of a broken system. Capitalism creates big gaps where wealth stays at the top while workers struggle. Because of that, money isn't really my ultimate goal.

14. AN INSPIRATION SOURCE YOU RECOMMEND FOR A YOUNG CREATIVE

Just get offline. Go to cities with grit and culture, get into nature, touch grass. The best visual references aren't on Pinterest; they are in the real world.

15. A LOCAL FEMALE TALENT TO BE PROMOTED INTERNATIONALLY

DJ MĂ-TA. She is doing something truly unique: blending techno with Balkan beats and Drum & Bass. It’s aggressive, local, and incredibly fresh.

BIO

Dacian is 26 — an Art Director whose creative journey started not in art school, but on gaming forums. Wanting to learn how to make cool banners, he followed CreativeMonkeyz tutorials, and that’s where it all began. Now at Bookzone as a graphic designer, he’s swapped forum signatures for national campaigns, but the drive is the same. He’s a gamer, a visual problem-solver, and the kind of teammate who can raise morale with bad jokes and a steady supply of smiles. By the end of 2025, after an intensive learning module with accomplished international professionals, he placed first at the Young Lions Design competition, alongside Andrian Brinovanu — proving that self-taught discipline, paired with hands-on practice and guidance from the masters, can lead to something truly unique: the kind that doesn’t come out of a preset template.

Photo credit: MEALCHEMY / Iulian Rătescu.

Big thanks to The Great Hill, Cotroceni, for the warm welcome and exquisite experience.

The interview is accompanied by photos from a professional shoot announcing the Young Lions local winners. Pictured: Andrian Brinoveanu, Dacian Neagu, Gabriela Crețu (VP Sales, Ursus), and Tedi Migdalovici (Founder, TheAlternativeSchool & Creative Ambassador).