Lo Harris Interview
In this engaging conversation, Lo Harris, a multidisciplinary artist, shares her unconventional journey into the creative world, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, joy, and the power of imperfection. She discusses her experiences in motion design, illustration, and the significance of world-building in her work. Lo encourages aspiring creatives to embrace their unique paths, follow their muses, and navigate the ever-changing landscape of creativity with confidence and openness.
Takeaways
Creativity has no conventional start; every journey is unique.
Limitations can enhance creativity and innovation.
It's essential to use the resources you have at hand.
You don't need permission to pursue your creative passions.
Authenticity and joy should be at the core of your work.
Embrace a multidisciplinary approach to creativity.
Follow your muse and act on your creative impulses.
Don't be afraid to change and evolve as an artist.
The digital landscape offers various ways to express creativity.
Collaboration and community are vital for growth in the creative field.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Lo Harris and Her Artistry
02:57 The Unconventional Journey of a Creative
06:03 Finding Your Creative Voice
09:08 The Power of Imperfection in Creativity
11:54 Embracing Multidisciplinarity
14:53 The Importance of Authenticity and Joy
17:53 World Building and Representation in Art
20:59 Navigating Change in the Creative Landscape
23:51 Advice for Aspiring Creatives
26:55 Inspiration from Iconic Creatives
29:59 Teasing Future Projects and Engagements
Transcript:
Mack Garrison (00:00)
Hey, what's up y'all? Mack Garrison here with Dash Studio and we've got another Dash Bash video interview series and I'm sitting here with the talented Lo Harris who is a multi-disciplinary artist known for her bold, colorful and empowering artwork that celebrates confidence, authenticity and the power within each of us.
Her vibrant characters and affirming messages radiate positivity, inspiring everyone to embrace themselves and uplift their communities. And I feel uplifted just in our pre-conversation, Lo, welcome to the podcast, the video cast, whatever we're calling this interview series. Of course, now I know we tried to get you at the second dash bash, but I think we ran into a little bit of an illness. So we are all thrilled to have you back this summer, healthy.
Lo Harris (00:32)
Thank you for having me, Mack.
Mack Garrison (00:44)
wealthy with wisdom and everything that comes along with that.
Lo Harris (00:48)
Last year my
tummy was turning. I woke up, I was looking at my suitcase and it was looking at me back and I said, I should not be on another plane.
Mack Garrison (00:55)
It was like, absolutely not. You're not
on this plane today. I totally get that. I totally get that. You know, I was looking around, gearing up for this interview and I did a little sleuthing. I had to look you up a little bit, find some other interviews. And one that I found that really stuck out to me was this piece through Adobe. It was, do you do, Harris? You know, and it was this piece where I think they were interviewing a little bit. And one thing you mentioned in there was this idea of being kind of, and having an unconventional start. Maybe you could have,
start there and explain to me a little bit of this unconventional start into this creative world that you are in.
Lo Harris (01:31)
appreciate that. So it's so funny because my attitudes towards how my career started have actually changed since that interview where I used to feel like what I was doing was unconventional. And then I was just like, who's start is conventional? Like there's no such thing as a conventional start when it comes to creativity. Like you just get in and you do what you do. And like that creative energy is something that...
There are many ways to manifest it. For some people, manifesting it comes through going to a portfolio school, you know, doing the whole thing. For some people, it comes from just jumping into the deep end and making things because you want to. And both...
avenues are valid because everything about creativity, they're all just tools. Like motion design is just a tool, right? And there's no gatekeeping tools. How you use your tool is different. There are about 80 million ways to do something in After Effects, like whether it's through plugin or through just various, you know, different things. Sometimes there are things that I need to do in Photoshop that I do in After Effects instead, because I'm like more comfortable editing a photo in After Effects.
Mack Garrison (02:24)
Yes.
You know, I
have been there as well too embarrassingly I've brought stuff into After Effects that forgotten how to do it in Photoshop So I'm right there with you Lo
Lo Harris (02:41)
Yes, yes,
really like my Photoshop card has been declined. So I need to get back into that. But in terms of my start, so I started out, I'm going really, really far back. So yes, so I grew up in Bessemer, Alabama.
Mack Garrison (02:57)
Let's take it back all the way to the beginning. love it.
Lo Harris (03:03)
I was born in Chicago. I moved to Bessemer, Alabama when I was in kindergarten. When I went to Alabama, you know, I had always been a little bit into creativity, but it wasn't until my mom...
heard about or she didn't just hear about it. She actually knew about it already. This school called the Alabama School of Fine Arts. It's a public school. Anyone can and you have to apply. Anyone can apply. They have room and board for students who live farther away. It's a really cool experience in the Southeast. And while I attended that school from the seventh grade to the 12th grade, I had the opportunity to study creative writing in the creative writing department. And the curriculum was modeled
very similarly to the Iowa Writers Workshop. So we would really be reading, critiquing, reading contemporary poets, not just like the English literature classics and analyzing each other's prose. And so the foundation of my storytelling and learning how to tell critique, learning how to take critique really came from my experience there. And they had a visual arts department, but I was not a visual arts student. So I always put this boundary around myself
Mack Garrison (03:49)
Hmm.
Lo Harris (04:15)
where I would, you know, I'd be in the back of class and I'll be like huddling over my desk and I'll be drawing like this, cause I don't want anybody to see what I'm doing, cause I'm not one of the real visual artists. And it wasn't until later that I learned, like that's kind of like, you know, not accurate, like you can do whatever you want, but.
Mack Garrison (04:25)
Sure, right.
100
% these preconceived notions of what art is and what an artist looks like basically,
Lo Harris (04:38)
Exactly. I started with creative writing, then I ended up going to Northwestern to study journalism.
I realized that journalistic writing is just not my ministry. It's just not for me. It's dry. And I understand why it has to be dry because you got to get the facts right. But I was like, that is not my ministry. But what I fell in love with was video storytelling. And I was convinced that I was going to be a shooter, editor, video producer and go down that route. But then I ended up falling into this cool sub genre of video journalism, which was motion design. At the time when I was in
Mack Garrison (04:50)
Mmm.
Sure.
Mm.
Lo Harris (05:16)
college, Vox videos were super popular and I was incredibly inspired by the ways that they were able to take complex stories and distill them into these really informative animations and really kind of take what people in traditional production environments might consider like a flaw in production and really use animation to make it fit. Like, you know, maybe we're doing a zoom interview and it's put into a beautiful frame and people can forgive the audio because it's like they feel like they're a part of the UI in some way. It makes it
that
makes sense. And I really enjoyed how motion design could elevate storytelling. And my school did not have any sort of curriculum around motion design in place already. So everything I learned, I learned through internships and through YouTube University.
Mack Garrison (05:55)
Mmm.
wow. There we go. We've all been
a part of that one for sure.
Lo Harris (06:06)
Yes,
we love a YouTube university. Got my little play button, graduation cap and sash. But I ended up landing an internship at the New York Times. And that was kind of one of the first times that I got to do motion design. I actually applied for a role as like a video editing intern. And I put in one motion design, real thing. And they said, we don't want you for that other thing, but you got more of that motion design stuff. And I said, and I didn't, but I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do.
Mack Garrison (06:25)
Cool.
Lo Harris (06:36)
and then I like raced home and I was like, I need to figure out like how to make something. Like, let me just pull some stats from this website and try to animate the stats and show them that. And so I hustled and told you all.
Mack Garrison (06:45)
Wait a minute, wait
a minute. So you went home and you were like, crap, they need more of a reel from this. And you basically pseudo made a reel of something that didn't exist and just cobbled together little elemental pieces to get that job. Yes, I love it.
Lo Harris (06:56)
I was like, I
don't got that dog in me no more. I'm I'm in my 30s now, in my 20s. I was like, okay.
Mack Garrison (07:02)
Well, I'm so glad
you said that because like, and not to pause you, and this is such a good story, but I feel like there's this perception that things have to be perfect to land that next gig or next opportunity. You just had to be pulling together what looks like positions you in the right place, right? You don't have that perfect reel. That's okay. You don't have a million pieces to show. That's okay. Let's pull together what I need for this moment right now. Might not be perfect, but who knows what's gonna happen.
Lo Harris (07:29)
It's about timing. It's about saying, listen, and exactly, it's never gonna be perfect. If you're waiting for perfection, you're never gonna pull the trigger because perfection doesn't exist.
Mack Garrison (07:40)
Right. Well said.
Lo Harris (07:41)
You have to
use what you got in the kitchen. Like you're not gonna not eat. okay, if you're living through a famine and you have like X amount of food in your kitchen, you're not gonna like not find something to make because, well, it's not the perfect lasagna. No, you're gonna make water lasagna. You're gonna pull together things out of that kitchen. You're gonna make the beans. You're gonna make it the best pot of beans you ever had because that's the option that you have.
Mack Garrison (08:00)
Yeah, that's right. You don't like beans. That's all right. You're going to eat some beans and toast. You know, it's just as what it is.
That's right.
Lo Harris (08:11)
I think creativity is no different where creativity actually thrives through those limitations. And so, you know, the limitation of me being like, I'm a student, I only have so much. It's like, hey, I'm just going to go and I'm going to shoot my shot. And I ended up getting my first internship at the New York Times in Motion Design. And from there, I ended up going to a couple of other places. I joined the NBC page program because I wasn't sure if motion design was for me, because I, again, I didn't go to a portfolio school, so I didn't know if I was competitive or not.
and it was like a specter that haunted me throughout the program because now I was like, that's the page that knows how to do after effects. Put her on this assignment, put her on that assignment. So after NBC page program, I joined NBC news as an associate animator. And it was in my first year, a little bit after my first year anniversary at that organization that I ended up going viral on Instagram for illustration.
Mack Garrison (09:08)
nice.
Lo Harris (09:10)
So my illustration portfolio, or I guess my Instagram, I actually started an illustration Instagram because I used to love to draw back in high school, like I told you, but I would always be hiding my drawing and I didn't feel connected to it. So I decided, hey, how about you go, you reconnect with your inner child and you start to draw again. You stopped in college, just start to draw again, do something fun. One of my coworkers gave me this book by Lisa Congdon called,
Mack Garrison (09:21)
Sure.
Lo Harris (09:39)
find your artistic voice, something to that effect. I think it's in my inspiration library here on my desk. But I was reading that book and I said, well, I can find my artistic voice too. And I started drawing and I actually named my account Lo Harris because I didn't want my friends who knew me as Lauren to see me just trying to draw.
Mack Garrison (10:01)
really, it was like too much to put yourself out there like that? That's so funny.
Lo Harris (10:04)
Yeah, had,
Lo Harris was like my Superman Clark Kent kind of identity thing. And then it backfired. And then I got like a bunch of followers overnight in 2020. And that started what has been a very cool and weird and energizing illustration career and multidisciplinary career where I've gotten to really kind of live.
Mack Garrison (10:09)
Yeah, I love it. I love the dichotomy there. That's great.
Lo Harris (10:33)
like I'm like a Swiss army knife with a bunch of different extensions that I can activate at any time.
Mack Garrison (10:35)
Yeah, well, it's so accurate. mean,
I think back to like that creative writing that you were doing in the early days and even not defining yourself as an artist because that's not me. And then you've gone down all these different pathways. I'm curious now, I mean, do you even define what you're doing as an artist? Like, how do you think back on that version of you that was like, that's not art to all this stuff you've done, would you define yourself as an artist to this day?
Lo Harris (11:01)
absolutely would categorically define myself as an artist, but I would say on the day to day, I'm just a creative person who does what she wants. Like, and I kind of love that. Like I'm just myself at this point.
Mack Garrison (11:14)
Hmm.
Lo Harris (11:15)
It's so funny the power that a title can hold over your head when you're a creative. There are some people I know who aspire to be art directors or aspire to be creative directors and the only way to have that aspiration satisfied is for an organization to bestow you that role. Right, right. And that's not.
Mack Garrison (11:21)
Yeah.
to validate you with this position basically. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Lo Harris (11:40)
the case, I kind of forged myself into a creative director, into an illustrator, into all of these different things through unconventional avenues that go outside of kind of the typical corporate structure. You know, you don't need permission to do anything.
Mack Garrison (11:54)
yeah, you can do whatever.
What's so interesting to me, and I'm so curious about this, like, you know, there used to be, and maybe there still is, this philosophy as a creative to like niche down, be good at like one thing. And if you're so good at one thing, people can't ignore you, they gotta hire it. But for a lot of us, know, our studio included, that feels a little boring. You want that variety, you wanna do a lot of different things. How has that shaped how you've pitched yourself for work?
or has it shifted it or in a way has it just been more about versus more opportunities coming to you because you're kind of open to it and as a result things stick out more than they maybe would have otherwise if you had been a bit more pointed.
Lo Harris (12:35)
Ooh, okay, let me break this down with a little dichotomy here. The worst piece of advice I've ever gotten in my professional career, and I forgive my boss at the time for giving me this advice, because I'm sure he knows better now. He said, you have to niche down if you want to do anything in this industry. Like get good at one thing. And so I was like, dang, that's depressing. That's right. I tried to live in that matrix, honey. It just didn't work for me.
Mack Garrison (12:40)
I'm ready for it.
Yeah, right.
Lo, I hope you said it exactly
like that. Like when you said that, you were over like, damn, that's depressing.
Lo Harris (13:07)
I wasn't grown enough. I
wasn't grown enough. If I saw him today, I'd be like, come here, I gotta tell you something. that was the worst piece of advice. The best piece of advice I've ever gotten from another mentor was be a pleasure to work with, which has served me.
Mack Garrison (13:12)
Yeah, that's so funny.
Lo Harris (13:21)
a lot in my multidisciplinary career. for me, know, obviously, you know, people are going to the things that you put on your portfolio, people are going to largely associate you with that. And so for me, as a multidisciplinary artist, one thing I've had to struggle with is a lot of brand confusion, because there are some people who know me as Lo the animator. There are some people who know me as Lo the illustrator. There are some people who know me as Lo from the Cannes Can Diversity Collection.
an
organization, I'm a volunteer senior leadership member for about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the advertising and media industries. There some people who know me for a variety of different things, right?
Mack Garrison (13:59)
Nice.
Lo Harris (14:05)
I kind of, and the thing that bonds them all together is that generally the people who are tapping into me for these various parts of my Swiss Army Knife collection is that they and I work well together and we find each other a pleasure to work with. And I think that.
kind of when you put limits on yourself, when you say I'm only doing freelance things as this particular title because that is what I'm trained to do, that's all well and good if that's actually like you just don't, you're not interested in doing all the other stuff, right? But it is, it's a ceiling. It's a ceiling that you're placing on yourself. There's no reason for an animator to not pursue illustration as well if they want to. And I think that as long as
Mack Garrison (14:50)
Right
Lo Harris (14:53)
you kind of, develop your style, you do your thing, like your craft is one thing, like obviously develop your craft, but I think the relationships and the people skills of kind of saying like, hey, like.
I just started illustration two years ago, but I'm really working on my practice and I'm working well with you, you're working well with me. People, as long as the end result gets met, like people really value, like I really liked working with so-and-so and I want to think of them for this thing in the future. I hope that answered the question.
Mack Garrison (15:25)
No, it
did. I love the altruistic attitude. How do I lift people up? How can I help the folks around me? How can I go above and beyond for whatever the ask is to make sure it's met and just to help this individual? I think it stems from just the variety of different backgrounds you've experienced in feeling more comfortable trying new things and therefore feeling a little bit easier to say, sure, I could do that. I know another piece that I noticed about you Lo is, you while you have these different skill sets, they're almost unified.
under this umbrella of champion joy, promoting authenticity and celebrating that shared humanity. So it's interesting to see like while it's all these varied subjects, there's a core to it all of who you are, that personality. What motivates you to bring such uplifting energy into your projects and what impact do you hope to leave on your audience?
Lo Harris (16:16)
Ooh, okay, I'm gonna break down the Lo-Harris universe for you. Okay, so first of all, anything creative I do is a part of the Lo-Harris universe. I don't care if it's drawing, I don't care if it's speaking, I don't care if it's whatever, it's a part of my universe of creativity and it exists there, right? And there are a few rules that I follow in the Lo-Harris universe, which is being inclusive, connecting with other human beings, finding common ground.
and self-love and advocacy, you know, and there are certain messages, like, for example, there's a phrase that I use in my artwork, but also I talk about it on my YouTube channel and also I manifested in all of these different ways, you know, the phrase is you are worthy, right? So you are worthy is like a greater thematic concept for me as an artist that I'm able to employ into multiple
Mack Garrison (16:50)
of that.
Lo Harris (17:15)
multiple disciplines and multiple mediums. So one categorical bucket of my creative work is just my straight up illustration work, just generically Lo Harris, lots of like illustrated text, lots of fabulous ladies, bright colors, whatever that is categorically Lo Harris illustrator. I'm working on a side project right now where I want to create a separate, I have created a separate account of illustrations called Planet Prismara, which is very cute.
Mack Garrison (17:30)
Yeah.
Lo Harris (17:45)
and kind of like it's adult slash kid friendly is kind of one of those things where like anyone of any age can kind of find something about it. And there's little characters I created called the Munchkies. And they're just these little like multicultural little characters and they all wear little onesies like yellow in primary colors, yellow, red, da da da. And each of them represent.
Mack Garrison (17:53)
I love that.
When does the
toy line of the munchkies come out? That's what I feel like saying.
Lo Harris (18:09)
when somebody brings
me some funding, But...
Mack Garrison (18:12)
There we go, there we go.
Lo Harris (18:14)
The Munchkins, right? It's almost like, can I take the same messages for Lo Harris, which is typically resonating with women in their 20s to 30s, and kind of bring it over to a younger audience and just a more playful, weird audience, and also have some fun, silly, world-building aspects in there where I'm writing the captions as if it's kind of like an ongoing story. So I'll post the next picture and try to find a way to narratively tie.
the last picture I posted with the one that I'm posting to kind of build up the character lore. And it's just like a fun outlet for me, but it's also like a great outlet for again, children's books, right? Children's media. And then of course we have the YouTube where maybe I'm a little bit more mature and a little bit more, whoa, you know, where I'm kind of talking through similar themes again, but in like a, different, it's still one voice. It's still one message, but because
of my multidisciplinary interests, it's like basically kind of activating those messages, making them optimize, responsive design, you know what I mean? I guess for my, you know, ideas. And I think that anyone can do this.
Mack Garrison (19:25)
Yeah, of course.
Well, one of the things that I really like about that methodology is I think it's very apropos for the type of space that we're in right now. You know, I was talking to someone the other day and I couldn't really think of a word to describe it. So I use this word like a digital shelf. You you have people accessing content in all sorts of different ways, know, older generations doing stuff, maybe on like blog posts, you have, you know, Gen X and millennials maybe still doing Reddit or looking at YouTube videos.
and Gen Z doing a lot of in-app searches. And so that's just a lot of different ways that our first touch point to the LoHarris universe could be all these different ways. And so I love that you've kind of curated this digital shelf of all these different access points for people to kind of touch onto. You know, one question I have, and I think it ties onto this a little bit, is we are in this new era of marketing yourself. And what used to be just the website was fine, it's now you have to do all these different things.
And so people are looking at your YouTube page. It's so successful. You've done such a good job of just kind of presenting that universe, presenting that authentic champion of joy and promoting that. What advice would you give to someone who's like maybe never done that, but they're trying to because they recognize like, gosh, you know, I've got to put myself out there a little bit more. Where's a good place to start for someone who's trying to get a little bit more of that public facing influencer for lack of a better word to kind of show off the work and who they are.
Lo Harris (20:59)
You know, I would, the first thing that I would say is follow your muse. So I have this funny ritual with ideas where I used to think, my God, I have a great idea. Let me go write it down so I can remember it later. I never go back to that. In fact, it's like, it's basically just me saying, I got a good idea. Let me go kill it. So I never pursue it again. Now that I've talked about it and I've gotten the adrenaline out around it.
For me, it helps to follow my muse. So following my muse might look like, let's say I don't have YouTube, and this is actually kind of how I started my YouTube actually. I've been wanting to get into YouTube for a little bit, and I had tried here and there, but I just felt like it just wasn't sustainable for me the way I was doing it. And I still hadn't really worked out my identity on that particular platform and how I wanted to produce things where it really fit into my lifestyle. Because here's the thing,
One
thing about me at this point, I'm not about to let being on social media corrode my personal life, my free time. It needs to be easy for me. So that's the first thing. It needs to be easy for you. Customize it for you. Just because Suzy Q over there is doing like 80 posts a day and has like the design thumbnail, all that, like whatever, like keep on moving. What works for you? If she wants to spend six hours of her day doing that, how do you want to spend six hours of her
Mack Garrison (22:17)
Yeah.
Right, and you can do
20 minutes on your phone that that's okay. It's just basically it's like starting, finding what works for you and starting.
Lo Harris (22:30)
Right, and it's about consistency as well, which I'll get into in a bit. But going back to this muse idea, you know, if I feel the urge in me, which I did one day, said, I feel the urge, I just need to like do this YouTube thing. Because I realized if I keep waiting for the right time or for when like I have more time, like less of a demanding work life or whatever, I'm just never going to do it. So how can I follow this muse and act on this muse and just make the channel and make a video? And then if I get into
the groove I'm like I want to do that again next week I want to do that again the following week and then there may be times where it's like hey like I'm busy right now but I still want to engage let me do these shorter videos and I think that when you just follow your muse like don't be so completionist about it just start it and you can put it to the side and it'll still be waiting for you later this is not a race against time like this is your art career and your art practice and it has to develop naturally
Mack Garrison (23:28)
Did you ever feel like, not
to interject, but I'm just so curious, because like creatives, I just feel like we hold stuff in such high regard. Like this is you, this is your personality you're putting out there that I feel like we overthink it sometimes. I mean, heck, I do sometimes. I'm like, I don't know if this is ready to go to the public. How did you kind of overcome that and just be like, forget it. I just got to do it. I got to start. Like, was there anything that just kind of got you over that hurdle?
Lo Harris (23:30)
Yeah, yeah.
I think that...
I've had that natural proclitivity to just start things, but I think that I kind of lost that actually kind of at what some people might look at as like the height of my career where it's like I'm posting on Instagram all the time and everything's like, like I used to do this really specifically branded approach where everything was pink, yellow, blue, green, pink, yellow, blue, green. I had jumpsuits that were blue, Now mind you, it did not look good on my complexion. So that's like a whole other
Mack Garrison (24:16)
right
Lo Harris (24:21)
but I was trying so hard to build the brand that I was taking chunks out of myself. I was losing pieces of myself trying to curate or not even curate, just trying to maintain an online identity that maybe in a fleeting moment made sense for me at a specific time, but I was growing up. I was growing up and I wasn't allowed myself.
Mack Garrison (24:30)
Mm.
Yeah, you were you were almost like tailoring
it to like this idea of what you think you should be versus really like tapping into like like who is low who is me, you
Lo Harris (24:53)
Yes, exactly. And also it's a dynamic thing. Like you are literally a living, breathing organism. Like the you that I was talking to at the start of this call is exponentially different than the you that I'm talking to in this very moment. And you're allowed to change your mind. And I think creatives forget that because people get so caught up in their digital footprint and they're like, well.
Mack Garrison (25:11)
Yeah.
yeah, you're being a hypocrite. It's like,
gotta change.
Lo Harris (25:18)
In my feed,
I posted this thing and like, I'm supposed to be always like this and like, this is what they're expecting. I'ma be real. Don't nobody care enough about me to be paying too much attention to how I post one moment to the next moment. All they see is that thing right there right now. And if I'm being negative, they'll be like, that's sad. You know what I mean? If I'm being positive, they'll be like, that's dope. But nobody's tracking you like that.
Mack Garrison (25:38)
Sure.
Lo Harris (25:43)
And I think kind of accepting that we're all kind of no one and everyone, it's like freeing like that sense of anonymity and that sense of like, I'm just like a, I'm a human, like I'm like a human person and I'm gonna be this way right now. But if I decide that I wanna go through an era where I wear like a top hat and a monocle all day, that's my business. You can unfollow.
Mack Garrison (25:51)
yeah.
I love it. Do you feel like
it's so interesting to me because like, hearing you have these like in my mind, I've got these two visual parallel paths that you're on. There's one that's like the creative Lo Harris and it's your journey from the writing to where you are today. And then there's the personality of Lo Harris that is evolving and changing and adjusting that's kind of moving and sometimes it intersects the creative and where it is today. What I feel like is so strong about you and
and what has been really successful is that you've been able to tap into that. You understand that, and you're flexible and open to the change that is coming. And I think some folks still struggle with how to find that openness. Do you think a lot of that came from trying so many different things? is that maybe what you might encourage audiences to say, like, look, you've just got to dabble and try, and that's the best way to kind of figure out who you are?
Lo Harris (26:55)
I mean, you really gotta go to bat for yourself. Nobody's gonna go to bat for you. You've gotta go to bat for yourself. Otherwise, like what you're just gonna spectate, that's boring. Like, don't you wanna have fun? Don't you wanna like hit the ball, like run around the base, like get tagged? Like, know, like, yes, I think just trying.
Mack Garrison (27:05)
Yeah, yeah, right. No, 100%. Take control.
Lo Harris (27:19)
The hardest part is just trying, you know? The hardest part is trying because I think people get caught into a loop where they are ruminating and they're planning it and they build so many expectations and invest so many anxieties into this perspective of themselves and, know, all the brands, like, you I'm not gonna be like this because what if brands, like, just try, just try.
Mack Garrison (27:45)
Yeah, I love that. Sure.
Lo Harris (27:46)
Of course, respect yourself and of course,
be mindful of your online safety. know, I know with like my YouTube stuff, I'm very, very careful about like identifying information, things like that. But I just, I think that there is, I don't think that social media has to be as big of a boogeyman for artists as they, as the platforms have honestly conditioned us to make it feel like it is, you know. We have gone from a creative economy where it's like you're really kind of measuring
Mack Garrison (28:08)
share.
Lo Harris (28:16)
your creative impact on like actual like interaction and impact on your community. You do a mural and you get to see kids playing in front of the mural, whatever. And like they have taken something that's very human, very organic, very like qualitative and turned it into a quantitative metric that not only is being measured against us by, you know, brands, but by each other, by ourselves. People are actively withholding themselves
Mack Garrison (28:35)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Lo Harris (28:45)
from
creative collaboration because they see someone's following is X and they're at Y. How detrimental to your creativity, how detrimental to your growth as an artist for you to decline?
Mack Garrison (28:50)
Right.
Be
focused on the likes, be focused on the following count, things like that. When at its core, mean, honestly, Lo, I think we discovered you. I found you just through social media, right? I think I found it on LinkedIn or not LinkedIn, Instagram, I think. And so there is a good part of it, right? There's finding great artists, finding that inspiration, the stuff you're into. I know so many folks who are coming to our event are so inspired by what you've accomplished and the work that you're doing. Who are you inspired by?
Lo Harris (29:02)
Great.
Mack Garrison (29:26)
Who were some of the creatives out there that really light up Lo Harris?
Lo Harris (29:29)
So I've been getting really into world building recently. And so I've started collecting, compiling interviews with artists, video. I always recommend, if there's someone you admire, go look for interviews. It is illuminating. So artists I admire. And the ones that I'm really looking at right now, I told you a little bit about my munchies and planet Prisvara. I'm really looking at Sesame Street. I'm looking at Jim Henson and the Muppets.
Mack Garrison (29:32)
Mmm.
Yeah, yeah.
nice.
Lo Harris (29:59)
I'm really looking at people who have built universes and building a universe doesn't have to be this big thing. It's almost like I think the cool thing about the universe of like the Muppets, for example, or Sesame Street is that there is, and this goes back to inclusion, there is an opportunity for any kind of person to kind of see a bit of themselves in at least one of the characters. And it's not like a moralizing thing either.
Mack Garrison (30:20)
Yeah.
Hmm.
Lo Harris (30:29)
it's not like they're the villain or it's not like no one is a villain. Everyone just gets to be their weird selves and they can identify and project onto a different character and they're all still a part of the same community. So I've been very, very interested in.
Mack Garrison (30:38)
I love that.
Lo Harris (30:44)
people who build worlds that way and build characters that people can really attach to, you know, and there are more contemporary examples, right? Like Adventure Time or like Steven Universe, you know, but I just, I just feel like there's a lot to learn as, as a creative from people who work in cartoons and people who work in, you know, children's television, because that's kind of the fundamentals of like getting people involved. There's so much you can learn from
Mack Garrison (30:53)
Sure. yeah.
Lo Harris (31:14)
of the golden age of children's television. Like you think about Hey Arnold, that was iconic. That was an iconic show. It's like so accurate to like New York. Like, you know what I mean? Growing up in New York from what my friends have said.
Mack Garrison (31:19)
yeah.
my gosh, amazing.
yeah, I still remember random episodes like
Stoop Kids afraid to leave the stoop, know, knocking off, you know, these weird episodes that just stick in my brain still years later.
Lo Harris (31:35)
Yes, and like you can kind of see like even just like, you know, I talked a bit about like my involvement with this organization called the Canne Can Diversity Collective, even being able to see different people of different cultures just kind of represented, not in a weird tokenizing way, but just like let people be and appreciate the differences. Just let people be. I think that that's really powerful.
Mack Garrison (31:50)
Sure.
I love the world building concept too and it just feels like a natural evolution for kind of the low Harris world. Just again, going back to like that digital shelf idea, got all these different pieces out there. It feels like a good expanse. Now, not to put you on the spot here because I know we still have what four months or so till the dash bash. So you don't have to have a topic solidified yet. But as far as a little teaser, is there anything that folks who maybe are considering coming to the dash bash or considering to come see you.
you know, that you could tease out on like, this is what I'm going to talk about. This is why you should come hear my speech.
Lo Harris (32:33)
So I actually am gonna turn it back on either you or the Dash audience because I had a realization for myself recently that when I enter spaces and I come to speak, it is very important that I'm serving the space and the actual needs and concerns and.
Mack Garrison (32:38)
Alright.
Lo Harris (32:50)
curiosities of the people that I'm coming to speak to. And I don't want it to be a thing where it's like, I'm gonna come and talk about myself because you can go read it. You could go read all that on the internet. So I would actually, I'm still pondering it because I am trying to kind of do some like social research among some of my peers to really understand, look, I got a lot that I could sit up there and talk about on stage for 45 minutes, but what's gonna be helpful for you? What do you think? You know what I mean? People really need to hear from me.
Mack Garrison (33:07)
Yeah.
No, it's a good question. We might
have to, we'll have to open up the comments on this video to see what people want to suggest. I know selfishly something that I've just feel incredibly impressed by with your growth over the years, Lo, is just your ability to navigate change while staying authentic to yourself, but also be open to the next medium or the next technological challenges around the corner. Cause I think something that is pervasive in our space.
is change. You know, we're just navigating a lot of it right now. Even our industry compared to 10 years ago feels different. And so I think as someone who has navigated change successfully and has kind of gone with the flow for both your personality and what you're interested in, but also what the industry demands, I think there's a lot of conversation that could be happening there, but that's just, again, that's just my take. So there's plenty of others and I can't wait to hear what everyone else has to say. So everyone listening, this is your cue. You have not gotten dash match tickets yet.
Lo Harris (34:05)
Yeah.
Mack Garrison (34:13)
make sure you join us this summer, June 11th through 13th, 2025. The Dash Bash is a great place to connect with other like-minded individuals, share ideas, and really find an inclusive space for the motion design community to have deep, honest, and helpful conversations. We've been speaking today with Lo Harris, who is a multidisciplinary artist known for her bold, colorful, and empowering artwork, and we cannot wait to have you this summer at the Bash Lo. Thanks so much for the teaser today and for joining us on this interview.
Lo Harris (34:39)
Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited to see y'all and I hope it's warm.
Mack Garrison (34:44)
It's going to be warm because we are in the South and in North Carolina. Hopefully it's not too warm. Thanks, Lo Thanks, everyone.
Lo Harris (34:48)
You
Reece Parker Interview
Ahead of his 2025 Dash Bash talk, Reece Parker and Mack Garrison chat about Reece's journey from a self-taught animator to a professional in the motion design industry. He discusses his early passion for drawing, the transition to animation, and the challenges he faced in finding work. Reece emphasizes the importance of mentorship, the need to adapt to industry changes, and the value of genuine passion in attracting clients. He also reflects on his creative influences, the exploration of new avenues like tattooing, and the excitement of future projects.
Takeaways
Reese prefers authenticity over trying to sound cooler.
His journey into animation began with a love for drawing.
He taught himself motion graphics out of desperation.
Cold emailing led to his first freelance job.
Mentorship played a crucial role in his development.
Passion for work attracts clients and opportunities.
Adapting to industry changes is essential for growth.
Inspiration can come from various creative fields.
Tattooing has similarities to motion design in terms of artistry.
The importance of being confident yet humble in new spaces.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Reese Parker
01:43 The Journey into Animation
05:11 From Hobby to Profession
10:44 Finding Mentorship and Guidance
15:32 Adapting to Industry Changes
20:00 Creative Stories and Experiences
22:45 Inspiration and Influences
25:43 Exploring New Creative Avenues
29:55 Looking Ahead to the Future
Transcript:
Mack Garrison (00:00)
Hey, what's up y'all? Mack Garrison here with Dash Studio and boy, do I have a good one for you today. I'm hanging out with a talented Reece Parker doing an interview for our Dash Bash Speaker Series. Reece is incredibly talented, also a nice guy, but Reece is a creative person making art for cool people and businesses, directing, illustrating, animating. He's uneducated, lacks any in-house experience and works way too much and has been riding solo for the last nine or so years.
guessing his way through it and loving every minute of it. I'm just reading that off Reece's bio, but Reece, welcome to the podcast, the video cast. You gotta explain yourself a little bit on that introduction and like why those were the choice of words to start us off.
Reece Parker (00:47)
Yeah, I'm happy to be here. Thanks for having me, Mack. I'm excited to chat and just be involved, honestly. I think, yeah, I don't know. The intro is like, I'm a very let my work do the talking kind of a guy, I think. So when it comes down to making a bio, it just felt very real. And I guess that's what I prefer over maybe trying to make myself sound cooler than I am. If I want to look cool, go watch my work. And some people think that makes me look cooler.
You
Mack Garrison (01:17)
Dude,
it is very cool work. And I also just love the authenticity. I think it speaks a lot to your personality. I've been lucky enough to know you now over the last like nine or 10 years that I've been running the studio. But yeah, there's a lot of folks who are listening and this might be their first time finding out who the heck Reece Parker is. So maybe you could just kind of take us back to like some of the early days, you know, like how did you get into animation? What is it?
Reece Parker (01:27)
Yup.
to.
Mack Garrison (01:43)
what part of animation really excites you and what's some of the work you're doing today.
Reece Parker (01:49)
Yeah, good question. Growing up I was always drawing. I feel like I've said this story too many times, I'll abbreviate, but like...
classic kind of creative story. didn't like math. I liked drawing. So there were times like in school, I would maybe fail the math test, but flip it over and draw a portrait of my teacher and they would hang it up on the wall. Like literally that did happen. And I think that that's just like represents kind of my journey growing up. But animation, like we would have sticky notes in class in like second grade and we were doing flip books and I was really into the YouTube stick figure fighting kind
era, you know, I don't know if you remember that. Yeah, that was big, big. So I had Flash and like just kind of dorked around on it when I had time growing up. Among other creative things, I painted grip tape. That's like the stuff you put on top of skateboards. I I would sell that. did paintings and graphite portraiture and just all types of creative stuff. And then I...
Mack Garrison (02:31)
Sick. Excellent. Of course.
yeah, nice.
Reece Parker (02:58)
You know, I was really good at it, but I was also like suburban home, you know, not in like a creative city per se, very like go to college. Just outside of Seattle, a little suburban town called Maple Valley. Yeah, 30 minutes away.
Mack Garrison (03:09)
Sure. Where are you from originally Reece? Where'd you grow up?
Seattle. nice. Excellent.
Shout out to Maple Valley listeners.
Reece Parker (03:19)
Maple Valley.
So I didn't have my eyes on the future of where is the creative work. I was mostly like, I do it because I love it and I probably won't get to do it as I become an adult. And then I just found my way to like...
being intro to motion graphics. Like I saw like a commercial for Coca-Cola or something that I think Seth Eckert did who runs the furrow. So there was morphs and it was like, I was like, whoa, this is cool. Yes.
Mack Garrison (03:39)
Mmm.
yeah.
You're like, whoa, what the hell is this? Like,
what is this?
Reece Parker (03:54)
Exactly. I was like, uh, I want to do that. Whatever that is. And so I learned like exactly that. And I didn't know motion graphics was whiter than just that. was like, that was what I want to do. So I learned After Effects and I learned shapes and I learned kind of those things. And I also brought my years of sketching and drawing and illustrating into kind of that. And then over the years, it sort of shaped my voice, I think, in motion. I don't Yeah.
Mack Garrison (04:21)
that's really cool. mean, like honestly,
I think with our industry, I heard this term from this graphic designer back in the day. His name was like Edward Tufte. And he talks about this like capital T theory, which I really like. It's like, we started this one point and there's like interest. for you could have been illustration. Like I love dueling, love drawing. Then you hit this T, like the capital T part of it. And it's like, Ooh, maybe I can put this in motion. So then you're starting to play around with motion or Ooh, maybe I can direct motion. You're directing. So basically you have all these T's.
Reece Parker (04:37)
Yeah.
Mack Garrison (04:49)
that make you unique. And I think motion design in our industry is probably the best collection of all these capital T's out there with these different backgrounds, different experiences. When did you know that like, like this isn't just a fun hobby, people will pay me for it. Did you have like a first job? Did you like kind of seek it out a little bit?
Reece Parker (04:51)
Yeah.
Well, I mean, again, the time where I ran into motion design, I was at sort of a critical point in just in my personal life. was skateboarding a lot. was graduated from high school. I was not in college or on a path to sort of buff the resume in any way at all. So I was like, once I recognized that, Coke hires artists to do work like this, I was like, okay, I'm just going to do that. And so I worked for like overtime for a
year, like kind of 16 hour days just non-stop just teaching myself out of really like desperation. Because again I'm coming at it like I clean bathrooms at Taco Bell and ride a skateboard. Like this isn't my world. I don't understand this world. So if I can teach myself how to do it and be that good maybe I can get hired. And so at a certain point I had like personal works and like a little portfolio built of no client work whatsoever and I'm just
just cold emailing like jobs off of job boards, not even motionographer, I don't even know that exists yet. It's like indeed and like other general job boards like I could do the work, I could do it and then finally like somebody hired me freelance for like 20 bucks an hour. I didn't know what a day rate was, I didn't know how to charge, I knew nothing. Yeah, yes.
Mack Garrison (06:28)
Sick.
didn't know the process, know anything. You were like, they just need an animation. I gotta make this sucker
for them.
Reece Parker (06:36)
Yes,
and they literally held my hand through it. I think because I was so cheap, they taught me how to do some of it. was really, it's a small little agency in New York. I forget the name of it now, but I hadn't kept up with them. Yeah.
Mack Garrison (06:41)
Wow. Was it a studio? Was it a company? An individual? what? Cool.
That's so funny. so basically
at the time you're working at Taco Bell more or less as a janitor doing animation stuff on the side and you're like, I've got to basically bust my ass on this because I don't have any education on it. It's all self-taught. And so if I'm going to win the opportunity, it's got to be through hustle essentially. Wow.
Reece Parker (07:10)
Absolutely. Yep. Just showing up, doing
the work, learning, and I was so excited and like in love with it that it's a lot of work, but it just felt like necessary. Like absolutely. Yeah, just driven.
Mack Garrison (07:23)
There's a whole generation of kids who could be looking to this listening to this videocast and they're like cool I'm not going to school. Thanks for race. You just ruined all these parents hopes and dreams No, no
Reece Parker (07:32)
I hope not. Yeah, do what you,
yeah, yeah, do what makes sense for you, you know.
Mack Garrison (07:37)
I mean, I think that is a really interesting conversation point though with so many different fields out there that do require a certain degree of higher education. I think motion design has been one of the most amenable and like welcoming kind of everybody. So you get this first kind of gig with a small agency, you would kind of crafted a smaller portfolio website of just some personal explorations.
Did you find that that first gig like really almost opened a door? was like as soon as like almost you had a client project kind of grounded in it that kind of build off of itself.
Reece Parker (08:12)
Yeah, I mean eventually it did it was a bumpy early road For your knowledge, I didn't want to just jump in freelance. I did that because I had to I asked for Internships and like staff jobs and just couldn't land anywhere because I was so Like raw talent, but no knowledge and that was a barrier that was not allowing me to pass like I was getting interviews in Seattle for like
Mack Garrison (08:19)
Mmm.
Reece Parker (08:39)
weird like leadership role like my skill set was beyond my knowledge meaning people saw my work and put me here and then expected me to be here and so i would come in for interviews and be like an intern and so it was like i couldn't land anywhere because they didn't know how to read me yes yes
Mack Garrison (08:45)
Mmm.
You had this raw talent that was like exceptional,
but you had no of the supplemental information to go along with that. So people were like, how is this guy this good, but has no idea about process or organization.
Reece Parker (09:01)
Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Exactly, and I only know that in retrospect with the information I have now, but I didn't get it at the time. I was like, just like, yeah, I could do the work. And anyway, I couldn't get a job anywhere. So I had to be freelance. And then eventually, like one odd job led to another odd job. six months later led to another one and there was huge gaps in between. And then I got an email from Buck, like my first year in like down the line. And that changed everything. Once I went to go work with them in LA, they flew me
I was in studio for a few weeks. I was like booked ever since. Yeah, yeah.
Mack Garrison (09:45)
That's crazy. It's like
an actor who gets the first big gig, right? It's like, oh my God, this is it. Don't mess this up, Reece, you gotta stay focused. I love that. When I was coming along, I think a lot of people experienced that. It's really relatable in the sense that no one ever truly knows all the right process stuff. I mean, I remember my first gig I had at an agency. I remember this guy over in the corner basically yelling like, who the hell is Mack Garrison?
Reece Parker (09:50)
Yes.
Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly. Yeah, yeah.
Mack Garrison (10:14)
And what is wrong with this project file? And I had to like sheepishly raise my hand and admit that I had like comp one, comp two, comp three, layer one, layer two, was atrocious. But what was really nice about this Reece is that he took time and went through and basically showed me the way that stuff should be organized. And I'm forever grateful of it. Like, you know, I know he was upset at the time, but he took space and taught me. So question for you is, you know, during this kind of transition era, if you will, of like creative, finding your way, figuring out the structure behind it.
Reece Parker (10:17)
yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Totally. Totally.
Mack Garrison (10:44)
Did you have any mentors or did you find and reach out to people to try to get some of that knowledge?
Reece Parker (10:48)
yeah, yeah, I mean a lot of people were, as I began to get...
more hired and become more hireable. Again, I was mostly raw, intuitive talent and like my knowledge was years of putting things together over time. And like all of my clients were almost mentors at that time. I would have creative directors reach out to me and be like, I'll bring you on and I'd be like, great. And then I'd ask them like endless questions or I'd reach out, like I reached out to Alan Lasseter, one of my first years in the industry, like, dude, I love your work.
Mack Garrison (11:11)
Mmm.
Reece Parker (11:25)
and I love your position and how do you blah, blah, blah. And he was really, really sweet and responded. And I'm sure he wouldn't remember that if you told him, but he had a long list answering all my questions. I probably did that a hundred times, to be honest with you. Yeah.
Mack Garrison (11:39)
man, I love that so much. Cause
I feel like, you know, for whatever reason we, we, none of us want to look like idiots. think that's what it is, right? You're young. You don't want to reach out to someone. You don't want to bother them or you don't want to feel like your stuff isn't good enough to even be having that conversation for anyone that's listening to this that might be on the precipice of graduation, whether it's from school or like a school emotion course or something along those lines. What advice would you give?
Reece Parker (11:51)
Totally.
Yeah.
Mack Garrison (12:08)
and how to reach out to some of these folks or how to put yourself out there, the confidence to do that like you did.
Reece Parker (12:14)
Good question. mean, I think looking back at how I did it, I was mostly naive, but I was also really genuine, and I think you could feel that in my approach. I wasn't acting out of any sense of like, owe me a response. I mostly was like, you probably won't read this. that's the case, that's okay. On the off chance, you do read it. Like, I love your stuff, and that's why I'm reaching out. And I think...
that energy you can feel and it's encouraging a response. And I have a lot of students reach out to me on the flip side now where I try my best to sort of honor my early days and be really sort of spend some time answering thoughtfully to them in the same way that I maybe would have hoped earlier. But also like you can't expect.
it to go that way. You sort of have to like, I hope, but if it doesn't, it's okay and I'm going to try again. That's just how, like that energy is necessary and failure isn't failure. It's like you keep moving and pushing and eventually it'll land. Yeah.
Mack Garrison (13:20)
dude, I love that so much. I had this phrase
a couple of years ago that like I just gravitated towards that's perfection inhibits progress. I feel like so much as creatives and designers, we hold stuff in such high regard. It's like, I don't want to put anything out there until I really like it. But you think about all the times that that slows you up.
Reece Parker (13:29)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mack Garrison (13:39)
You're the student trying to perfect your portfolio. It's not quite there yet. I don't want to reach out where the studio trying to update our portfolio. it doesn't quite have all the projects, the reels, you know, at end of the day. And I think you would echo the same sentiment. People will critique whatever you put out there. You always have 20, 20 vision and doing something a little bit differently, but you just got to keep the bus moving forward, right?
Reece Parker (13:47)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely. I think I ran into that problem more recently than ever before, honestly, where it's like...
almost inhibiting productivity because I want to over organize or over calculate or over speculate or analyze and it just yeah at a certain point it's too far and you're actually getting in the way of doing the work so I'm kind of trying to remind my brain to go back to kind of the early days of like yes I want to make great work but I also just want to be productive and make it simple you know
Mack Garrison (14:12)
Mmm.
course, simplicity rules each and every day, even with your design and your compositions, I feel like every solution usually revolves about me taking stuff away versus like adding anything new. You know, I think something that's been interesting, especially over the last couple of years, know, AI is such a hard conversation to have in our industry right now. I think just by the fact that like there's more people than ever in the space, marketing companies are turning towards, or excuse me.
Reece Parker (14:38)
Yes. Yeah.
Yeah, totally. Totally, totally.
Mack Garrison (15:03)
companies are turning to investing in AI, which is taken away from marketing budgets. So everyone's kind of working a bit leaner. I think that's from studios, that's from freelancers. So for someone getting in the space, you you had this hustle and this tenacity that I think really led you to these opportunities, got you into the door and ultimately led to where you are now. Did you feel like looking back on that, that there was maybe one single piece of advice or something that seemed to work?
Reece Parker (15:07)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mack Garrison (15:32)
best when you're trying to get yourself out there. Is it the cold emails? Is it like conferences? You know, looking back on it, was there one thing like, oh, if I could do this over again, knowing what I know now, I would do X, Y, and Z.
Reece Parker (15:46)
It's hard because so much has changed, even in a short time, nine years. The landscape is different now, but what I would say through those changes, what remains is...
Mack Garrison (15:50)
Mmm.
Reece Parker (16:00)
You've got to love the work and putting that love into the work is going to attract clientele and that's true for any service. So like I spent a year rebuilding my site with a developer and just putting so much love into it kind of for no reason to be honest with you other than I really wanted it to be great. And now I'm doing sites for clients that are paying me real budgets. And I didn't do anything other than say on Instagram, I'm redoing my site and I'm here
Mack Garrison (16:24)
Whoa, that's wild, that's cool.
Reece Parker (16:30)
go check it out. It's like that's all I did. Now I have a platform at this stage in my career, but the energy in the through line is the same. Love the work that will attract the clients. It's like I don't have any formula other than that to be honest.
Mack Garrison (16:46)
Well, honestly, it's just authentic. I love that, right? It shows if you care about something, you're putting time and attention towards it. It's reflected in the final outcome. You know, from a studio owner perspective, I have a interesting question for you. You made me think of, you know, there was this long standing, I don't know if it was like a thought or long standing conviction. I think there's a good word that if you are really good at something niche down.
Reece Parker (16:54)
Yeah. Yes.
Mack Garrison (17:14)
Like get really good at this thing and that's what everyone's gonna come to you for. With all this change, you accepted, it sounds like, some of these website jobs. It's like, yeah, it's kind of what I do adjacent to it. You kind of opened it up. Do you feel like that's a change that you're starting to recognize and as you look ahead to like future reach, are you kind of open to saying yes to a bit more and should other people kind of be considering that as well?
Reece Parker (17:19)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
This is a hard conversation because you're going to land.
It's 50-50 whoever you talk to. I do not subscribe to niching down. However, I also don't subscribe to saying yes to everything. The reason I felt it was appropriate to take some of these jobs that are outside of my normal skill set or service that I usually provide for clients is because they said we want it done in a Reece way. We want your voice on it. So it wasn't me acting as some ex graphic designer. It was Reece being
Mack Garrison (17:45)
Sure, sure.
Mmm.
Reece Parker (18:13)
Reece just for a different service. And honestly, as we move through changes in this industry, we start to question what it is that is going to remain valuable for clients. And that's a hard answer. And I'm not willing to turn away projects because they're not like they're not an animated film that are like super artistic, like that might not be valuable right now for clients. And that's okay. I can still kind of be Reece on something else. So it's been really rewarding. And yes, I've had to adapt.
my mind a bit and it's hard to go like, some artists do niche and they're great but like, I don't know, I don't know. It's a hard, yeah, it's a hard question.
Mack Garrison (18:53)
What a compliment
though. mean, like that is, that's a premier place to be where it's like, look, I want your problem solving ability is essentially what they're asking for. And honestly, this is one of the biggest things that I believe motion designers should be advocating for themselves and highlighting about themselves is just how good a problem solvers we are. mean, by definition, we're, multi-disciplinary creatives who are trying to come up with analogies and metaphors for all these different things.
Reece Parker (19:01)
Yes. Yeah.
Yeah, you're right.
You're right.
Mack Garrison (19:20)
So we're naturally good at thinking on our toes and moving quick given the deadlines. And it's why I personally believe that no matter how much change happens over the next 10 and 20 years is motion designers are always going to be employable because the sheer fact that like we can navigate ambiguity, we can come up with solutions and move things forward. And so I think like that's good advice for anyone did here to who's in the space is like, okay, if the technology is changing and maybe the medium is changing, where can there be flexibility and how to kind of present myself in a problem solving way. So I love that. That's really cool.
Reece Parker (19:38)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mack Garrison (19:52)
Let's see, let's change it up a little bit. One of the things I'm really curious about, you've been in this space now, what is it, nine years? Is that what you said professionally?
Reece Parker (20:00)
Yeah, I think this is the ninth year maybe. Yeah. Yeah.
Mack Garrison (20:02)
my gosh, isn't that crazy? Doesn't it both feel
like the other day and like you've been doing this forever. It's like both like I've been here forever and I just started. I bet dollars to donuts that you've had some wild creative stories over the years from like a crazy client project to something kind of unique. Is there a story that maybe you haven't shared and we don't have to like call anyone out. We can blind it over but I just want to know a crazy industry story that we could share Reece.
Reece Parker (20:10)
Absolutely, Yeah.
Ha
Yeah, I mean, there's wild stuff, a lot of wild stuff, honestly. Maybe one of the more interesting ones was a high profile, actually this has happened multiple times, so maybe it's not even weird. But it's the case of like high profile clients, you have a specific team within that client that you're working directly with, and then at a certain stage in production.
whatever deliverable you are delivering gets to the eyes of somebody above the ladder or up the chain and like shifts everything. Like they don't seem to care at all about the progress thus far and just makes a snap decision. And I've had that result in canceling half a million dollar projects. I've had that result in redoing six figure projects entirely because one color was wrong. I mean, I've had like
Mack Garrison (21:04)
the classic stakeholder.
Reece Parker (21:28)
Wild what multiple wild wild things where it's just if this person had their eyes slightly sooner Maybe it could have saved like hundreds of thousands of dollars, but for whatever reason it just doesn't unfold that way I don't know. Yeah, so I guess that counts. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Mack Garrison (21:39)
So crazy.
for sure. Absolutely. Someone spending that amount of money and then changing everything at the last minute is absurd.
And you're right, though. I mean, we've navigated stuff like that before. Or the one that always is so surprising to me is the one where the client spends time, energy and effort. You finish the project and it just never goes live. Like we've had a couple of projects we've worked on. They've just like eaten. It's just never gone out. And I'm just like, how in the world could you invest so much time and energy?
Reece Parker (22:05)
Yeah.
Yep.
Mack Garrison (22:13)
and never put something out in the world, you know, it's it's kind of bonkers.
Reece Parker (22:13)
Yup. Yup. I
like that too. Yeah, same. I don't know. I don't know. It's crazy.
Mack Garrison (22:21)
Well here, me this, I always am looking for new inspiration or finding out how folks think and how they tick. A lot of folks look up to you, Reece, for your inspiration. mean, you do some amazing work. I've got your website pulled up here. It looks phenomenal. So I don't know, maybe I need to get you to design our website. I might hire you for that too. But I'm curious, over the course of the last decade basically,
Reece Parker (22:37)
Thank you.
Let's do it.
Mack Garrison (22:45)
Who have been some of the creatives that inspired you? I know you mentioned Alan Lasseter and reaching out to him. Who are some others that you're just like, I love this studio's work or I love this person's work?
Reece Parker (22:50)
Absolutely.
Yeah, I mean, a lot of them come from sort of what I'm calling the golden age of motion design, but I think what it really was was like the little bubble within motion that was sort of the buck giant gunner era. Like my goal was to be as good as them as one artist. And that's a silly goal because it's subjective and whatever and impossible, but.
Mack Garrison (23:18)
You
Reece Parker (23:21)
I really, really looked up to a lot of those guys and still do, the ones that are kind of still doing work. And I know a lot of it shifted and pivoted and that's just the way of the world. But I look back on that era where, you know, every day there was a new piece that like absolutely blew my mind and taught me something or made inspire me to kind of try something new. That's really, really, really valuable. And I think it's different now. My inspirations now come from like...
Mack Garrison (23:35)
Mmm.
Reece Parker (23:49)
creators on social or designers that are doing logos. It's like, think I've expanded my mind a bit because I feel like at this point it's necessary and maybe that comes back in later years. I don't know.
Mack Garrison (23:51)
Mmm.
It reminds me of the the wine after coffee days, right? The Vimeo channel where you go there and there was always something new, some new inspiration. And that's where I would like collect my Vimeo likes. But I think you're right. I think there's something to be said about finding inspiration outside those traditional channels. So of course you have the Vimeos and the YouTube and now you you have Instagram and TikTok. Well, TikTok for a little bit. I think by the time this might be published, TikTok might be gone. But what are some of the other spots you look towards to inspiration?
Reece Parker (24:06)
Yep.
Yes.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yep.
Yeah, yeah.
Good question. Film, I just saw Nasferatu by Robert F. Kearney and it was like unbelievably rich. Every shot was like a painting. It's just like...
Maybe I write a movie, no I won't, but I'm just saying like, wow, I pull stuff from music and film and art and video games and life. And I'm trying to widen my horizons a bit these days, whereas before I think I was more singularly focused in an era that was really feeding me, but now it's less so and so you have to kind of go, where's the future and where do I wanna? I told my wife, I think 2025 is gonna be like a 2016.
year for Reece which is just like very self-focused doing a lot of different work experimenting a lot really productive because I think that's gonna be fruitful for the years to come.
instead of like abundant opportunity, like kind of chilling, signing checks, like they were those years too and those were great, but we gotta adapt when we need to adapt and it just feels like, you know, it's that time to really kind of explore.
Mack Garrison (25:43)
Dude, I love that the reinvestment in creative, you know, it's like almost in a way you've kind of set yourself on this path. You've been doing the path that you haven't given yourself enough time to analyze. Damn. Am I walking in the right direction? You know, like, should I be dabbling in something else? I know I saw, I think it was on Instagram maybe earlier last year about this tattoo apprenticeship where you're basically getting into tattooing is some of this kind of lending itself to kind of that exploration. Is that what kind of brought you into like trying out tattooing?
Reece Parker (25:55)
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
Absolutely. So I was getting tattooed often and my artist was like, I might leave this shop and go somewhere else, but if I had an apprentice maybe I'd stick around. And I was like...
I'll do it man, that sounds really interesting. Like I know how to draw, technically you can give me a pencil and I can do kind of almost anything with it. So I think that my transition and he was like, yeah, and we're like really good friends. So it was a really sweet like acceptance into an entirely different industry and they afforded me a lot.
respect based on sort of my accomplishments in the digital space. And so it was a really seamless and easy. It did not feel like starting over. It felt like, dude, come in here. We'll show you these ways. And when you need to use it, use it. So like for me, it's like five years from now. I don't know what's going on. I just cannot predict it. And if I need to fall back and like really hone in on tattooing, I absolutely can.
Mack Garrison (27:12)
That's so wild.
What do you feel like, you know, to your point, if you have a pencil, you can kind of draw something and draw whatever you can translate it over. Have there been more surprises than you realized on the relationship from like motion design into tattooing? Was there anything you're like, I didn't expect this to have this similar kind of approach, but that's cool that it does.
Reece Parker (27:31)
That's a really interesting question. Some of the...
technical aspects maybe transition in a way that you would or parallel in a way that maybe wouldn't be expected. I mean obviously learning digital software could be compared to like learning new languages. There's a lot of complexity and a lot of interesting like little tweaks and whatever. And I think the tattooing version of that is the machines and which machine and which needle and which type of ink and why and what is it doing and how is it moving and you know they're similar.
But it's also very, like it's draftsman-like. You're sketching a lot. There's a medical aspect that was the most difficult for me, by the way, because all of the art, go like, yeah, I'm art boy. But when you're like, well, this is almost surgery, so be very careful. I'm like, that's a new world entirely. I'm, you know, that, exactly. it's, yeah, connecting what does connect, but also being very reverent.
Mack Garrison (28:20)
Sure.
100%.
Reece Parker (28:37)
about the parts that are completely new and need respect.
Mack Garrison (28:40)
I
love that it's being confident, but not cocky, right? It's like, you know, being confident in your skillset, you're like, I can translate this over, but being humble to the new space you're in and making sure you're continuing to learn. I think all of us could take that advice with everything we do is like, be confident, speak our minds, say what we believe in, but also understand that we're still learning. We're still growing as well too. We don't know everything. All right, I'm put you on the spot with this question. Do you think we could get a live Reece Parker tattoo session at the Dash Bash? You wanna put, you wanna tattoo something?
Reece Parker (28:44)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Totally. Absolutely. Okay.
Mack Garrison (29:10)
on somebody on stage.
Reece Parker (29:11)
I would love to if we can figure out how to make it like above ground and not against the law. So there's like permitting and things that would have to take place before I'd be allowed to do so. But yeah, other than that, I would love to do it. And I actually, there are some people that are excited to maybe partake in that if we can kind of get it to work.
Mack Garrison (29:35)
I love it. I love it. You
heard it here. So if we can get it above grade, above par, we run a tight ship here. We'll do it legally. We'll get Reece tattooing folks. Well, Reece, thanks so much for hanging out with me today. I know a lot of folks are really excited to be hanging at the bash with you. Have you given much thought on kind of what you want to hone in on or any teasers you have for folks who might be attending?
Reece Parker (29:39)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right.
Yes, Sue.
Honestly, this is my first speaking event. I'm just excited really to be involved, honestly, and I'm also excited to get out. I've got a bunch of kids and it makes it hard to get out to these events. But I think now more than ever, it's really important just to go and be with the community and relate to each other and swap stories and all those things that sort of reinvigorate us in a way that where isolation does not afford. And in terms of what I'll be talking about,
I'm just going to keep it real exactly like my bio. You can expect my bio, but just keeping it real the whole time. Very vulnerable. I think that's my strong suit rather than technical and whatever. that's what I'm bringing. If that sounds exciting, awesome. I'm really excited to see everybody there and hang out.
Mack Garrison (30:44)
man,
we're so excited to have you. It's gonna be such a great talk. It's been great getting to know you over last 10 years, and just seeing how talented you are and how you've gotten more talented. I still feel like the best Reece is yet to come. So I can't see what you're gonna do over the next decade. For everyone listening on this, tickets are on sale right now. You can check it out at dashbash.net and you can join us June 11th through 13th, this summer, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina for the Dash Bash and Animation and Motion Design Festival built around creativity, inclusivity, and getting to know all the cool.
Reece Parker (30:56)
We'll see.
Mack Garrison (31:13)
people in our space. Thanks for your time, Reece. Thanks everyone for listening and we'll be back with our continued speaker series. So make sure to check them all out. Thanks everyone. Take care.
Reece Parker (31:23)
Thanks guys.
Takeover Tuesday with Alina Marsh
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An interview with Alina March: a kid-lit illustrator based in upstate New York passionate about colors and all things round and cute.
Interviewer: Matea Losenegger
Read time: 5min
Matea:
Hi Alina! Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in our series. Can you please introduce yourself and your work?
Alina:
Of course! My name is Alina Marsh and I’m a children’s book illustrator. I'm 23 years old and I live in upstate New York. Though I am in the early stages of my artistic journey, one thing I know for certain about my work is that it’ll always be fun and silly.
Matea:
What sparked your interest in art and illustration?
Alina:
I've always had an interest in art ever since I was a kid. Anything that has to do with the act of creating something from your imagination or expressing yourself in a way artistically is something that I've always been drawn to. Before I decided to learn to draw I considered myself a writer. As a child, I filled so many composition notebooks with fantasy stories and fan-fictions of characters (guilty as charged). I wanted to design my own characters for the stories that I wrote so I decided to learn how to draw. I realized drawing was pretty fun, so I never really stopped
A personal illustration from Alina’s portfolio.
Matea:
On your site you call yourself a kid-literature illustrator. Is there a specific path or different steps an artist must take when pursuing this pocket of the field?
Alina:
I guess you could say there's a difference when it comes to being an illustrator for children's books and children's media I think there's a bigger emphasis on collaborating with agencies compared to the freelance perspective of a general illustrator. There is a bigger benefit when you are working with a company or an organization that can actively be your guide to getting you projects especially if you are exclusively as illustrated not an author as well. Regardless of that, I also think that having a genuine interest and understanding of children's entertainment and media is important.
Matea:
Do you have a dream project or any specific stories you're itching to tell with your artwork?
Alina:
I have so many dreams and so many things! I want to do I just want to do all of the things! I think that's my biggest problem sometimes... I’d love to collaborate with a big company like Disney or Target for a merchandise project. I have such a love for illustrating specifically for physical items and seeing my work being showcased as part of someone’s style or personality.
Birthday card for the visual arts department at State University of New York at Fredonia.
Matea:
I absolutely love the way you utilize light and color. How did you develop your style and what is your process in creating these lovely pieces?
Alina:
Reading and observing art is just as important as actually picking up a pencil and making in my opinion. So many things I've learned about creating art, especially color theory, are simply by reading and understanding the thought process of another (way better) artist than myself. I think that there's a certain sort of patience and discipline that comes with learning light and color because it's such a complicated topic to study, but I do think that having that eagerness to learn is going to be just as important as actually practicing drawing every day. In terms of my process, I wouldn't necessarily say I go on intuition, but it's more of I go on the silly little feeling in my heart, cue the cheesiness! If something makes my heart flutter then I want to paint it! I am very much attracted to artwork that fills me with dopamine, which is why I love cute things and colorful things.
Matea:
From digital to gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and clay you work with an impressive variety of mediums. How do you decide which medium you want to use and is it project specific?
Alina:
It depends on what I'm itching to grab for. Although I tend to use digital as my main form of producing art, I don't want to be tied down to a specific medium just because I tend to get bored easily or I can sometimes get burnt out if I use the same media for too long. I do tend to gravitate towards digital a little bit more just because of the portability and the convenience of it, and I typically use it for larger products or illustrations that I plan on creating products or printing out just because I feel like I can get in the nitty-gritty details. Traditional media is where I can let loose and have fun.
Draw in your style challenge for women.
Matea:
Are there any mediums or styles you'd still like to explore?
Alina
I'd love to try animation. In my freshman year of college, I majored in animation and illustration but switched to just visual arts because I wanted to focus on illustration specifically. At the time, I was intimidated by the process of animation and I didn't think I had the attention span to keep up with it. But I'd still like to try and learn some of the basics again. I’d also love to try 3D modeling. it's a concept I still can't wrap my head around but I would love to make 3D models of cute little characters someday, and maybe make my own toys!
Matea:
The passion for your art really shines through in your work. How do you stay motivated to create and do you have strategies for combating burnout?
Alina:
I don't have a definite answer for this because I'm still trying to figure that out myself. I do think that your mind and your body are super connected so if you're not mentally feeling well then you're probably not going to be producing or creating art that you like, if you're even making art at all at that moment. I don't necessarily believe in motivation because if you rely on a will that you know comes and goes at random then you're just going to be wasting time. I think that if you are consistently working on placing yourself in a state of mind where you feel healthy enough to perform, that passion for making art will just come along with it if it’s something you genuinely enjoy. Sometimes I think it can be blocked when we aren't feeling well either physically or mentally. With burnout, I have a silly analogy, if you keep burning your toast, maybe try using a different kind of bread, get it?
Matea:
Are there any projects you're excited to share?
Alina:
I think that documenting your process and your thoughts is such a great way to connect with people and also to understand yourself, so I do want to work on filming more videos and perhaps invest some creative energy in a YouTube channel in the future this year. And while I'm still working on my professional portfolio, I want to focus on making art that gets me excited to work on it.
Matea:
Any final advice or takeaways?
Alina:
I don't think I would have gotten anywhere in my artistic journey if it weren't for having a community around me, and I think that's more crucial than ever in this day and age. I can think back to when I was in middle school, asking for critiques and advice on DeviantART, and just the fact that people were willing to look at my art and answer my questions was enough to give me the courage to continue creating. I think that understanding that when people are giving advice or critiquing your art, it's nothing that you should take personally. It should be something you should see from more of a professional point of view and learn to be better at your craft rather than feeling put down about your art. You should be willing to always seek help regardless of what stage you're in, I think it's always important to have someone share their perspective or give you guidance in any sort of way because I don't think you can do anything alone. Art will always be a team effort even if it's something that's that has independent is painting a picture.
Takeover Tuesday with Hamnah Rizwan
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An interview with Hamnah Rizwan: a freelance artist and illustrator from Virginia.
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Thanks so much for taking the time to join us for this series. Can you please introduce yourself?
Hamnah:
Hello! Thank you so much for this opportunity. I’m Hamnah Rizwan, a 21 year old freelance artist/illustrator from Virginia, USA. I am part Hispanic and Filipino from my mom’s side and Pakistani from my dad’s side. I love all things fantasy (The Lord of the Rings is my favorite), spending time around horses, and I hold a Master’s in software engineering from Virginia Tech.
Bella:
How did you discover art and storytelling as a child?
Hamnah:
A lot of the credit goes to my parents. I grew up as a homeschooler which was a wonderful experience that allowed me to grow creatively and focus on what interested me, which was art. My parents encouraged my siblings & I to read about so many different topics and dig into what interested us, which really broadened my imagination. I can remember a couple major points in my life that really inspired me to get where I am today. The first moment was when I was around 9 yrs old and gifted a sketchbook and pencil/pastels set by my parents. This made me feel like such a professional “artist” and I spent all my time watching tutorials and figuring out how to use all these tools. I filled up a couple sketchbooks in no time.
The second moment was when I watched and read the Lord of the Rings for the first time around 10 yrs old. I remember feeling so many emotions after watching the films which included shedding a few tears. This was when I realized how powerful stories can be. I thought about how just one person’s piece of art could be so meaningful and touch so many people’s lives. I also watched all the behind-the-scenes footage for the films which got me excited to learn about concept artwork and design.
These experiences sparked my interest in all types of art including filmmaking, stop motion animation, graphic design, photography, and illustration. I created videos with my sister, animated stop motion Lego shorts that took months to create, and continued filling up sketchbooks of my own fantasy places. I collected every “The Art of” books I could find, my favorite being “The Art of How To Train Your Dragon.” I got my first Wacom Bamboo tablet around 12, and that’s when I knew illustration was the direction I wanted to get into. I loved the traditional work of artists like Tony DiTerlizzi and was drawn to incorporate that style into my digital work. Although I am technically self-taught, I don’t consider myself to be since all my skills have been gained through studying and learning from other artists through self-paced courses, books, tutorials, etc.
Character illustrations as part of a commission Hamnah worked on.
Bella:
How has being exposed to multiple different cultures influenced you and/or your work?
Hamnah:
Growing up, I was fortunate to have been introduced to many cultures and ideas. I am part Hispanic and Filipina from my mom’s side and Pakistani from my dad’s side. I grew up around all four of my grandparents living nearby and was constantly surrounded by many different languages, foods, stories, and SO many beautiful colors and patterns. This has had such a great influence on my art and creativity.
Bella:
I love your illustrations for children's books. Is that kind of work something you want to continue to focus on or are you interested in other types of projects?
Hamnah:
Yes! I would love to continue to work with more authors and publishers in the illustration field and this is my main focus. I have a particular love for projects that involve whimsical, fantasy themes and animals as well as projects that highlight cultures across the world.
Fantasy booked cover Hamnah worked on.
Bella:
Do you have a dream project or client you want to work with?
Hamnah:
Outside of illustration, I have always wanted to be involved in an animated production (preferably fantasy related) as a visual development artist. I’ve always been fascinated by the pre-production stages of films from character design to set/prop design. This would definitely be an ideal project for me. So, if there are any studios out there, I’m here and ready to jump on board!
Bella:
Do you have any advice for someone trying to "find their style?"
Hamnah:
I honestly am still trying to find mine. I understand the struggle with the almost infinite void of art inspo on Instagram and Pinterest. I try to think about what type of illustrations excite me most. Having a consistent style is important for your own branding and making your work recognizable, but it takes time and exploration. To help figure it out, I think it’s important to think about the type of story/theme/mood you are trying to portray in your work and what type of illustration comes easy to you.
A spooky illustration for a Haunted House cover.
Bella:
What programs do you use to illustrate?
Hamnah
I have experience using different types of programs, but my main workflow is using Photoshop paired with my Huion Kamvas 13. Photoshop is such a robust software with so many capabilities and I’ve managed to collect many wonderful brush packs from artists that I love to use. I also have experience with Procreate and Corel Draw which are both great alternatives.
Bella:
How do you stay motivated? What gets you out of a creative rut?
Hamnah:
One of my favorite quotes about creativity is by Jack London where he says: “You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” Feeling unmotivated is completely normal and experienced by all of us every now and then. I work full-time in IT along with other projects aside from art, and it can be difficult to juggle it all and find time to create. When this happens, I remind myself of London’s quote and try my best to get out of that rut as soon as possible instead of letting the procrastination win.
I’ve been reading about different ways to do this and a helpful method I’ve found in the last couple months is utilizing our “limbic brain.” This is the part of our brain responsible for creativity, ideas/imagery, and activates dreaming when we sleep. Activating this part of our mind involves doing some sort of physical movements or an activity that allows us to think with images like reading. This is probably why we often hear about artists “taking a walk in the neighborhood” to help cure their creative block. I typically try to catch up on a book that I’m reading, exercise, or journal to keep ideas flowing.
Another strategy that helps is making it easy for yourself to create. Most of the concept work for my personal and client work is done in a sketchbook that I carry around. Once I’m happy with it I’ll import the sketch and clean it up digitally with all my tools. The idea of having to draw in a clean, quiet space with all the tablets/laptops/etc. and at a specific time can become a form of procrastination. I try to carry around my sketchbook and squeeze in time to draw throughout the day.
Bella:
Is there something you've worked on that stands out as a favorite to you?
Hamnah:
There have been multiple projects that have stood out to me. One was a promotional illustrational I created for an organization that provides educational resources for children of the Wayuu tribe in Colombia. It was an incredible experience learning more about the culture of the Wayuu people which is primarily governed by women. My artwork was even presented to the leader of the tribe who said she loved it! Another wonderful project I’m currently working on is a picture book for a therapeutic horse-riding center for children with special needs. I am a crazy horse lover and the opportunity to create illustrations and a story about all the beautiful horses for their students is so rewarding and fun.
A fun park illustration exploring some of Hamnah’s character work.
Bella:
Any final advice or exciting things coming up you'd like to share?
Hamnah:
There is a quote I love by Richard Bach where he says: “Argue for your limitations and sure enough their yours.” It is very easy to create fears and perceived barriers in our minds that block us from reaching our full potential creatively. There will never be a perfect moment to create something, which is why today is! I am a strong believer that art and storytelling have a power that helps us think, stirs our emotions, and opens our minds. I’m looking forward to working on more meaningful projects in the new year. Thank you so much for having me!
Takeover Tuesday with Cynthia Soe
An interview with Cynthia Soe: a motion designer, animator, and illustrator
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Thanks so much for joining us for Takeover Tuesday, Cynthia! Please give us a lil' intro.
Cynthia:
Hi! Thank you for having me :) I am a motion designer, illustrator and animator. I mostly work in the 2D field of motion but lately I’ve been venturing into different mediums and techniques. I am originally from Myanmar, Burma but I spend most of the undergrad and grad life in the States. Oh and when I’m not working, I am probably binge watching a show or baking.
Bella:
What sparked your interest in motion design?
Cynthia:
I’ve always loved telling stories and drawing but I never knew where in the design and art field I belonged to. I dabbled in architecture during my first two years of undergrad but I decided that it wasn’t where my passion lied so I made a 180 switch to Animation. After graduation, I was able to get a freelance opportunity with Digital Kitchen where I worked on a title sequence as an animator and that was when I learned about the field of Motion Design and everything unraveled from there.
Title sequence from Helstrom: a psychological family thriller about Ana and Daimon’s traumatic past
Bella:
How do you think your experience at CCA as well as SCAD have influenced you?
Cynthia:
I think they both helped me grow immensely as an artist. While I was at CCA, I was still unsure of what kind of artist I wanted to be. I explored a lot of techniques from hands-on building, illustration and prototyping. When I came to SCAD, I was more in tune with the field of Motion and knew that it was exactly the field I wanted to work in. My professors and peers from both schools are amazing. They really shaped me in how I view the world of design. I want to thank them so much for helping me become who I am.
Bella:
Do you think having formal training makes a difference in getting a job in the motion design industry compared to being self taught?
Cynthia:
Honestly, I don’t think it does. There are so many amazing self taught artists. I believe you just need ambition, grit and constant motivation and eventually you will earn the job you want. I also think connection and networking is very important in the industry.
Frame from The Great British Bake Off, title sequence.
Bella:
You are skilled in both animation as well as illustration. Do you prefer doing one over the other?
Cynthia:
Yes! After working for a few years now, I would say that I like designing/ illustration over animating. I love researching about the project and envisioning different ideas that will satisfy the client by creating different styles. I do enjoy animating but since I was formally trained in cel, sometimes it can get tedious. Both are definitely fun, especially to see your designs in motion as it comes to life to tell a story.
Bella:
What's your favorite kind of project to work on?
Cynthia:
So far it would be title sequences or brand packages. I do want to work on other types of projects such as 2D and 3D mixed with live action or even music videos. I am honestly excited for any project.
A series of styleframes based off Robert Frost’s poem “Fire & Ice”
Bella:
Your work is colorful and playful and I love the use of texture. What advice do you have for someone trying to "find their style?"
Cynthia:
Oh thank you so much! I think it has very much to do with who you are. It took me a while to find what type of drawing style I liked and fit me. I played around with a lot of drawing styles but the more I drew the more I gravitated towards specific types of colors and design languages which has become my style.
Bella:
What motivates you? How do you get out of a creative rut?
Cynthia:
My friends and family are the main motivators. Since I have a lot of creative friends, seeing all their amazing work helps fuel my creativity as well. When I am in a creative rut, I try to give myself breaks. I would either go on a walk or maybe just take a day to do nothing. I feel taking a break really helps me become creative again. Overall, having a great support system keeps me motivated.
Bella:
What's your proudest moment in your career thus far?
Cynthia:
I would say that the proudest moment in my career is to see my work out in the world. It feels great to see my friends and family going out or watching a show and to send me a pic of them seeing my work.
A frame for Hermès: a French luxury design house established in 1837.
Bella:
Anything coming up that you're excited about?
Cynthia:
Well, I recently just graduated from SCAD and earned my Masters. I have some new projects that I am currently working on and I am hoping to share very soon :)
Takeover Tuesday with Eejoon Choi
An interview with Eejoon Choi: an LA-based illustrator and designer that loves ambient dreamscapes and cute little critters.
Interviewer: Matea Losenegger
Read time: 5min
Matea:
Can you please tell us a little about yourself?
Eejoon:
My name is Eejoon and I'm a Korean illustrator/designer based in LA!
Matea:
What is your background and how did you wind up in the creative space?
Eejoon:
I was first really drawn to art in middle school because I admired another student who always drew fanart of shows and KPOP groups during class. I also really grew fond of Adventure Time around the same time and wanted to draw things that people could equally enjoy! I continued to pursue art but it wasn't college, when I took an illustration class taught by Angie Wang, that I realized how diverse the creative world was.
Illustration for NPR CapRadio.
Matea:
Can you explain what makes editorial illustration different from other forms of the medium?
Eejoon:
With editorial illustrations, I think you really have to do more research to best portray a topic or a person properly. For me, the most challenging aspect is trying to find a good balance between reality and abstracting a narrative/concept into a single illustration.
Matea:
Do you have a different approach to how you tackle editorial illustration vs a motion design project?
Eejoon:
A little! I think my approach is somewhat similar but with editorials, I prioritize capturing another person's story or condensing a larger topic into one illustration. However, with a motion design project, I can break down different elements and tones of a narrative into multiple scenes that lead into one another!
Illustration for NPR NextGen Radio.
Matea:
I've noticed your work tends to have a surreal flair to it. How do you come up with ideas and stretch your imagination?
Eejoon:
I always go to classic children's books for inspiration! There's so much whimsy in children's books that's hard to find in other forms of media. The underlying warmth in each illustration is so tangible and being able to evoke such soft feelings while also being able to portray the protagonist's fears just through textures, colors and composition is a skill that I'm always working to improve.
Matea:
In a similar vein, where do you find inspiration and do you have any favorite artists that have influenced your style?
Eejoon:
I love Brian Wildsmith and Georg Hallensleben's paintings!! I also think Timothy Basil Ering's illustrations in The Tale of Despereaux left a huge impact on me as a child. I also find myself often going to Angie Wang, Jillian Tamaki, and Karlotta Freier for inspiration!.
Matea:
You've created a lot of cool work for NPR. How did you build that relationship and what's it like working with them?
Eejoon:
I applied to work on their Next Generation Radio project when they were collaborating with USC! I honestly feel so lucky that I've been able to work with them on so many projects and being able to watch budding journalists find amazing stories of people across the world!! The illustration team that we've built is so encouraging as well. The creative field can be quite daunting so having such a strong cohort of talented artists who put so much love into their craft is so amazing.
Matea:
If budget and time weren't constraints, what would be your dream project to work on?
Eejoon:
My own children's book!!! I love the medium so much and I've learned so much from them that I'd love to make my own.
Matea:
Do you have any wisdom for aspiring creatives and what do you wish you had known when you first started out?
Eejoon:
Gosh I feel like I'm still learning so much that I don't know if I have any enough wisdom to impart! I do wish I had more confidence to experiment with my art more when I was starting out. I have red-green colorblindness and it affected how I viewed myself as an artist. I was so focused on my disadvantage which made me afraid of freely letting my art look bad to learn and grow. So I guess I'd just tell everyone, including myself, to have more confidence!!
Another NPR NextGen Radio Illustration.
Matea:
Do you have any upcoming projects you're excited to share with the world?
Eejoon:
I'm working on an illustration series about my dog! My dog Lucky, who's been by my side for 14 years, passed recently. I've been grappling with this sense of loss like never before and I've been thinking of ways to channel it into my art to honor her and immortalize her forever. Because most of my work has been to capture a person's life, community, or work, I want to do the same with Lucky where you can really feel her presence and love in a series of illustrations!
Takeover Tuesday with Dee Divakaran
An interview with Dee Divakaran: a Motion Designer and CG Generalist based in Savannah, Georgia who comes from a multidisciplinary background in illustration, design, 2D animation, and visual effects.
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Thanks for joining us for this Takeover Tuesday, Dee! Please introduce yourself to the people.
Dee:
I'm Dee, a motion designer and CG generalist with a diverse background spanning multiple disciplines. Beyond the world of pixels and graphics, I immerse myself in the vibrant realm of plants. Being an avid fan of magical stories, the wizarding world of Harry Potter holds a special place in my heart. When not tending to my green companions or lost in captivating narratives, I channel my creativity into the art of cooking. Experimenting with flavors and trying out new recipes adds a touch of magic to my daily life.
Bella:
How did you find yourself in the motion design world? Did you always know this is what you wanted to do?
Dee:
My journey into the world of motion design has been quite an unexpected ride. Initially, I had no clue what motion design even meant, or so I thought. It was during my time as a visual effects undergraduate student at Savannah College of Art and Design that I stumbled upon my connection to this field. I had been training in animation before venturing into visual effects, and I realized that during my time as an animation student, I was taught the concepts and principles of motion design. Intrigued and drawn to the combination of design and animation, I then decided to pursue a minor in motion design.
The turning point came during the pandemic, the sudden changes in life served as a wake-up call, prompting me to reevaluate my priorities and career path. This period became a catalyst for rediscovering my passion for experimenting with design, illustration, and animation. I started feeling a sense of belonging in the world of motion design. What resonates with me in this field is the fact that I get to utilize my skills and draw upon my unique background. It's like finding the perfect canvas where I can effortlessly blend my multidisciplinary skills into a visual narrative. So, while I didn't always have a clear roadmap to motion design, being immersed in this creative space now feels like stumbling upon the ideal destination for my career and artistic journey.
A frame from Rickshaw Run: a 10-week mentorship program with The Mill and SCAD.
Bella:
How do you think growing up in Oman has impacted you and your work today?
Dee:
Growing up in Oman has left a lasting and positive impact on both my personal growth and professional approach today. Being immersed in a multicultural environment has not only made me comfortable with diversity but has also instilled in me a genuine appreciation for understanding various perspectives. The rich tapestry of Omani culture, with its blend of traditions and modern influences, has provided me with a unique lens through which I view the world. While I grew up in Oman, I was fortunate to have Indian values deeply ingrained in my upbringing by my parents. I feel that immersing myself in diverse cultures has enhanced my adaptability and refined my communication skills, enabling me to connect better with people from various backgrounds.
Bella:
Do you think getting a college degree in the motion design industry is important? How has it helped you?
Dee:
I don't have a definitive answer to whether a college degree is crucial in the motion design industry. Based on my personal experience and conversations with others, I've realized that there are several factors involved in this matter, such as learning style, accessibility, and an individual's background. From a personal standpoint, pursuing an education in motion design provided me with a clear sense of direction, which in turn helped improve and refine my skills. But it's essential to recognize that everyone's career journey is unique. I strongly believe that remaining open to learning and growth, utilizing every opportunity, and being receptive to unexpected options are key in this dynamic field.
Bella:
You have experience in a variety of different mediums. Which is your favorite to work with?
Dee:
Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of chances to take up any formal art classes. However, I loved to explore a variety of mediums on my own. As someone who sees art and learning as great ways to express myself and have fun, I find it challenging to settle on just one medium. When it comes to, learning about new software, exploring different techniques, or experimenting with emerging technologies, a commitment to ongoing learning allows me to adapt and refine my skills across various mediums.
Recently my focus has circled back to 3D art. I find the technological advancements in this medium to be very exciting, particularly the prospect of combining 2D and 3D elements. Inspired by films like 'Spiderman into the Spiderverse' and 'The Mitchells vs. the Machines,' my goal is to explore and integrate these dynamic techniques into my personal projects so that I can learn and grow from them.
Bella:
Are there any mediums or styles that you have yet to try out, but would like to?
Dee:
Absolutely! There are several mediums I haven't explored yet, and I feel a surge of excitement every time I come across another artist showcasing something new and inspiring to me. I have a particular fondness for cinematography and photography. Having explored these mediums in the past to enhance my understanding of composition, this experience has significantly influenced how I design and compose elements across various projects. Lately, I've been eager to revisit cinematography. I'm drawn to the idea of exploring storytelling on a deeper level through cinematography tools, such as composition, color, lighting, pacing, and more. There's a rich world to explore in this medium, and I'm looking forward to incorporating these insights into my current and future creative projects.
Bella:
What's the ideal project for you and why?
Dee:
In my perspective, an ideal project is any opportunity that facilitates the learning of a new skill or one that enhances an existing one. Even when I take up challenging projects, I find that navigating through stressors not only tests my abilities but also leads to valuable self-discoveries. I also firmly believe that learning is a lifelong journey that extends beyond an academic environment. Embracing this philosophy, I approach each project with an open mind, excited about the continuous learning and personal development it offers. For me, it's not solely about being an artist; it's about evolving as a person through the work I do. I'm excited to see the extent of my growth through each project and experience in the future.
Bella:
What motivates you/how do you keep going when feeling creatively burnt out?
Dee:
When creative burnout sets in, I've learned the importance of stepping away from work and immersing myself in other passions or engaging in simple tasks, such as taking a walk in the park. Although it can be challenging, especially when a lengthy to-do list is always looming in the back of my head, I've realized that this break is crucial for reigniting creativity and enhancing my overall productivity. By detaching from work and allowing myself moments like this, I create mental space for fresh perspectives and ideas. This time away acts as a reset button, enabling me to return to my projects with a renewed and clear mindset. Taking a break is slowly becoming a strategic move for me to accelerate productivity in the long run. However, I must admit that finding the right balance, especially in the context of time management and deadlines, can be challenging. Although I’m still refining this process, I still consistently find that incorporating moments of relaxation into my routine is the initial step toward overcoming creative burnout.
Bella:
What's your proudest moment in your career thus far?
Dee:
My proudest career moment to date is the unexpected opportunity to collaborate with NASA. As someone who has always been passionate about science, this experience has been a dream come true. It marks a significant professional milestone, as well as a deeply personal achievement that I never thought possible. I’m honored to have been part of the incredibly talented team that worked on this project and to have played a role in promoting NASA's ICESat-2 mission. The mission, abbreviated for Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2, plays an important role in our understanding of the Earth's changing climate. ICESat-2 utilizes laser technology to measure changes in ice and land elevation, providing critical data for studying ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice. It also measures Earth’s heights throughout the year across diverse biomes, accounting for vegetation in forests worldwide. Being involved in promoting this mission aligns well with my passion for science, and it adds an extra layer of fulfillment to my work.
Make sure to check out Dee’s demo reel.
Bella:
Is there anything coming up that you're excited to share?
Dee:
I’m currently in the ideation process for my final graduate project. My plan is to experiment with the combination of 2D and 3D mediums, with the aim of integrating these elements into a visually captivating and cohesive narrative. What makes this project even more exciting is the integration of my experiences from internship, professional project, collaborations, and mentorships, weaving in a rich tapestry of skills and insights. I will be documenting the process on my portfolio website. I’m really looking forward to sharing the results and all the valuable lessons I’ll be learning along the way!
Takeover Tuesday with Andrea García
An interview with Andrea García: a 26 year old Mexican artist living in Mexico City that graduated from Universidad Anáhuac in Multimedia Design who has great interest in character design and visual development.
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Thank you for joining us in this series, Andrea! Can you please introduce yourself?
Andrea:
It’s my pleasure! Thank you for inviting me. My name is Andrea García, I am a 26 year old Mexican artist.
Bella:
How did your art career begin?
Andrea:
It begin little by little. I started taking as many character design and illustration courses as I could. Once I started to feel more confident about my work, I decided to volunteer at projects. In this phase I designed characters, I interned as a color artist for a movie, and I started offering my illustrations as a freelance. After that, and after a lot of failure, projects started coming.
A few character explorations from Andrea.
Bella:
What is the design industry like in Mexico City?
Andrea:
I think it’s a very competitive industry where you have to give your best to stand out. But I think that is great, because thanks to this, every time there are more talented mexican artists.
Also, people in this industry are very nice. Professionals are always open to help you grow and give you advice if you reach out for them. So, it’s a great time to be a part of this industry.
Bella:
Is there an artist or piece of work that inspires your art style?
Andrea:
Absolutely, a lot of them actually. But if I have to name a few, I would say Stephen Silver, Jean Fraisse, Torsten Schrank, and Gaby Zermeño.
A frame from one of Andrea’s illustration explorations.
Bella:
When you're feeling stuck, what keeps you going?
Andrea:
Definitely the motivation of achieving my dream. Feeling stuck is normal, specially when you are working hard on something with no results, and I think it’s okay to take breaks when needed. As I said, it’s a very competitive industry, and this also means it’s hard to get in. There are many rejections on the way, and this can be very frustrating sometimes, but you have to be patient with your path and figure out how to get better until you make it.
I guess I was so sure of what I wanted to do, that I just had to come back every time and keep going.
Bella:
Do you have a dream project or anything specific that you dream of working on?
Andrea:
Yes, I dream on designing the characters of a big movie.
Bella:
Are there any mediums or styles you'd still like to explore, but haven't yet?
Andrea:
Sure, but I think there are some things that you explore on the way. Working for different clients definitely helps with this style exploration, and I am sure this will keep making me expand my styles.
Illustration titled “Wizard of Oz”
Bella:
Is there a project you've worked on so far that stands out as a favorite to you? Why?
Andrea:
Yes, a pilot episode for a TV show where I worked as a character designer. This was great for me because I had a lot of creative freedom, so the characters turned out to be pretty much what I pictured them to be. Also, I love working on projects for children, and this was the case. I got to work with amazing people and it was so exciting to be a part of a talented team. There were a lot of things that made this project special and I am really grateful that I got to be a part of it.
Bella:
Is there anything coming up that you're excited about?
Andrea:
There is! I am about to start a new project where I will be designing the characters of a new TV show. I am really excited about it!
Color and turn explorations.
Takeover Tuesday with Elizabeth Gu
An interview with Elizabeth Gu: is an illustrator and designer based in Houston, TX. With an interest in creating worlds suspended between fantasy and reality, she likes to relate these unseen, surreal worlds to the psyche and internal states of mind that are often difficult to express through words.
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for taking over this Tuesday with us. Can you please introduce yourself?
Elizabeth:
First of all, thank you so much for having me! I'm so excited to contribute to this series.
My name is Elizabeth and I’m a designer and illustrator based in Houston, TX. I initially studied civil engineering before taking what feels like a tremendous leap into the design world. At the time, I was working as Art Director at my school’s daily news publication and pretty much decided to take my interests in illustration and design more seriously. After shifting gears, I got my first design internship with Pixel Park. Interning there was super formative to my artistic growth, but also more profoundly - my sense of community in the motion design industry. Shout out to the Pixel Park family, love you guys! <3
Since then I’ve found myself freelancing on projects in graphic design, editorial illustration, and motion design. I feel very fortunate to have landed these opportunities and I’m just excited to continue learning more.
Bella:
What sparked your interest in illustration/design?
Elizabeth:
I spent a lot of time drawing, painting, and dabbling in arts and crafts as a child. So I think the interest has always inherently been there in some way. When I got a bit older I started messing around with digital art and using an Intuos tablet for the first time. Making the switch from traditional to digital was absolutely mind boggling while opening up this whole new world.
As a Chinese-American, I grew up with certain expectations about what my job should look like and the reality of adulthood made anything artistic feel like a non-option. However, when I was studying at the University of Southern California, I came across their animation program and ended up completing an animation minor. So as an adult, I was able to rediscover what illustration and design meant to me while also seeing how art could be applied in the real world.
Illustration titles “Dreamless Slumber.”
Bella:
What inspires you and your work?
Elizabeth:
I love themes of magical realism and surrealism. Both visually and conceptually - things like seeing the ordinary as opportunities for magical moments. As a child, I was enchanted by the kodamas in Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke. Or the soot sprites hidden away in the old countryside house in My Neighbor Totoro. Ideas that were saying if you looked closely enough, you would find something sacred and magical. Perspectives of reality can bend.
Also as a general rule of thumb, I try to stay open minded to new experiences. This keeps the flow of inspiration in motion for myself. Seeing new places, people, or perhaps indulging in new food from different cultures. Anything to expand and change your brain is so invaluable for creatives.
Bella:
What advice do you have for artists trying to find clients?
Elizabeth:
I would say to value every interaction you have within the community. Don’t expect anything to be a one-off, and put in energy to stay connected with the people it comes naturally with. Not only do you end up learning a lot from them, but it’s also an immense mood booster when you’re feeling lonely on your freelancer island.
Speaking more strategically, Motion Hatch is a wonderful resource that goes more deeply into the freelance game. Hayley Akins talks about how to build your online presence, warm up to clients, but also how to use your pre-existing network (work smarter not harder). I know for me specifically, I learned a lot about how to phrase cold emails but she has since put out a ton of useful content specific to the motion design industry. Definitely worth checking out!
Frame from one of Elizabeth’s Social Media Explorations for Pixel Park.
Bella:
A lot of your work has a deeper meaning and seems to be expressive of something you've been through. How has illustration helped you through tough times?
Elizabeth:
I’ve always been drawn to illustration that operates like visual essay. Subconsciously, I want my own work to have layers of story that might be interpreted in different nuanced ways. I think it's helped me in the sense that it doesn't require verbal explanation and the healing is in the process. It's like a meditation through the act of creation.
Granted, sometimes my pieces can feel so obviously diaristic I want to take them back because it’s too embarrassing! But then you realize everyone is the same way, stumbling in their vulnerability. So better to have shared than to hide away. It's kind of what art is for - to share and discover that we're all the same in a lot of ways.
Bella:
I love the colors and textures you use. What's your process of finding a color palette for a project like?
Elizabeth:
Thank you! I think working with colors might be my favorite part of the whole process. I usually gravitate towards purpley blues and love pairing that base with yellow or pink accents. Anything that gives off a moonlit nocturnal scene I’m pretty much always partial to. With specific projects where this isn’t the case, I usually first identify the tone and mood. Then I play around with colors that match and I take time to assess my reaction. I try to find ways to use my favorite ones into projects, but I also like the challenge of an unfamiliar color that isn’t in my typical wheelhouse. I’m not a color expert, but the process is often an intuitive back and forth more than anything else.
Bella:
What advice would you give to someone who is "trying to find their style"?
Elizabeth:
I would say a big part of it is honoring your interests and being willing to explore them in your work. I still find this difficult myself when certain visual styles are in vogue and seem to dominate the “look” of the industry. But personal style is ever-changing and takes a bit of time to develop, so it's important to keep creating and investigating what you like. It helps me to see it as creative playtime rather than the pressure of finding your style as soon as possible.
Frame from “Water Memory.”
Bella:
Do you have a dream project or client you'd like to work with?
Elizabeth:
I always have a hard time answering this! I think there are so many cool projects going on, both big and small. I would say story-based concepts that are emotionally explorative in nature would be such a treat to contribute to!
I’ve recently been enjoying sci-fi content like Scavengers Reign which has such immersive alien world visuals. Bladerunner 2049 is another recent watch of mine and I can’t get the striking dystopian set design out of my head. Paired with concepts about the human condition, our relationship with technology, environmentalism, etc. I find any project that touches on these themes so compelling.
Studio-wise, I have also adored Chromosphere’s work. In particular, the short film “My Moon” which explores romantic versus practical love. This is represented in a love triangle with the Earth, Moon, and Sun. The Sun provides light, energy, and color to the Earth while the Moon is less practical. I’m such a sucker for symbolism in the form of celestial bodies!
Bella:
Is there anything you've learned as an artist thus far that you wish you knew when you first started?
Elizabeth:
I wish I understood sooner that the only person I was competing with was myself. As someone who came from engineering where a lot of processes can be more linear with exact steps - I started creating this unnatural checklist fueled by anxiety and comparison. I remember telling myself I needed to work with certain clients by a certain age which was absolutely ridiculous and unfair to myself when I needed the time to switch industries and gain footing. Obviously there are crucial beats to hit such as developing your portfolio, but in large it’s much healthier to be patient with yourself and let your circumstances naturally guide you.
“The Big Role Nostalgia Plays in My Life”
Bella:
Anything exciting coming up that you're excited to share?
Elizabeth:
Client-wise, I designed a piece for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina that’s out now! Many thanks to Kyle Griffin who animated and also played a major role with design concepts.
And for personal work, I would be remiss to not mention My Shadow which was designed under my mentorship with Dash. Shout out to Meryn Hayes and Meg Snyder for supporting my ideas and offering their sage advice along the way! It deals with themes of the inner child and rekindling a sense of wonder and curiosity.
“My Shadow” Based on a personal dream where a young girl is gifted her shadow.
Takeover Tuesday Catarina Alves
An interview with Catarina Alves (AKA itsacat): a Graphic Designer and Illustrator born in Portugal who is constantly diving into the world of shapes and colours to bring them to life through animation.
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Thanks so much for joining our Takeover Tuesday series, Catarina! Please introduce yourself for the people who aren’t familiar with you.
Catarina:
Thank you for having me! I'm so happy! I'm Catarina, an illustrator and designer. I was born in Porto and currently live in Amsterdam. I've always been interested in art because my parents are both artists, so I studied graphic design.
I currently work as a designer/illustrator for the animation industry.
Aside from my work, I have a cat called Jimi and I'm obsessed with him (he reminds me of the Chinese lucky cat, fat and fluffy).
One of my hobbies is scuba diving but, now that I live in the Netherlands, it seems nonsense haha. However, it's something that makes me completely disconnect and feel like I'm in a whole different world. So, whenever I go on vacation, I try to go to destinations where I can dive to detox from the whole year I've been in front of a computer.
I'm also obsessed with food, and I love trying new restaurants with different concepts.
Bella:
How did you get into the motion design industry?
Catarina:
I started studying Graphic Design, and then I had the opportunity to work in a video mapping company. I began to explore 3D and 2D animation, so I took a postgraduate course in motion design. From that moment onwards, I had worked in an animation production company in Barcelona for five years.
However, keyframes weren't exactly what I wanted to do, mainly because my background was in design, so I started working more as an illustrator/art director for animation. Everything I learned in animation made the transition easier, as I began to understand better how to develop ideas and to design for the animation world.
Welcome illustration for Catarina’s website.
Bella:
What’s your experience been like working with Buck?
Catarina:
I'm really glad about this new step in my career. I had spent three years as a freelancer and, although it was something I loved doing, I have always had the ambition to work at Buck and develop my skills alongside their team.
Sometimes, changing from freelance to full-time can be challenging because both have pros and cons. But, so far, it's been a great experience to work with a team again, absorb wider knowledge, and grow professionally.
When we have such a talented team, sometimes we can feel pressured about your work, but, at the same time, we can learn more and understand that everyone has the same fear. So, we need to start believing in our skills. Nothing is impossible.
Bella:
I love all of the different characters you create. How do you give unique personalities to each of them?
Catarina:
Oh, thank you so much! I don't have an answer to that because I don’t have a very defined style like some artists. I try to absorb a bit from my day-to-day life and gain inspiration; which means that most of the things I develop are very trial and error oriented.
I have always had some difficulty in drawing certain body parts and I started doing it regularly so that I would feel more comfortable in that area. That’s why nowadays I really like drawing hands with different proportions.
I like exploring different styles, namely 3D realistic drawings, and more minimalist images…
When I don’t feel that inspired, I look up for photos I like and stylize the character as much as possible. That helps me develop my skills and explore my creativity.
Forbes Virtual NFT Billionaire Character Illustrations
Bella:
What’s the workflow like when combining 2D with 3D?
Catarina:
I've always loved mixing media between 2D and 3D, and for that reason I’ve been working a lot with Jonas, as he is a 3D designer. One of the best things when you team up with someone is trying to take the most out of the other person’s skills.
So I started creating some drawings, and then Jonas would do the modelling. After that, I could explore different textures, colours, and ideas.
I began to feel that some of the things would work better in 2D rather than 3D, so I decided to replace some 3D elements. Then, we realized that it works and brings character to our work.
Bella:
Is there a project you’ve worked on that stands out as a favorite to you?
Catarina:
One of the projects I loved doing was for Forbes. I was lucky enough to have all the freedom to design this project. The idea was to create different characters that could work as a toolkit.
I started by developing the first sketches, working on proportions, and exploring different eyes, hair, and clothing.
The challenge was to integrate 2D well into 3D. So the same eyes or hair could work on other faces. I felt really happy with the result, and the client did too, which was very important to us.
Another one was a secret pitch, I really enjoyed working on it. It consisted in an animation video using paper characters. When I saw the references for the first time, I thought, “Omg, what am I going to do with those paper references, how can I create some cool characters using paper?” So it was a challenge!
At the end, it turned out to be an incredible assignment, one I couldn’t even imagine it would have such a new and different result. For me, developing the animals was a challenge because I wanted them to be singular and, at the same time, to be able to build them up on paper. We nailed it because we had finally found a graphic style with which we identified ourselves.
I share with you my favourite animal.
Bella:
What/who inspires you?
Catarina:
Lots of things and people. It’s something that happens naturally on a daily basis. I learn something new every day, whether through a conversation, a project I've had the opportunity to collaborate on, or just something I've seen.
I'm a person who is constantly overthinking about everything but also very emotional at the same time, so, sometimes, the way to get my feelings out is through drawing. So, my biggest inspiration is my daily life.
Caterina’s favorite animal.
Bella:
What advice do you have for getting out of a creative rut?
Catarina:
When I feel blocked, I try to get out of my routine, see something new, take a different route, and try to meet someone I haven't met for a long time, but who will bring me something new. Nowadays, it’s very normal to feel blocked; there’s so much going on around you that sometimes it makes you feel too small.
Most importantly, we should respect that sometimes we need time and space and not push ourselves too much; take your time.
Bella:
How would you describe your brand/style?
Catarina:
It’s a tricky question; I’ve never thought about it. It was something I developed when I started freelancing since it's important to show more solidity and to keep up to date. Whenever I develop a new project, I try to explore other styles within "my" style. I don't like to feel that I'm always doing the same thing because I end up building limitations and not growing professionally.
I think that the best way to describe my brand/style is as friendly and with a great connection with graphic design.
Some of Catarina’s personal illustrations!
Bella:
Anything coming up that you’re excited about?
Catarina:
There are many things, but I’ve been working on a toy, in collaboration with my partner, Jonas, for some time. I've almost finished the design, and now we're working on the modelling to print and paint it. We will do everything in-house because we had already explored some prototypes a year ago and want to do everything from scratch. The idea will be to develop a limited edition. I love drawing something and bringing it to life; I think it’s quite special.
Still from Catarina and Jonas animation and illustration course.
Takeover Tuesday with Charmaine Yu
An interview with Charmaine Yu: freelance illustrator and designer from the Philippines. I'm passionate about storytelling, and I have a curiosity that constantly fuels my drive to improve, try new things, and learn new skills
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Thank you for joining us for Takeover Tuesday, Charmaine! Please introduce yourself!
Charmaine:
Happy to have been invited 😊I’m Charmaine Yu! I’m a freelance illustrator and designer from the Philippines. I love working on motion design projects — creating storyboards, style frames, character designs, and other illustrated assets. When possible, I also enjoy working on editorial and branding projects. Recently, I’ve also started to call myself a budding cel animator, since being immersed into the world of motion design & animation has really inspired me to take the steps to learn how to make my drawings move.
Bella:
How did you get to where you are today in the industry?
Charmaine:
Hmm, there are definitely a whole bunch of things that I’m grateful for that helped me get to where I am now – education, experience, support, trust, luck, and dedication (or in other words stubbornness 😂).
I started off my career in 2019 as a fresh graduate from the University of the Philippines with a BFA in Visual Communication. Then, I worked as an in-house illustrator for a local tech startup, but after a year, I felt like I wasn’t making the work that I wanted to and decided to make a huge shift by jumping into freelance. Around the same time, I took School of Motion’s Illustration for Motion online course, which gave me the confidence to start doing work in the motion design space. Afterwards, I got to connect with amazing talented people in the industry, worked on my first few motion projects (thanks to studios and fellow freelancers who took a chance on me), and joined different motion communities where people would share resources, experiences, and opportunities (like MDA and Panimation slack channels).
Since then, whenever I’m on a project, I make sure to do good work; when I’m not on a project, I continue reaching out to studios/agencies, work on personal pieces or projects, and find ways to improve my skills.
Since I jumped into this industry as a freelancer and never got to experience being a part of a motion studio yet (though it is definitely something that I want to do in 2024 or after), research, reaching out, and asking questions have been incredibly important to navigating the industry. Being a part of Dash’s mentorship program in early 2023 also helped me so much in figuring out how certain things work, as well as how I could grow and progress as a creative.
I still have a long way to go career and skill-wise, but I’m incredibly fortunate and grateful to have been a part of some fun projects so far and to have worked with people across the globe!
In her free time, you might find Charmaine interacting with animals, figuring out cel animation, crocheting, learning a language, or searching for my next adventure.
Bella:
Do you have any advice for someone trying to be a freelance artist full-time?
Charmaine:
A WHOLE BUNCH. Hope it’s ok if I share a few!
Firstly, before going freelance full-time, create a potential client list. It would be a much smoother start into freelance if you already have a few potential clients who know and/or trust you and would probably be able to give you some work. If not, at least have an idea of who you can offer your services to and who would be your target clients.
Secondly, build out your savings (ideally enough to cover 6 months to 1 year of expenses) so that you’ve got a financial safety net in case it gets tough to find work, especially within the first year or so (or during a recession). This also gives you some financial peace of mind — enough to avoid pricing low on jobs just to get some money to pay the bills.
There’s a lot more I could say, but to keep it short, here’s my last piece of advice: talk to other freelancers. Working as a freelance artist can be kinda lonely — you may not have a team that you always work with or a boss/mentor to approach when you need guidance. I think it’s incredibly helpful to find freelancer friends who you could share experiences with; ask for help, advice, or critique when you need it; or collaborate with when working on larger projects.
Bella:
I loooove your characters. They have so much personality. How do you give life to something that isn't human, like your fluffy cloud-like creature in "Bounce"?
Charmaine:
Ahhh, thanks so much! Hmm, whenever I create characters (human or non-human), I always try to come up with a backstory: What’s their personality like? Why are they doing whatever they’re doing in the scene? What’s their relationship with other characters in the story? How are they feeling in this moment? And so on. This really helps to build up the “why” in my character designs and informs my decisions in the shape language, details, colors, etc.
Charmaine’s “Funny Creatures.”
Bella:
Is there a project you've done that stands out as a favorite to you?
Charmaine:
Well, “Bounce” definitely remains as one of my top favorites. It was my first fully illustrated looping animation! I went into it not quite sure if I could actually make what I was imagining in my head and with no idea of whether what I was doing was even right, but I came out of it incredibly happy with the outcome!
I said “yes” to something I haven’t really done before and gave myself a difficult challenge, but I was thankfully able to do it and deliver! So this project really felt like such an accomplishment to me and that I had leveled up because of it!
Bella:
What kind of work is most fulfilling to you?
Charmaine:
I find it very fulfilling when I get to discuss and brainstorm ideas on the project I’m working on — in other words, any project where I have a voice that will be heard and where I can suggest concepts, art direction, visual solutions, or approaches to accomplish the project’s goal. Basically, I like being valued as an artist not only by my technical skills, but my creative ideas & vision as well.
Being able to collaborate with a team of amazing artists is also incredibly fulfilling for me. I think it’s so awesome to have creatives, all with different skills and strengths, working together on a larger project and creating something that might’ve been impossible for just 1 person to make — like a community helping each other out and working towards a common goal.
Bella:
What method are you using to learn 2D cel animation?
Charmaine:
I’m on the journey of teaching myself 2D cel animation — that means Youtube “academy”, whatever free or affordable resources I can find online, books, lots of practice, and self-discipline. However, I’ll be honest that my cel animation learning has been kinda on and off throughout 2023. To add to that, it’s also been way too easy for me to just consume study content about cel animation and call it a day (or as it was coined in a substack post by Beth Spencer — “pro-CLASS-tinating” 😅). However, I’ve realized that I want to be serious about learning this, and that if I didn’t put in the hard work and actually apply those learnings into consistent practice, then I would never make any progress. That’s why, last November, I started planning out my own lesson plan, exercises, and personal projects that I wanted to work on in order get those practice hours in and create more animated work. I’m not sure how long it’ll take for me to get good and become more confident in my animation skills, but I’ll probably keep at it till I get there!
Some learning resources that I’ve been using include The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams, various Skillshare classes, and youtube videos (like those from Alex Grigg & Toniko Pantoja). I’ve also been studying animated shows (especially anime, which is a goldmine of amazing handdrawn animated goodness), films, and works from amazing animators I follow online (e.g. Reece Parker, Rachel Reid, Jocie Juritz, Henrique Barone).
“Bounce” - One of Charmaine’s favorite projects.
Bella:
Where/what do you get inspiration from?
Charmaine:
Anywhere and everywhere, really! I love getting inspired by artists I follow on Instagram, articles I read on Substack/Creative Boom/It’s Nice That, whatever I come across on Pinterest, and films & series that I’ve watched. Outside of the screen, I also draw inspiration from people-watching, nature, travelling, my daily life, and other experiences.
Bella:
What helps you get out of a creative block?
Charmaine:
Whenever I’ve felt uninspired, I’ve never liked trying to force my way through it as often it leads to results that I’m not really happy with. Instead, I find it helpful to step away for a bit, take a break, and do something that can relax my creative brain. Usually, I would get off my desk to take a walk, grab a snack, play with my cats, or simply take a nap — it’s amazing how many times sleep has given me a creative boost!
If the creative block is kinda bad, like maybe bordering on burnout, I would ideally take a longer break and try to find some inspiration: maybe I’ll decide to play around with materials and mediums that I wouldn’t normally work with, or maybe I’ll go on a vacation to see some new sights and create new experiences.
A set of styleframes that I created for a client titled “A Different World.”
Bella:
Any advice/takeaways?
Charmaine:
Sharing as advice something that I absolutely live by: Never stop learning! Whether it’s to improve your current skills to help level up your work or to learn a new hobby that you just want to get into, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone, make mistakes, and learn something new ✨
Thanks again for inviting me onto Takeover Tuesdays and hope everyone has a lovely day!
Takeover Tuesday with Nicola Gigante
An interview with Nicola Giganta: an illustrator based in Orlando, FL whose focus lies in signage design, illustration, background painting and concept art for both the film and themed entertainment industries.
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Yo Nico! Can you give a lil' introduction for those who aren't familiar with you?
Nico:
Hi y’all my name is Nicola but my friends call me Nico. I’m an illustrator and concept artist originally from Mexico but based in Florida for the past 16 years. If I’m not in the studio working on a project you’ll catch me painting outside, playing soccer, traveling a la backpack, or trying to tire out my restless Aussie.
Bella:
What led you to a career in the art world?
Nico:
I feel very lucky to have discovered art long before I knew it could become a legit career path. When I was a kid, I’d fill out my homework papers with fantastical sketches from top to bottom, my teachers weren’t necessarily happy about that, but everyone sort of knew I was “the kid who can draw”. I also feel very lucky to come from a family who fostered and encouraged me to do what made me the happiest, and that was art! (but trust me, they weren’t very happy about me sketching on my math homework either). My mom is an award winning chef and my dad an architect and pottery artist, so if I wasn’t hanging out in the kitchen, you’d find me making clay sculptures. This cross-pollination environment helped a lot with fueling my creative imagination. Fast forward a bunch of years later, and I found myself making both the hardest and easiest decision of my life, should I go to art school, or should I pursue another non-creative career path at a more “traditional” university. I ended up choosing to attend SCAD for illustration. To me that was a “no-brainer”, easy choice because I knew I’d be pursuing my passion and love for art, but it was also hard because I still wasn’t unsure about what a life as an artist outside of school and home might look like, and all the challenges that my decision could bring in the coming years. That was certainly scary.
A self portrait of Nico.
Bella:
How do you think your time at SCAD made a difference in your life?
Nico:
My time in SCAD made a huge impact in my life. It was very much a right of passage for me, and I’m very lucky to have had that experience. I joined as a transfer student in the spring of 2015, and made a few friends on the first day, many of them whom I’m still very close to. SCAD is located in Savannah, a beautiful Spanish moss-adorned city just by the South Carolina-Georgia line. Living there was very inspiring in so many ways, and my peers, professors, and friends all contributed to my growth as an artist.
Bella:
Is there a project you've worked on that stands out as a favorite to you?
Nico:
I’ve been a part of many projects that have been in a way cornerstones in my career, most of them spanning different industries. When I’m posed with the “what’s your favorite project so far” to me is like asking a parent to chose a favorite child! But one project that I really enjoyed doing was the concept art I was tasked to do for the award-winning short film FATHEAD. Within the first meetings I had with the film director c. Craig and the producers, I knew this was a passion project for many in the production, and I immediately felt both very lucky and the pressure to do my very best. During the production, I got the chance to collaborate with many talented people in all departments of the filmmaking pipeline, and I got my first end-credits mention in a movie! FATHEAD has been shown in many film festivals around the world, and it’s won a lot of awards so far such as gold at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France! It is also the first film to be produced in Amazon’s LED volume, a new technology in filmmaking that’s already breaking ground in the industry, with shows like The Mandalorian and HBO’s House of Dragons using it after FATHEAD paved the way.
Concept art from FATHEAD.
Bella:
It must be so cool to see your work out in the world, like at The Children's Music Museum in Upstate/Greenville, South Carolina. What was the workflow like for this project?
Nico:
The Marsh Music project at the Children’s Museum in Greenville has to be also one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on so far in my career. No short in challenges though, I was very fortunate to have worked alongside creative powerhouses Jessica and Henry Marchant of Marchant Creative Group to bring this space and it’s characters to life. It started with a story about a frog and his swamp friends, all living in the South Carolina marshlands. The big element to the story is music and education. Each section of he story, or “beat”, features a different musical instrument that kids can learn to play as they go around the room. The concept/beginning stages of this project involved a lot of meetings to come up with the instruments that needed to not just sound good and work well but tie in to the story and setting, so we designed them all to fit the swamp/marshland theme. After a few brainstorming sessions, we came up with a lot of fun things, from rain wheels in the shape of lily pads, drums shaped like turtles, to a giant banjo/harp instrument that looks like an alligator! I then proceeded to illustrate 12 murals, character designs, and a few posters in an animated style that was quite new to me, but one that I’ve adopted well into other projects and personal pieces afterwards. If you’re ever in the Greenville area make sure to stop by and check it out!
Bella:
What advice would you give someone who is trying to "find their style”?
Nico:
When I was in college, and slightly after graduating I had a really hard time being happy with what I was producing as an artist. I remember being surrounded by lot’s of very talented illustrators and artists whom styles were so well defined it left me thinking “I’m so behind”. Finding your style isn’t a straight path, but a windy and bumpy one. It takes a lot of trial and error. One of my favorite quotes from a mentor I had earlier in my career is “practice makes progress”. If you find yourself having doubts about your work and your own style, just keep producing, don’t stop. A baby who stops at the crawling phase will never learn how to walk. I don’t mean to sound cliché or anything like that but everyone has a style, just like we all have different fingerprints! It’s just a matter of time before you find it and hone your skills, because most of the time you’ll likely be the last to notice it while people around you will see it first.
Bella:
Where do you find inspiration? How do you combat creative burnout?
Nico:
Inspiration is everything, everywhere, all at once. I am inspired by other artists, the masters of old too. When you imagine you’re inspired. Music is a big player in my inspiration along with traveling. I sometimes find myself listening to a song and imagining the lyrics transform into a music video inside my head. Going places is a way I relieve burnout, it allows me to have a break from the screen and tablet. It’s a way to recharge by doing other things not related to your daily routines back home. Traveling is a big source of inspiration for me as well. When I break up my daily routine to go someplace new or old, I try to look at everything from an artist point of view. Inspiration is fueled by intrigue. I like to question how things are made, like what makes a certain object interesting that most people would otherwise consider mundane or ordinary. Finding beauty in the mundane is a great way to overcome the “art block”. Once I started looking at the world through that lens I started producing art that I was very happy with!
Planning for the Marsh Music Exhibit in Greenville, SC.
Bella:
What's your favorite type of project to work on?
Nico:
Good question! I love projects that have a story behind it. To me, stories are the veil of good art, because without a story then how can anyone relate? The nature of being an illustrator means sometimes I’d be tasked to a project that doesn’t necessarily have a specific story to tell, but by looking at it through the lens I talked about in the previous question, I try to make it interesting and fun. I specifically love animation and film. Growing up I remember being so intrigued by the backgrounds in Disney movies and other tv shows that I’d sometimes forget about the plot. Some of my favorite projects have been illustrating backgrounds and landscapes. To me they’re just as important as the main characters themselves!
Bella:
What are your favorite softwares and tools to use when illustrating?
Nico:
I like to think the ax doesn’t to the tree cutting, the lumberjack does. Tools are there to help, not create. A lot of amazing things have come out of a simple napkin sketch, like the design of the new Chevy Camaro for the Bumblebee movie! But when it comes to client work, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are my bread and butter. If I’m doing personal work, I often bounce in between Procreate and HeavyPaint, depending on how much time I want to dedicate to the piece. I love the user-friendly ui of Procreate the most, I was able to pick it up and master it in a few weeks! HeavyPaint is a great app that allows you to paint quickly without worrying too much about details, it’s great for plein air painting for that matter. Additionally, if you’d ever met me in person, there’s a good chance I was holding my sketchbook in hand. I carry a pocket-size Moleskin sketchbook with a few micron pens everywhere I go! It’s the best way to capture anything that inspires me while I’m on the go, and it allows me to further develop drawing skills.
Bella:
Anything exciting coming up/final words of wisdom?
Nico:
I recently started becoming more serious about freelancing versus looking for an in-house job. It’s been quite challenging and scary, alas terrifying, and the road stretches far and wide. I’ve been struggling to find something stable, being an artist is no smooth path. But I try to celebrate any wins, big or small. When I’m feeling like I’m not heading anywhere or that my career is stalling, which happens more often than I’d like, I try to focus on why I decided to pursue art as a career in the first place. Keeping my goals in check, writing stuff down, sketching things and ideas, reading books, connecting with other artists, these have all been some of the ways I’ve been keeping myself from quitting the creative world. If I had any final words of wisdom, it’d be to remember we’re all in our own timeline. There’s no shame in being or feeling like a “late bloomer” in your career, or feeling that you haven’t found your style and you’re falling behind. Stop comparing yourself to others much more ahead in their careers than you, instead, learn from them. Reach out to your heroes, even if not all of them respond you never know who might. You’ll get there, but in your own time. By having trust in the process, and practicing as much as you can every day, things will come your way and doors will start to open. Just have faith and patience in yourself and try to have fun while you can!
Takeover Tuesday with Tom Van Deusen
An interview with Tom Van Deusen an animator and visual designer living in New York City.
Interviewer: Matea Losenegger
Read time: 5min
Matea:
Hey Tom! Thanks for lending your time. Can you please tell us a little about yourself?
Tom:
Thank you! I'm a visual designer and animator based out of New York City. I like to write and draw comics too. I have a cat named Spooky. I'm currently a Senior Motion Designer at a large media company. My favorite color is #CD9704..
Matea:
What is your background and how did you wind up in the motion design world?
Tom:
I grew up loving to write and draw, glued to the television during the golden age of deranged, socially irresponsible cartoons of the mid-90s. My mom was an art teacher and was fully encouraging of all my creative pursuits. I'll never forgive her. I earned a BFA in 2008 and entered the workforce fabulously ill-suited for a global recession.
Over the subsequent 11 years I worked a lot of interesting jobs, from Network Control Center Technician to Financial Operations Analyst. Very interesting. At night I did freelance illustration and wrote hundreds of pages of comics. I have some books that got published that are really screwing up my SEO.
Anyhoo, at the age of 33 I went back to school for graphic design at the advice of several designer friends who sensed how thoroughly miserable I was. There's a great program they had attended called the Seattle Creative Academy. I learned visual design, UX/UI, packaging and a bit of motion.
I had enough motion footage by graduation to put together a reel. I applied to oodles of jobs and got an offer for a visual design job and a motion design job the same week. It was then that I made the difficult decision to take the one that paid a lot better.
It’s Tom!
Matea:
Do you still use traditional mediums, and do you think it's important for digital artists to flex those more 'tactile' muscles?
Tom:
I was a bit of a luddite in my art-making before going back to school. I drew my comics with a dip pen and Rapidograph. I poo-pooed those who drew on digital tablets, knowing that I was making something physical that will be celebrated by future generations.
Now I'm drawing mostly digitally, and there will be less stuff for my grandchildren to throw into a landfill. I still draw on paper sometimes, but usually just sketches or life drawing. I feel very good about myself when I tap the paper with two fingers to undo before I realize I actually need to use my eraser. My goal is to have my life's work be inaccessible when I stop paying for Creative Cloud.
Matea:
Congratulations on cooking up a spicy new reel! It's a process many of us dread, but yours turned out great. What would you say goes into creating a compelling one?
Tom:
Thank you very much! I've made a lot of stuff over the past years and it was difficult to pare it down and objectively look at it. To make a good reel I'd say takes watching YouTube videos on how to make a good reel. It was also extremely helpful to get feedback from a lot of other, talented motion designers such as yourself. It's hard to tell what's garbage when everything is your precious baby. Sometimes your precious baby is garbage.
Check out Tom’s new reel!
Matea:
It was a really cool idea to incorporate footage of NYC in the opening and close. Has living in the city affected your work at all?
Tom:
Thanks! I moved here from Seattle about a year ago to be closer to family and because my job is in Manhattan. I wanted to incorporate some real-life video footage in addition to my animation, and filmed some stuff on my phone. Because I'm in NYC, those shots are footage of NYC.
As far as influence, I love drawing dense urban areas, and there's a lot of that here. I'd love to find a screen printing co-op in the city to print some of those drawings, so if anyone knows of one in the city please let me know!
Matea:
You have such a playful yet striking illustration style. How would you describe your creative voice and what was the process in developing it?
Tom:
That's very kind. I'm definitely a product of alternative comics. That was the "scene" I was in for a very long time. Over the years I simplified my drawings, replacing fussy cross-hatching with flat colors. I also love children's book illustration. Over the years I've been lucky enough to know a lot of talented artists and illustrators, and I'm sure I'm cribbing some of their styles. Or let's just call it osmosis, for legal reasons.
Frame from “Digital Exclusives.”
Matea:
In a similar vein, where do you find inspiration?
Tom:
I hate to say the internet, but nowadays there's such easy access to amazing artwork on the internet that I have to say the internet. I hated saying that. I've also gone to a lot of incredible museums and gallery shows in the city, and it's impossible to not be inspired by those. And usually some crazy idea will pop into my head that's funny to me, and it will make me laugh aloud in public. Not sure how or why that happens, but I wish it would stop.
Matea:
If budget and time weren't constraints, what would be your dream project to work on?
Tom:
I'd love to make an animated short based on the comic that I'm working on. It's currently about a duck and an alligator, but will soon include a snake, a mouse and a giraffe. I have a lot written for it but can barely find the time to draw it into a comic. I'm currently drip-feeding it onto my Instagram. The good news is that it's zero budget and nobody cares how long it takes me.
Matea:
Do you have any wisdom for aspiring creatives and what do you wish you had known when you first started out?
Tom:
You have to live a life to do anything creative. Don't fret if you think everyone else has their nose down at their Cintiq while you're drinking White Claws on the beach. You can't make art in a vacuum, and life's short. Enjoy it.
One of the scene’s from Tom’s recent comic.
Matea:
Do you have any upcoming projects you're excited to share with the world?
Tom:
I'm actually very excited by that comic I'm working on, even though my productivity doesn't always match that excitement. I'm having fun drawing it, and since it's a personal project that's the important part.
Takeover Tuesday with Nick Fairbanks
An interview with Nick Fairbanks a freelance illustrator and animator living in Atlanta, Georgia.
Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi
Read time: 5min
Bella:
Nick! Thanks again for joining us for Takeover Tuesday. Can you please give us a lil' intro to let the people know who you are and what you do?
Nick:
Hi! The name’s Nick. I’m a freelance illustrator and animator living in Atlanta, Georgia. I mostly work in the startup and tech world but I’m trying to break into editorial work and children’s books.
Bella:
How'd you get into illustration and animation?
Nick:
I got my degree in documentary filmmaking at Florida State University. I had to learn After Effects and really loved it. I had some intricately animated sequences in a documentary I was working on and it impressed a classmate who had a startup company. He hired me to create an animated explainer for their product and was willing to pay $800 which was a lot for me at the time. I had always drawn things, but as I worked on the animated explainer, I learned about Dribbble and Pinterest and became exposed to the world of tech art. By the time I graduated, I was working for the startup company and had pivoted my career goals towards tech illustration.
“Seaplane.”
Bella:
Your style is unique and I've always been a big fan because it looks like it belongs in a book or magazine. What advice do you have for people trying to "find" their style?
Nick:
It’s incredibly hard to create a style that is truly your own. You don’t have to scroll that far back in my feed to see that the way I draw has changed a lot over the years as my influences have changed. But the art we make will always be influenced by those we look up to and that has to be okay. For me, it’s people like Oliver Jeffers, Vincent Mahe, Tom Hugonaut, Miroslav Sasek, Robinson, Quentin Blake. It’s important to keep in mind that there are two components to style: 1. the way you create art and 2. the stories you tell. Be conscious of what you’re taking from others and what you’re contributing that is your own. Find a balance that allows you to sleep comfortably at night. As far as actionable advice, the most common theme in art is people. So draw a janitor, a politician, a florist etc. Draw lots of people and then ask yourself, what would a car look like that this person would drive? What would their house look like? Build out the world in your style, starting with people.
Bella:
Where do you find inspiration?
Nick:
The most interesting things have some truth in them so I try to pull inspiration from the places I go and people I meet. I always keep a little notebook I can fit in my back pocket and write down the things I see and the thoughts they prompt as they happen.
“Preparing for emergencies.”
Bella:
Can you tell us a bit about your website, aportraitof.info?
Nick:
My Grandmother passed in 2021 and while I had plenty of photos, I had only one video. It prompted me to think how nice it would have been to have a long form video of her, and even better if she was answering deep, thought provoking questions. I created A portrait of as a way to do just that. I’ve filmed about a dozen so far and while it’s emotionally rewarding, it is very time consuming. I don’t advertise it much anymore, but if people reach out and want me to do it for their family, I’m always happy to do it. I may pick it back up more seriously in the future, but it's too far removed from my larger goals to warrant dedicating time to.
Bella:
What's the process like for managing your own Etsy shop?
Nick:
I initially wanted to print, pack, and ship all my own work. I sold out of 40 prints in a few days which was really encouraging, but the process was taxing. As of right now, I just offer digital downloads so that people can print them however they want. I’m thinking a lot about passive income, so I’ll keep the store as is for now, but I will be looking into working with a printing company soon who can handle all that for me.
“Arc De Triomphe.”
Bella:
How has your random mug drawing series on Instagram been helping you combat creative block? Is there anything else you like to do when you feel stuck?
Nick:
Yeah, it’s been really helpful! I actually draw the first thing I pull from the list. I was spending way too much time thinking about what people would want and it was stifling my ability to create. If I don't want to draw something from that list, I go on long walks and don’t come home until I have something clear in my head.
Bella:
Some of your advice on the gram is to try to "create something every day that makes you want to call your mom and tell her about it." (amazing advice btw). What's something you've worked on recently that made you want to tell your mom about it?
Nick:
My mom is my biggest supporter so she sees most of my work on IG before I get around to telling her about it. That aside, I was excited to tell her about a side project I spun up, creating animated portraits of creatives I interviewed while traveling around Europe and Asia a few months ago. I only shared a small portion of our conversation on social media but she wanted to hear about the whole thing.
Bella:
You've got a pretty big social media following (100k followers WOO)! Any advice for people trying to get noticed and share their work on social media?
Nick:
For context, I’ve been sharing my art on IG for 9 years. 8 months ago, I had a following of 5,000 or so. The cityscapes went sort of viral and propelled my following to what it is now, and I’ve been hovering around 100 for the last 3 months. So the bulk of followers came in about 4 months. But here’s what I’ve learned:
1. People love to travel. My cityscapes remind people of where they’ve been or where they want to go. People are always sharing it or tagging their friends. Anything that has to do with travel is going to increase your chances of it performing well.
2. People love to love. Create content around relationships or love. If you can strike that chord, reminding people of someone they love, or loved, it will perform well.
3. Elevate your work with animation. It doesn’t have to be anything major. Most of the animation I incorporate is really subtle and simple to execute. But it performs better on average than a static post.
4. It has to be either really strong stylistically, or really strong conceptually.
Look at something you’ve made and ask yourself, “Why would a stranger care about this or want to share it with their friend?”
“San Francisco Sunsets”
Bella:
Anything you're looking forward to working on/doing in the future?
Nick:
I’m ALMOST done with a Skillshare course on how to draw my cityscapes [Update it’s live!]. I’ve been talking about it for months and should be publishing it in the next 2-3 weeks. After that, I’ll be working on my website and try to make a real career out of freelancing.
Takeover Tuesday with Jardley Jean-Louis
An interview with Jardley Jean-Louis an NYC born multi-disciplinary artist living and working in Queens.
Interviewer: Matea Losenegger
Read time: 5min
Matea:
Hey Jardley! Thanks for lending us your time. Can you please introduce yourself?
Jardley:
Hey! I’m Jardley Jean-Louis, I’m an NYC born multi-disciplinary artist living and working in Queens. I work in illustration, animation and film and center my work on depicting stillness, education, and under-represented identities and subjects.
Matea:
What inspired you to become an artist and how did you get into the motion design space?
Jardley:
It’s funny, I’ve been an artist since I was a kid and was going to say nothing inspired me because this is how it’s been forever. But I have a memory of being really young and there being a boy who was a really great artist in the class, me aspiring to be that good and taking him on as my mentor. So, that kid and my perseverance to get really good.
In terms of motion design, I think in the back of my head while I was pursuing just art, I wanted to get into the animation space. As a kid that meant the goal of having my own show on Nickelodeon and a film for Disney when I grew up, and later and more concretely, learning more about motion design as an Illustrator’s Assistant for a one-person animation studio while in college. That was my first art job. While my role there was to produce character/background design, the CD also invited me into the depths of script-writing, storyboarding, and animating background characters. Getting that well-rounded experience and seeing the final animation which felt like magic to me, was enough to start me on my own journey of honing my animation skills and looking for my own clients.
“Mementos.”
Matea:
How would you describe your artistic style and what are some key themes and messages that you explore in your work?
Jardley:
My work is very character driven and intent on building a mood especially with lights and shadows. I also without intending to, use a lot of deep rich colors. I work digitally these days, but my work has been described as painterly - which is great to hear because my foundation is in traditional painting and drawing. So, that’s unintentionally translated.
The key themes and messages I explore in my work are quiet life moments that speak to the reality of life, education, and under-represented identities and subjects.
Matea:
Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you come up with new ideas and what techniques do you use to bring them to life?
Jardley:
On both client and personal work - the creative process is dictated by the brief or idea and what mood and feeling the work is trying to convey. On client projects I’m zero-ing in on the themes and message the client has shared with me and the key words in the script that define each scene. On personal projects, I have an idea and I’m looking to draw it out through thinking of what type of composition and lighting accentuates it.
An exercise I do is dump every idea (including a ridiculous idea) onto my notebook. I believe that writing every single idea, not criticizing it, and therefore dismissing it, frees your mind to be more creative and find its way to a strong concept. If you’re constantly cutting an idea off at its legs, you won’t feel safe enough to explore and trust you’ll find an idea.
I then work through concepts by sketching them out and writing questions I have for myself. I find the notes especially stimulating.
I also review my long list of Flickr reference images and spend a lot of time on Behance looking for inspo.
“Friends”
Matea:
How different is your approach to client work vs your personal projects?
Jardley:
Well with client work it involves more pre-production than I do in my personal projects. That involves deciphering the script or brief and providing tangible materials such as moodboards, sketches, style frames or mockups, and storyboard animatics. In my own work I do less of that - the tangible materials. I’m typically holding an idea and composition in my head. I’ll look at a ton of reference images and then go straight into creating it in photoshop or after effects when the pieces feel right. For both, I also am finding the color scheme while I’m working - most times I have an idea of colors, but it’s not settled until I’m working on it.
However, since my recent solo exhibition, I’ve started to see the reason for sketches in my own personal projects. It helps to remind you of what the composition is meaning to be and by having it out on the paper, you’re able to see if it’s working or not rather than just going straight to final. Finding out the imagined concept didn’t work bit me in the ass one or twice on this solo.
Matea:
Huge congratulations on your recent solo exhibition "Joy - This Place I Land." What was that experience like and are you interested in working on more gallery work?
Jardley:
Thank you! The experience was incredible, I’m glad. I was selected as a ARTWorks Fellow for Jamaica Center for the Arts and Learning’s 10 month residency and the solo exhibition came from that.
So it was a 10 month process of figuring out what scenes best represented my theme: what does joy and thriving look like in everyday life. Especially being Black.
Originally I had 6 pieces + an animation I planned, but upon revisiting the gallery space and seeing how much space I had, I added 2 more illustrations. Getting to show what joy is for me, which is really just love in life moments and witnessing how much it resonated with folks meant a lot to me.
I’m not really interested in becoming a gallery artist. I’ll have my work in shows here and there as long as it makes sense to me. Same for residencies. I’m not actively pursuing either. I view it as avenues that are available to me as a creative. Never just confined to one avenue.
“Bart Simpson”
Matea:
I know it's difficult to choose, but do you have a favorite piece in the show and what makes it stand out in your mind?
Jardley:
I have two pieces that stand out for me. “Heritage” for its family ties, warmth and sense of just belonging and “To Be With Friends.” for all the love, lightness, and thriving I continually want for my life.
Matea:
Where do you get inspiration? Are there any particular artists or movements that have impacted your work?
Jardley:
I get inspired everywhere. Walking around and looking at things, overhearing conversations, being with people, looking at the work of fellow creatives, taking in my apartment, processing my life, tv shows/films.
Artists that heavily impact my work are Rebecca Mock and Katharine Lam. Particularly for creating a mood and for their use of lighting. Also Pat Perry, for the still and simple moments of life.
Matea:
How do you stay motivated to create your own work in addition to client projects? Do you have any tips for burnout?
Jardley:
I won’t say that I consistently create my own work and do so alongside client projects successfully. I don’t have a routine. Sometimes it happens that it’s a particularly slow time so I have room for my own work, or there’s an idea I want to get out, or mentally I’m in a space to put the work in and things just flow then. I try to honor where I’m at. I guess I stay motivated because producing client work isn’t my end goal for my career. I want the ratio to skew wherein majority of the time, the work I’m producing is mine. It’s what I’m known for and it’s how I make a living. I still plan on working with clients, but I think my voice and creative project being the end goal is more fulfilling.
For burnout, my tip is to honor it as best you can. When I was a permalancer, that meant speaking up that I was taking some mental health days for myself. When I’ve been working non-stop on client work that means taking as much time as I can in between client work. If I’m on deadline, but am already burnt out and a concept isn’t coming or my brain is frying, I try to take chunks of time during the day to just chill out. Honor it as best you can.
“Heritage”
Matea:
Any upcoming projects you're excited about?
Jardley:
I recently wrapped up an animation where I was the illustrator on it which I’m excited to see in its final. It’s about the stained foundation of America.
I have a personal short film animation that I’m currently researching and world-building on on the early years of the AIDS epidemic and Haitians.
Takeover Tuesday with Jake Sojcher
An interview with Jake Sojcher: a motion designer and visual artist.
Q&A with Jake Sojcher.
Read time: 5min
Matea Losenegger:
Hey Jake! Thank you for taking part in our Tuesday Takeover series. Can you introduce yourself and your work?
Jake Sojcher:
Happy to be a part of it! I am a motion designer and visual artist working primarily with the Adobe Creative Suite, using After Effects, Photoshop, etc. I’m also just generally an explorer, always jumping around between various hobbies relating to art and music.
Matea Losenegger:
What shaped your path into motion design and pursuing a creative career?
Jake Sojcher:
I’ve always loved making things. As a child, I would spend countless hours building spaceships and fortresses with Legos. As I got older, I took various art and music lessons. In high school, I was playing the drums, recording, and mixing audio. Then in college, I got really into photography and video production, so I became a media studies major. I really wanted to pursue a creative career, but I was afraid. I had heard things about how difficult it can be to make it in the creative fields. I was shy and I didn’t have the confidence in my ability to put myself out there. I thought maybe marketing would be a safer creative path, but the only aspect of my one marketing internship that excited me was when I got to assist with a video shoot at the office. After college, I was scraping by on small freelance video gigs, and feeling very unsure if I could make this work. I eventually found a one month temp job editing videos for a local production company. They liked my work, and it turned into a full-time gig. There I got to learn a lot more about the various aspects of post-production. There was another editor on staff who handled motion graphics, and I thought what he was creating was super cool. So I started watching After Effects tutorials on YouTube and asking him for pointers. Eventually when he left, I became the motion graphics guy and the rest is history.
Opening shot from Jake’s reel.
Matea Losenegger:
What inspired your decision to freelance full time and how has the transition been going?
Jake Sojcher:
After a few years at my production company job, I felt like I was ready for new challenges and opportunities for growth. I would periodically apply for jobs at larger companies, but felt discouraged when I consistently wouldn’t hear back. Another coworker of mine had gone freelance, and the idea sounded enticing, but I was also afraid of giving up the stability. Things really changed once the pandemic hit. Until then, I was still very much splitting my time between editing and motion design. But once it became hard to shoot videos in person, I started having opportunities to do even more with motion graphics and really leveled up my skills. I also met my wonderful partner, Lyndsey, on Hinge during the pandemic, and we eventually moved in together. Having a partner who had a steady job, and who gave me lots of encouragement, helped make the idea of freelance feel much more feasible. Then I read The Freelance Manifesto by Joey Korenman, and that was the final push I needed. I left my job, and my boss became my first client. Business was pretty slow at first, but I managed to scrape by. By the end of 2022, after many months of emailing and reel-tweaking, I finally started getting booked more consistently. Work can still ping-pong pretty quickly between very busy and very quiet, so I’m still learning to trust the process. I keep reminding myself that the ebb and flow is just part of freelance life. Overall, I’m really enjoying the lifestyle and the freedom to skip the commute and set my own hours. I especially enjoy having more control over my professional destiny, feeling like my efforts can quickly lead to greater opportunities. I’m really excited to see where the coming years take me.
Matea Losenegger:
From animation to drawing music, photography, and video, you have a pretty diverse skillset - is there a particular medium or type of work you would still like to explore?
Jake Sojcher:
Yes! I’m currently working on building up my illustration skills. I’ve been attending a lot of figure drawing sessions and trying to practice almost every day. Considering most of my work is on a computer, it’s nice to switch it up and spend time with good old pencil and paper. But I’m also working on digital illustration with Procreate and Adobe Illustrator as well. Most of the work I’m hired for involves picking apart graphic art provided by clients and bringing it to life. I’ve dabbled in graphic design enough to scrape things together from scratch when I need to, but I am still learning. I definitely want to be able to animate even more of my own original artwork, both for clients and my own personal projects.
Some characters from Jake’s Crossriver Funding Announcement video.
Matea Losenegger:
As someone with a lot of creative interests, do you find it important to experiment or create work for fun?
Jake Sojcher:
Oh absolutely! One of the big reasons I wanted to go freelance was to free up more time to work on my own projects. I feel very fortunate to be able to do creative work for a living, but there’s also way more I want to do outside of client work. Personal projects are great for building skills I can use professionally, but also for finding my own fulfillment as an artist. It’s nice to have free reign sometimes to make something weird, epic, or silly, with no directions to follow.
Matea Losenegger:
A lot of your work has a very distinct ethereal aesthetic. What inspired this visual flare and where do you seek inspiration from as a whole?
Jake Sojcher:
First off, I love ethereal sounding dream pop bands like the Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, and Beach House, so that’s definitely a part of it. I’m also influenced by Vaporwave and Cyberpunk inspired art that I see online. I like the use of gritty urban settings decked out with vibrant neon colors. It feels so cinematic with a sense of danger, mystery, and intrigue. I started playing with Photoshop to add a similar flare to photos that I take around the city. Then to take it even further, I started bringing some of my edits to life in After Effects as well.
Jake has been developing art style that fuses photography and Photoshop to create surreal cityscapes.
Matea Losenegger:
Do any of your projects stand out as a favorite?
Jake Sojcher:
I made a silly little animation of an octopus riding the subway, which was my first time trying to implement a character I drew into one of my photo edits. I also recently made an animation of my home office setup, where I animated all the stickers on my laptop as well as various elements of my desk. I even composited a screen recording of the After Effects project onto my monitor in the video to get extra meta with it. I think that came out pretty cool, so I’m proud of that one.
Matea Losenegger:
When it comes to client work, what sorts of assignments pique your interest?
Jake Sojcher:
Recently I’ve done a couple projects I’ve enjoyed with an ad agency called Terri & Sandy. One project was for an organization called Strands for Trans. Their mission is to build a network of trans-friendly barber shops and hair salons around the world. It’s nice to do work for a cause that I can see is doing a lot of good. The other project was for Sennheiser, which was cool for me as an audio nerd and a long time fan of their headphones. The ad featured Dee Snider from Twisted Sister. In terms of future projects, I would love to be able to work on more music related graphics. As a big music fan I’d like to work with local bands to create graphics for music videos, animated album covers, or stage projections.
Dee Snider - Extended Commercial for Sennheiser.
Matea Losenegger:
What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?
Jake Sojcher:
Don’t underestimate the importance of persistence. It can take a lot of reaching out to people and following up before you hit your stride. Also never stop learning and building up your abilities. You can learn just about anything on YouTube these days. If you have skills to offer, and you keep putting yourself out there eventually people will take notice, even if it takes longer than you initially hoped.
Matea Losenegger:
What are you looking forward to in 2023? Are there any creative endeavors you're excited about?
Jake Sojcher:
I feel like my drawing skills are really starting to come along and I’m excited to find new ways to implement them into my work. I’ve also really started to hit my freelancing stride, so I’m really excited to see where the year takes me.
Takeover Tuesday Reece Parker
An interview with Reece Parker: self-taught Animation Director and illustrator.
Q&A with Reece Parker.
Read time: 5min
Matea Losenegger:
Hi Reece! Thank you for contributing your time to our Tuesday Takeover series. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your work?
Reece Parker:
Of course! Thanks for having me. I'm Reece, self-taught Animation Director and illustrator. Subscriber to the famed philosophy "fake it til you make it'. My work leans hand drawn with dark color palettes, but I dive into briefs that range the full spectrum of 2D - and love it all. The more corporate, the more bright and poppy. The more Reece, the more scribbly and dark. 2 sides to one coin really.
Outside of work, I'm a husband and dad to 3 beautiful and intelligent children (Not sure if they actually have my DNA). I also grew up skateboarding religiously, which persists as the foundation of my own personal culture. Fail, start again, fall, get up, on and on. These things influence my work consistently.
Matea Losenegger:
You've been well known in this industry for a while now. How much has motion design changed since you started and what are your thoughts on its future?
Reece Parker:
I discovered and jumped into the industry in early 2016. It was a breeding ground of beautiful and inspired work, from every direction you looked. It was perfect for myself (and young artists like me), with an ambition to join the ranks of those considered great in our field. It was a beautiful time looking back. Empty bank account mind you - but a bursting industry and one that accepted me almost right away.
In 2023, it's still full of beautiful work, but you might have to dig a bit deeper to find it. Industry expanding, client deliverables following suit. But close-knit community might be shrinking a bit. That might be my own small perspective as I become more and more my own island. Or, maybe that's the natural progression of things. This industry is fascinating and beautiful, but maybe less curated and served up on a platter. It has certainly been a shifting landscape for the past several months.
Technology is doing its best to shake up working artists at the current point in time. We will see how that progresses, but I for one stand firmly in the "not worried...yet" camp. It's funny, I was just chatting with a legacy artist in our industry, whose work was among the first of which I was exposed to, about how we might be affected and the validity of our industry moving forward. We all share commonalities but have different perspectives.
To summarize my thoughts on that convo:
Real clients that deserve our protection are the ones that value our input and collaboration. Skillsets might be outsourced, but tastes and ideas are best formulated as a team and in collaboration with clients - relationships. This is something that isn't replaced by technology and is actually the most valuable. For clients that wish for cheaper, easier, faster, and shittier - those clients might flock to AI. Great! Let them. They also have to know exactly what it is they want, how many times have you encountered a client with that certainty..? Taste, ideas, expertise, and collaboration stand as powerful pillars in our industry - despite the tools.
I may eat my words, but Im comfortable with that if it comes in the future. Screens are king, and content is not decreasing in demand.
Looping gif from Reece’s reel.
Matea Losenegger:
As an expert in cel, what makes a compelling animation or character movement?
Reece Parker:
I found myself thinking about this the other day in-depth...by myself.
I think that answer might not be so obvious, animation is diverse - and styles range. Once you have an understanding of timing, you can manipulate it, exaggerate it, work in and out of many softwares, and it be equally beautiful completely realistic, or totally unique.
I think what makes great animation is great design. Strong posing. That's how I see it lately.
For cel or characters specifically, understanding how the body moves and how to position it in your animation. Action is formed first in our brains, and that is limited by our comprehension of how a character might react in reality. Then it can be manipulated or stylized appropriately per the creative, but the foundation is based in reality. Our level of comprehension of that reality "makes or breaks" our shots.
Matea Losenegger:
How did you develop your distinct visual style and how do you keep your ideas fresh?
Reece Parker:
My style is an exercise in evolving over time. I started in this industry with what I thought "motion graphics" was, that being clean vector shapes bopping around. Turns out I had only been exposed to a small (but impressive) corner of motion design at that time. I'm glad I was so short-sided, because the foundation of After Effects forward workflows really balanced my lifetime experience of drawing by hand. When the right time for me to be more artistically driven came along (rather than driven purely by survival) I found my hand-drawn roots ready for me to tap right in. That mixed with a new breadth of knowledge of a whole other form of artistry, more graphic and math driven. The combination of the 2 is really where my style lives. My preference might be to scribble on everything, but that's realistically not the right solution for everything - I understand that. My evolution through this industry has allowed me to deliver on "different" expertise' under the 2D umbrella with confidence and vision indiscriminately.
Still from Trifilm’s short for Microsoft.
Matea Losenegger:
In a similar vein, do you have any tips on how to combat burnout?
Reece Parker:
Burnout! The dreaded burnout. There's no one size fits all solution here. I have had small symptoms of burnout that I have powered through and left in the dust. Other times it has been more all-consuming. Depending on its severity, my first course is to identify it and try to trace it back to its inception. Might have been a lost pitch that I loved that has a lasting effect I wasn't considering. Could be anything! If It's correctly identified, it's a more seamless path through the tunnel and out the other side. If it's being ignored or unacknowledged, how can we realistically work through it? For me it's not always as simple as "take some time off", my work lives and breaths in my head - on and off the clock. "Taking time" off is only beneficial if I've overcome what's affecting me first.
Matea Losenegger:
On your site you say that "from time to time, I will join a project as an animator or illustrator- if the shoe fits." What about a project entices you into those roles?
Reece Parker:
Working in multiple capacities with clients allows me to be more particular about what I take on. It might be as simple as an awesome brief, don't get me wrong - I love this stuff. If there's something that seems challenging and interesting, then great. Or, It might be a legacy client that has supported me from the start, maybe they are in a bind, or maybe they only see me fitting the job. Great, let's knock it out. Relationships above my own ego, and I'm not in the business of burning those that have been there for me.
That being said, what I find most compelling in my current project landscape are projects that mix leadership and artistry. If I can take one shot, while directing the rest of the shots with an awesome team - I'm very stoked. Put simply, I've found that mix of responsibilities really suits my skillset, and the more I've done it the more clear that has become.
Shot from the TIMELORD spot for Battleaxe.
Matea Losenegger:
When pitching for projects, how do you make sure yours stand out in a sea of other amazing studios and artists?
Reece Parker:
I've been pitching like mad! Sometimes we snatch it, sometimes it blows away. It's the nature of the beast. Luckily I'm not completely reliant on pitching, so it's less depressing to be kicked aside. I don't consider myself wholly unique, I just try to be proud of what I present to clients. If I'm not proud of it, I know that there was more I could have poured into it. If I'm proud of it but it goes another way, then I wasn't the artist for the creative. It's really that simple. Stiff competition at the top of the mountain, really really stiff. But Im proud to be considered in those conversations so frequently now. Learning and absorbing all I can.
Matea Losenegger:
What's it like working for a studio like Hornet? What does it mean to be repped by a studio vs working for them as a staff member or freelancer?
Reece Parker:
They are great collaborators, and supportive. We are more intimately collaborative now, more open, and more frequent communication on and off jobs. I'm really excited to be partnered with them and excited about what the future brings.
Outside of that, I work as I always have. My independence is unshakably important to me, so I made sure that was clear in our negotiations. They were and have been supportive through and through.
Being "repped" means that Hornet (in my case, there are many reps) packages up my work and sells it through to their contacts and clients. If there are jobs that come in that feel like they fit my capabilities, they will poke me to see If I'm free and interested. If so, they pair me up with them in their communication and presentation to clients. From there, I champion the vision and creative treatment of the project. Client presentations, team building and expectations, project style and execution, etc. They help me resource the job, schedule it, budget it, communicate with clients, all the things that can be not so-fun solo.
Hornet's reach is as wide as it gets. They also serve a tier of client that Reece Parker as a solo act doesn't reach. They act as my team if we win the project together.
If I win a project solo, and want to bring them in, I also have that ability. Take some of the load off of my plate. But I also have the freedom to tackle it myself, as I have been doing comfortably for many years. Depends on the context rather than one size fits all.
Staff - Im not sure! I've never been staff anywhere but Taco Bell and Costco. Staff artists are there to support jobs that are being directed, and are assigned and scheduled according to their skillset. Hornet also has strong staff artists, that are super super helpful when building out teams in tandem with freelancers or if we can't resource freelance talent for whatever reason.
Freelance - freelancing has a bit more commonality with being repped, and with being staff. You are poked to join a project that is being directed, to fill a need on that production line. That project ends and you join the next team and next project. Instead of jumping to other people's creatives, I find myself more often owning the creative, and trying to source great talent to join me.
Gifs & illos.
Matea Losenegger:
As someone who is revered for their work, is there anything you would like people to know about you outside of your art?
Reece Parker:
The work may be revered, but I don't think Im special. I think the path I've carved may be at least partially unique but also serves as proof of concept for those willing to do the same. LOVE what you do, and keep working at it as a consequence.
Outside of work, I love life. I love my family to death. Wife, kids, parents, siblings, and friends alike. I've been really fortunate, I try to be considerate of that. I love overthinking, analyzing things with Kiara, building things with my dad, and teasing and dancing with my kids. I try to be carefree when it's beneficial to be, and take things seriously that ask for it. It's served me well in life.
I'm a product of independence, my path throughout my life is proof of that. Skateboarding is an individual activity, it's no coincidence that I have remained solo in my eventual career. But I'm not here without the influence and help of so many others. Indirectly or directly from those close to me. Shout out those folks! Much love.
Matea Losenegger:
What does the rest of 2023 look like for you? Are there any projects you're excited about?
Reece Parker:
Some interesting things! I am nearing the end of building out a new warehouse studio. Sort of a dream come true, but so is my current studio honestly. The new endeavor is symbolic of where the business is going, and I wouldn't have invested in it if the business hadn't earned it.
That's something I've really been contemplating. When I was commissioning my shipping container conversion in late 2019, I remember really carefully considering the financial implications of the commitment - mostly just full of anxiety and fear. But I did it because that was what the business deserved at the time. I had those same feelings and reservations about buying my first iMac, as a replacement workstation for my original MacBook that my wife secretly saved for and bought for me to start my career.
It seems so small now in comparison, but those memories serve as a strong example of my commitment to investing back into myself and the business when the time is right. You can feel it, and it's always scary. But the clear lesson is to invest in yourself.
Projects and new things are hush-hush for now, but yes I am excited, and will share more soon! Thanks, Dashers!
Takeover Tuesday Tory Van Wey
An interview with Tory Van Wey: Senior Brand Designer & Illustrator at deel.
Q&A with Tory Van Wey.
Read time: 5min
Mack Garrison:
Thanks for participating in the Tuesday Takeover, Tory! For those that are unfamiliar with you and your work, tell us a bit about yourself and how you found your way into the creative space.
Tory Van Wey:
Thank you! I'm Tory, and I'm a designer and illustrator based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. I have been drawing pictures professionally for 10 years, both freelance and in-house and I am currently a Senior Brand Designer/Illustrator at Deel - a global hiring and HR platform.
Mack Garrison:
Your work is very illustrative but also has a very graphic design feel to it. How did you develop this style over the years?
Tory Van Wey:
This was a natural consequence of being both an illustrator and trained as a traditional graphic designer as well as the influence of my history as a letterpress printer. Over the years I have pivoted my career to focus almost exclusively on illustration and illustration systems, but my history as a graphic designer and printer always informs the way that I approach a project. Most of my work is built using simple geometric shapes stacked on top of one another to create more complex objects. This lends a graphic quality that is hard to achieve with hand drawing. Combine that with my everlasting respect for designers like Marian Bantjes and Saul Bass and love of graphic structure, and I'll likely always be straddling the line between designer/illustrator.
Some of the work Tory has illustrated for deel.
Mack Garrison:
One of the harder aspects of being a designer in a corporate space is pushing creative boundaries. How have you navigated that? Avoided burnout?
Tory Van Wey:
This is a hard balancing act as the diversity of companies hiring creatives means that there are endless philosophies and attitudes about how design fits within the corporate ecosystem, so the creative experience can vary wildly. I am personally selective about who I work for because my skillset is not a perfect fit for every "Brand Designer" role and over the years I have learned to be honest about what I am looking for in a role, and to not hesitate to say if I don't think it's a good fit. This has certainly cost me jobs, but saved my sanity. I also try to bring creativity into corporate creative in unexpected ways. Perhaps there is a vibrant color pairing that feels a bit more contemporary, or I can learn a new technique that I can apply to a project that would otherwise be on the dull side. If I am pushing my own creative boundaries, or learning a new tool, then I am generally happy.
Mack Garrison:
Who are some of the creatives you've looked up to over the years for inspiration?
Tory Van Wey:
I often look to music and children's books for inspiring design. Carson Ellis and Edward Gorey were very inspiring to me in my early career when I focused on work that had more of a hand made quality to it. I also love poster artist Dan McCarthy and have a healthy collection of his prints. Lately I have really been appreciating the work of MUTI, a design studio out of Cape Town.
Some editorial and marketing illustrations from Tory.
Mack Garrison:
It's hard to choose a favorite project, but do you have one that particularly sticks out to you?
Tory Van Wey:
I had a great time designing this Trippy Tropical shirt for a local SF company called Betabrand. It was a really fun synthesis of my interest in botany, and psychedelic creative freedom!
Mack Garrison:
Looking back at your career, what advice would you give to the next generation of illustrators making their way into the space? Anything you would do differently or think is really important to know?
Tory Van Wey:
My biggest piece of advice would be to produce the kind of work that you want to create commercially, even if you need to do it on your own time. People hire you based off of what they have already seen from you, not what they think you might be able to create. That means you need to push yourself creatively on your own time (or perhaps pro bono for friends) to explore the kinds of styles you want to get paid for later on. I would also tell a new designer to not sweat it if they haven't found their voice yet. There's a lot of pressure to find your voice as an illustrator, and I think it's valid, but there's also a lot of room and opportunity for illustrators that are more flexible and can produce work in a range of styles. I might even suggest it's more enjoyable.
Trippy Tropical shirt for a local SF company called Betabrand.
Mack Garrison:
What do you think the future holds for designers and illustrators? Should we (creatives) be nervous or excited about these new A.I. tools?
Tory Van Wey:
I'm as curious as you are about this! I think the industry might become more specialized as illustrators niche down into areas like product/iconography or editorial or motion. We also might see a more global talent pool as remote and contract work become standard and there are fewer limitations in hiring designers abroad. As far as AI, I think it will likely be a new tool that designers will have at their disposal but I'm not personally too worried about it taking over a creatives' role quite yet. After playing around with most of the AI generators, it's apparent to me that a lot of work goes into creating the right prompt to generate an accurate image and often I could have simply drawn it out faster. I'm curious to see where it goes and how AI is incorporated into our daily lives in an ethical way that compensates creatives, and minimizes bias.
Mack Garrison:
Outside of being an illustrator and designer, what are some of your hobbies?
Tory Van Wey:
When I'm not drawing for money you can find me putzing around the garden like an old lady, attempting to learn a new skill (currently taking a School of Motion course!) or herding my two kids up a hiking trail.
Mack Garrison:
Last but not least, anything you'd like to leave our audience with?
Tory Van Wey:
It's a unique privilege to make a living as a creative. Let's appreciate the folks that came before us that paved the way for our skills to be valued, and the folks that continue to advocate for creatives today. And let's not take ourselves too seriously. I think us creatives can get wrapped up in the idea of our own legacy. Do good work, live a thoughtful life, and don't be a jerk.
Takeover Tuesday Vanessa Appleby
An interview with Vanessa Appleby: an art/animation director who straddles the divide between motion design and traditional character animation.
Q&A with Vanessa Appleby.
Read time: 5min
Bella Alfonsi:
Hi, Vanessa! Thanks so much for joining us for Takeover Tuesday. For those who are unfamiliar with you or your work, please give us a lil' intro!
Vanessa Appleby:
Hi! I'm an art/animation director who straddles the divide between motion design and traditional character animation. I've been in the business for almost 15 years now, and I've had a chance to try on lots of hats over the years.
Bella Alfonsi:
How did your career begin? Did you always know you wanted to be in this field?
Vanessa Appleby:
I did not! I've always been a bit of a renaissance woman. I have a lot of varied interests.
In high school, I started drawing caricatures at a local amusement park. I think this is probably the most influential experience of my youth. It taught me a lot about life, but most importantly, it taught me that I could make money with my art. Funnily enough, I still have friends from this time working in the NYC animation industry today.
When I entered college, I had narrowed down my career path to fashion design or animation (odd, I know), so I chose a school that had strong programs for both. I ultimately decided on animation for what I thought was a shallow reason, but turns out was actually a smart one. I liked the people who were going into the animation major much more than I liked the fashion design students. They were funny, and I love to laugh.
I started my career working as a 2d cel animator in Flash, mostly working on childrens' TV. Over the years I transitioned to AE character animation, which led to compositing, which led to commercial motion design, which led to art directing, which led to now. It's been a wild ride.
Personal project from Vanessa.
Bella Alfonsi:
On your website you explain how out of every job you’ve done, directing is by far your favorite. Why is that?
Vanessa Appleby:
The short answer? I like making a plan and executing the plan. That's easiest to do when you're the director ;)
I also love finding out what my team is passionate about and delegating those tasks appropriately. I want to foster a sense of excitement for everyone who works on my projects. It makes the outcome so much stronger.
Bella Alfonsi:
Do you have any advice for someone trying to become a director themselves?
Vanessa Appleby:
You'll have to pay your dues in the industry before people start trusting you to direct. Be patient, keep trying, and don't be afraid to take on a lower paying gig if you get to run the show. You're not going to get to start directing at one of the big studios right out of the gate. Try working directly with clients (think music videos for example) to get some directed spots under your belt. Once people see what you can do when you're in charge, opportunities will come knocking.
Love is at 35,000 feet - directed by Vanessa.
Bella Alfonsi:
You’ve worked with a ton of different art styles over the years. Do you have a favorite?
Vanessa Appleby:
Nope! I'm ADHD and have always loved experimenting in different mediums and styles. I like to push myself and create something unique. I do especially enjoy vector workflows, but that's not exactly a style per se.
Bella Alfonsi:
Your personal illustrations are so colorful and full of life. I think that although each piece is unique from one another, it is still evident that you created all of them. What insight would you give to someone trying to find their “style”?
Vanessa Appleby:
Ha! I may be the worst person to ask. To be honest, having a "style" has always been a point of contention I've internally wrestled with.
In our business, popular looks/styles come and go. A director who has the current "it" look may not have a long lasting career unless they are able to adapt and change with the times. I wanted to be in this business for the long haul, and being as diverse as possible was key for that. I think no matter what, your hand will always shine through even though you're trying to emulate a different look. Your hand will give you cohesion even if your brain is trying to avoid that.
Style frame for QUEST FOR THE LOST CONSOLE.
Bella Alfonsi:
Where do you find inspiration when starting a project from scratch?
Vanessa Appleby:
Everywhere! I go on long walks through the city and often see funny and inspiring things. I'm also a history dork, so I tend to find inspiration from decorative arts and pattern motifs of the past. Most recently I became obsessed with Medieval illuminated manuscripts and scoured thousands of pages collecting funny marginalia creatures. Explore your passions outside of art. Inspiration can come from anywhere.
Bella Alfonsi:
As someone with 15 years of experience, what do you think the future of motion design looks like? And how is it different now from when you first started out?
Vanessa Appleby:
Motion design is already so different from how it was when I started. The biggest shift I've seen is an uptick in women in the field. Between 2008 - 2015 I was usually the only female on a team. This boggled my mind since my degree program was predominantly women.
Despite this, there were, and still are unfortunately, not many women at the top. I do think with the advent of groups like Panimation that things are beginning to change even more. I just hope it keeps going and the industry becomes even more diverse and inclusive.
Bella Alfonsi:
What is your proudest moment in your career thus far?
Vanessa Appleby:
This is a tough one- I kind of hope it's still to come!
Bella Alfonsi:
Any final takeaways?
Vanessa Appleby:
Keep going! This business can be tough, especially when you're just starting out. If what you're doing isn't getting you the results you want in your career, try a different approach. We're creative people. Don't be afraid to apply that creativity to how you grow your career or earn your money.
Takeover Tuesday with Katie Trayte
An interview with Katie Trayte: an illustrator based in Washington, D.C as well as the Creative Director at Duke & Duck.
Q&A with Sarah Chokali.
Read time: 5min
Bella Alfonsi:
Hey, Katie! Thanks so much for being a part of Takeover Tuesday. For those who are unfamiliar with you or your work, please tell us about you and what you do!
Katie Trayte:
Thank you so much for inviting me to participate! I love your Takeover Tuesday series.
My name is Katie Trayte and I’m an illustrator based in Washington, D.C as well as the Creative Director at Duke & Duck.
Bella Alfonsi:
Do you have any formal training or are you completely self taught?
Katie Trayte:
I graduated from SCAD with an Illustration degree, but I am fairly self-taught when it comes to animation. I started out of school as an apparel graphic designer for Hollister. So if I made it here, you can too! I always felt a pull towards animation and storytelling, but never really saw where I could fit into the compartmentalized pipelines of feature and tv. When I found the world of motion design I was, in a word, obsessed. I was also what the French call, "Les incompetents". My love of the work made it easy to find motivation in closing my knowledge gap. It was an area where my illustration and graphic design passions could both thrive, and I was so drawn to the experimental styles and trend-setting approaches happening in the field.
Shot from Sony’s | Barbra Streisand project that Katie Art Directed.
Bella Alfonsi:
You have an impressive resume of clients, like Sony, Nestle, and Discovery Channel, just to name a few! What advice do you have for freelancers first starting out who dream of working with clients like these?
Katie Trayte:
I have spent most of my career in-house. From that experience, I would say there’s a huge benefit to being part of a company or studio to get access to those partnerships. Especially if you’re still finding your style and the idea of exploring a lot of different visual directions appeals to you. In-house is also a great place to get a master class on business and sales. Confidence in these skills can help you to feel more empowered to establish and foster relationships with your dream clients as a freelancer.
Bella Alfonsi:
What steps did you take to go from illustrator/designer to Art Director? Do you prefer doing one more than the other?
Katie Trayte:
I jumped from graphic designer in ‘the outside world’ to an AD at Demo Duck. Not having much motion design experience behind me at that moment was… different, but a lot of the skills that had led me to advance in design roles were still very applicable despite the shift between industries. Effective communication, articulation of ideas, and management skills all help take you from making great art to leading great art. I have such a strategy brain that I’d say art director is the role for me. I love being client-facing and problem-solving along the way during a project. I still get to do a fair amount of hands-on work in an AD role, so it’s a win-win!
Style Frame from Duke & Duck’s project for Nestlé that Katie designed and Art Directed.
Bella Alfonsi:
Do you have any advice for someone trying to become a director themselves?
Katie Trayte:
Start by demanding excellence from yourself in your area of production. If you’re producing high-quality work in your role, you’ll be trusted to own more and more of the pipeline. Hone your voice, always concept from a unique angle, and keep learning about areas of production that may be outside your expertise. Most importantly- develop your people skills! Effective negotiation, collaboration, and communication help to win the respect of your client and your team. At the director level, more often than not, your people skills are going to be what makes or breaks the success of a project.
Bella Alfonsi:
Tell us a bit about the piece, Be Aware. What was it like working with Barbra Streisand? How did the unique painterly approach come to be?
Katie Trayte:
Be Aware was such a dream to work on. Barbra Streisand was much more involved in the review and development of the project than I was expecting, which was a really fun surprise. I even have a first pass of my storyboards that came back to us with her handwritten notes on them! Treasure. She and Sony were both great clients.
Since moving to DC I’ve become friends with Elyse Kelly, who is an independent director and founder of Neon Zoo. I admire her work so much, and when she asked me to join the project I was excited about the opportunity to shadow her directorial expertise. The painterly approach came out of a lot of style development with Elyse. We wanted a look that matched the song- sweeping, emotive, and sensitive to the subject matter. I did initial sketch boards in a gestural, loose hand and that treatment felt like a natural marriage to the song lyrics. Elyse’s body of work is very painterly, so her talented animation team was very equipped to bring the look to life.
I love to paint, but most of my work up to Be Aware has had to be very graphic-driven. It felt like I got to really be myself with this style and say, “Don’t bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!”
Bella Alfonsi:
When you find yourself in a creative rut, how do you get out of it?
Katie Trayte:
Working remotely, (like I do now), or working freelance can make a creative rut feel like a creative canyon. An impossible abyss of creative failure from which you will never escape! On my own, I have never had a great solution for these difficult patches other than to take it easy on myself and let time pass, knowing that I’ll move beyond it. As a team, we’ve started a lot of open dialogue about overcoming ruts and are committing to more open avenues of collaboration this year. We’re working to let go of any self-inflicted shame associated with being stuck by reaching out to each other to talk through blocks, hurdles, or low points before they get too far. We’re having a lot of success. Working remotely, you're much more prone to anxiety and self-doubt that can make you retreat inwards. We’re all being intentional about training ourselves out of this habit through communication and feeling safe to be vulnerable with each other.
Shot from Duke & Duck’s “Plos” brand video Katie designed and directed.
Bella Alfonsi:
What or who inspires you?
Katie Trayte:
Both in my personal time and inside Duke & Duck we’re making more of a commitment to developing children’s IP. We’re even starting a sister brand for kid’s content called Double Scoop Studio! About a year ago, we discovered how much talent there was on our team for telling character-driven episodic content and have wanted to give that talent an outlet. That’s been a big inspiration to me- having this group of people come together that are committed to starting this new ambitious journey. I love working with my team to help find the special stories we have within us. Working together to grow these ideas, with a lot of laughter and joy along the way, feels like magic.
Currently, I’m really inspired by any kids media that takes more of a motion design direction to its animation approach or offers a new style in the space. Hey Duggee, Wide Load Vacay, City Island, StoryBots, and City of Ghosts are all great examples.
Bella Alfonsi:
Any final takeaways?
Katie Trayte:
I think I’ve said it all. Thank you so much, Dash team, for hosting these interviews and for always finding great ways to bring our community together!