why I 'quit' my dreams of working in animation
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- Опубликовано: 17 июл 2024
- this is a different video today! a couple years ago i decided to quit my life-long dream of working in the animation industry... and it was the best decision i ever made.
Dreams are important! They can be a concrete goal to strive upon, full of all your passions and greatest desire. HOWEVER I definitely feel like society does place too much emphasis on the concept of dreams and it can be toxic. This video isn't meant to deter anyone away from trying to work towards their dreams, instead, this is for anyone who feels like they are at a crossroads. That maybe they feel like it's time to stop pursuing that dream, but they don't know how, or feel like they're 'giving up'.
I will be talking about the following:
00:00 - Intro
04:01 - Where it Started (Highschool, Art School and my Dream)
13:34 - Applying For Work + Endless Rejections
21:49 - Controlling my Jealousy
27:56 - Are Dreams Toxic?
30:30 - At a Crossroads/Making the Switch
37:28 - Where I'm at Now!
41:02 - What to Do If You're at a Crossroads too!
✸PREORDER 'THAT'S NOT MY NAME' HERE: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...
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OTHER VIDEOS TO WATCH
○ Getting my Picturebook Deal - • How I Got A Picture Bo...
○ HOW I MAKE MY CHILDREN'S BOOKS! - • ✸ HOW I MAKE MY CHILD...
○ Making a Picture Book from Start to Finish - • Making a Picture Book ...
○ illustrating a book cover on procreate - • illustrating a book co...
○ how i illustrate book covers (drawn on my ipad/procreate!) - • ✸ how i illustrate boo...
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CODES:
✷ Domestika Online Courses on illustration and picture book: hwww.domestika.org/en/courses/...
✷FlexiSpot E1 Height Adjustable Standing Desk: Get $15 off coupon from my link: flexispot.refr.cc/anooshasyed
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LINKS
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All music is from Epidemic Sound 
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I am blown away by the response on this video, thank you guys so so much! And thank you for leaving all your comments and sharing your story with me. I can’t reply to all of them but just know I read every single one!! ❤️
Also, I would really recommend reading through these comments just to remind yourself that you’re not alone in this :)
So Happy that you posted this video....
I loved your honesty in this video! It is really hard to switch gears when you are so focused on something you want. Also where did you get those cute budgie earrings?
You're seriously great👍 at illustrating books Anoosha! I want to become just like you someday.
I remember in high school the art teachers would discourage kids from drawing anime, and now we have artists making money drawing cute anime style twitch emotes and v-tuber models, and of course the anime con circuit and fandom merch stores are huge. I think finding an art career is more about finding the jobs that fits the art you already naturally do, not trying to transform your art to fit a job
Love this kind of thinking!
It's both. If you're a skilled artist. You can apply your skills to any style. That's the point of having strong foundation skills.
@@rockon8174 sure. but if you're going to be miserable drawing in a style that is so outside your natural way of drawing, just for a job, is it worth it? drawing things you're just not into is mentally draining, no matter how skilled you are. it's better to seek jobs that already fit your style imo it's possible more than ever in the time period we live in
@@kupotenshi There's a balance to it. By having good foundational skills you can improve your anime style as well. You can make it look exactly like you want it to because you know how to do all the other stuff. Yeah, it's draining sometimes, but learning skills aren't supposed to be easy if you want to be really good imo. You can distinguish your style from others and get more attention for it.
@marshmxllow fluff i think they mean more like how some teachers would discourage students from drawing anime for the sole reason that there was "no market" for it in America
God, i really needed this. I related so hard to the "kid who can draw" part, lol. I always loved to draw as a child and everyone told me that I was really good at it and that I would make a career out of it. So I believed it. And then I went to uni to study arts without really knowing what art school was like and it was a huge disappointment because we had classes like sculpture, oil painting, performance, art and technology and all of this different things that I knew nothing about nor did I enjoy. So I ended up dropping out after three years because it was taking a huge toll on my mental health and I found myself completely lost. I always thought I would end up becoming an artist so I didn't have a plan B. I enroled in a makeup school completely on a whim and luckyly foun out that I really enjoyed doing makeup and that I was also good at it, so it became my new dream. But a few years later I found out thta my country does have quite a small industry for makeup artist and that is very hard to get your foot on the door. Also, after working in small productions I also realized that even if I loved doing makeup, i didnt quite like the uncerten nature of freelancing work on the enterteinment industry. And then 2020 happend. Two years latter, at 28, I found myself not knowing what to do with my life. I've recently reconected with my love for drawing and, thanks to therapy, I've been able to recognize that I'm actually good at it. Since uni I've always strugled with impostors sindrome and, since drawing always had come natural to me, I started believing that if I wasn't improving as fast as I used to it was because I was simply not good enough. I guess I've always struggled with the concept of hard work because I was scared of putting my all into something and it not being enough. I think I'm finally at a point in my journey were I have the strenght to actually try. And I found your video at the best time possible. Thank you so much.
Yeah 2020 knocked all around here too… Resist
omg girl THIS IS THE STORY EVERYONE NEEDS TO HEAR! Thank you so much for sharing this 🥺 and i'm so happy to hear you're on a path that resonates with you more. I find it interesting how you mentioned Tangled was also one of the animated movies that got you into animation and it was about changing your dreams, and here you are living your best life in your changed dream!
Only now am I realizing the connection of Tangled and dreams haha. I’m so glad that you enjoyed this video!! ❤️❤️
Michelle! Talking about taboo topics, can you talk about ageism in animation? Is that taboo that there is not much answer from animators online.
@@kolacao8134 omg yes please
"you were my new dream"
Omg hi bestie! I have your video queued to watch after this one!
“Dreams can be quiet, and that’s just as important.” Wow, that hit hard! Amazing video that I really needed to hear right now, thank you!
That stuck with me too! I really needed it :)
@@SkyFoall aw2
time stamp?
Funnily enough, my dream was to be a children's book illustrator, and I've ended up as an animator. I wrote and self published a book, and I've done some illustrations for other books freelance while I work full time as an animator, but never been able to really get illustration off the ground as a viable career. I do love animation as a craft, but my current job is taking me down a particular path I'm not sure I want to go professionally, so I'm at a bit of a crossroads myself. This was a great video to watch with regards to the concept of "giving up" on your dreams and the fact that people can just change, it doesn't have to be seen as giving up on your dreams. You can just change what you want in life.
It's Robyn! 🤯✨ did not expect to casually read this in another videos comment section. I just wanna say I'm so grateful you kept on doing animation and guide us rookies through this battlefield called animation 🥺💖
@@bennett2873 ah, that's so nice ! Thank you I appreciate it, I'm so glad my videos help you !
Someday yoi'll successed
Thank you for all your animation tips and guides! They’ve been a huge help.
@@Punk-Mask That's awesome to hear, I'm so glad!
Didn’t know how much I needed this. I recently let go of my dream of becoming a film maker. I used to think film making was the only way I could be apart a community that helped tell meaningful stories. A few months after letting go of my filmmaking dreams I took a job as an art teacher/librarian and slowly started integrating my love for graphic design and filmmaking into my classes and started to realize how much more fulfilling and important it was to me to help my students tell their own stories.
Thank you for sharing this!
I went to Gobelins and after working for 12 years in animation, I've decided to quit it for a lot of the reasons you stated here. I think the biggest mistake people can do about animation is thinking they could "create meaningful art". Animation is an industry and the vast majority of people working for it only sell their skills, not their art, style or ideas. I've recently heard someone state a famous movie director saying, "making a movie is like painting a canvas while you're fifty feet away from it and you can only tell 60 persons how to paint on it by talkie-walkie". It's easy to think you'd be the director, but it's plain to see that it's only for a handful of over-talented or well-connected people and all the rest are just holding the brushes (and nothing says that the director will enjoy the process or even be happy with the result). And I've come to a point in my life when I can't stand holding the brush for anyone's else creation anymore. I've always felt way more creative fullfilment by making my own comics aside from my animation jobs (except that I couldn't make any living out of it lol). I'm currently facing a life-crossroad too and I couldn't agree more with all you said in this video!
"Dreams can be quiet" - yaaasss girl. Thank you for sharing.
"Dreams can change", yes! Growing up I wanted to be an animator, but when I saw all the work that goes into it I was like, " New Dream.... Illustrator it is!". I like the satisfaction of a quick finished drawing over working years on one project. ☺😁 The mental struggle of artists is real. 😌 Self doubt, anxiety, depression, mixed with joy, excitement... Lol. Yup that sounds about right. But after a while, and your skills improve, you sort of come to terms with your abilities and you learn to be gentle with yourself and your art. Looking back you see how much you've grown and you begin to realize that you have blossomed into a beautiful artist. 😎😘
I turned 25 last November, and last year had been the most difficult year of my life. I was diagnosed with a shitload of chronic illnesses (I'm basically a person with disability now) that impaired my ability to create and think - hence, I had to quit my music career, right when it was starting to gain some traction. I had to cut ties with the record label that was good to me and I had to give up working with my mentor and musical idol. It was one of the most difficult decisions of my life.
I feel like I died already - when you attach your identity so much on your dreams and what you do, the moment you lose sight of it, you lose your purpose as well. And it's all my fault really, I'm stubborn to a fault. I had those horse blinders for years and sacrificed my mental, physical and emotional health because I thought it would really pay off in the end (not bragging; people told me I was really good and had a future with it if I just put my head down). What happened instead is I forgot about my health, relationships, and got seriously ill in the process.
Someday, I hope I can be where you are right now. Thank you for sharing your story, it gives me hope.
Read book and site, "What Really Makes You Ill." Also see a naturopath. Get a hair analysis and a toxicology report. Being hit with sudden illness is mostly due to toxin accumulation. It's not genetic.
I have a disability, and after living with that my whole life, I will tell you that as you begin to get a hand on your own illness, you will find yourself able to do more things. It may not be in the capacity or the area that you want, but if you open yourself up to exploring different kinds of creative Pursuits as you are able, you may yet find fulfillment. I wish you the best of luck on your journey.
@@rockon8174 🤡
@@Fairygoblet Thank you. I'll keep that in mind
I’m so sorry man, I hope that you get the motivation to keep going! God bless you!!!
Yep. Ever since I was little, I wrote songs and sang. I got fairly close to a record deal, but nothing planned out. I have notebooks full of songs that very well could be hits, that probably will never even be recorded. It’s something I devoted the first 30 years of my life to before I had kids. There just doesn’t seem to be a path for music in my life anymore and it’s devastatingly heartbreaking. I truly believe(d) that was what I was born to do. I’m not bitter anymore, but I do get sad. Now I just sing to my 5 kiddos and that’s enough for now. Sometimes I get angry and it all seems like such a waste. Why would I be given all of these songs to write and this voice if no one will ever hear them?
All that said, I also always have filled my life with art. And at a very young age picture books fascinated me and sucked me into fantastic worlds and situations. As an adult I have an embarrassingly huge library of picture books that I’ve collected. I can blame my addiction on providing good reading material to my babies. 😉 a few years ago, before turning forty I started focusing my time and energy on actually producing picture books. I now have a notebook full of book ideas and storyboards and sketches. Working on finishing illustrations for my first book with at least five more in the early stages. In my art, I’ve found a blissful realization of a different dream. With music it was cutthroat competitive and backstabbing. With art, I get to just create what I love, and it’s exciting to me that I could publish a book that could inspire a kiddo like so many books inspired me when I was a child. 💗
Why don't you post your singing on RUclips and Twitter and Instagram? So you can be heard
@Itachi Uchiha Thank you so much and I completely agree that it was for the best. As an introvert, I would have wilted under all of the attention. I’d much rather continue making music from the comfort of my own home, in between books and if I’m able to release it independently, great. But my inner peace is WAY more important to me nowadays than showing what I’m made of. 💗
This is awesome, and like the other comments, you could try to upload to RUclips ! again, this ageism shit needs to stop. I'm tired of seeing people that became successful at 20-25. I want the 40s yo singer success story, or the 70 yo writer !
@@witchylaurie my mom started writing novels in her mid 50’s! Now she’s got 4-6 out! I guess I don’t feel held back by my age at all. I feel so young still. Music has always been a fight to finish. Art has always been effortless. I won’t necessarily quit music. But it’s definitely a difficult process to even put something indie out that I’ve done all myself.
I'm kindA at the part of life where everyone got dream jobs except me , have been applying everywhere for a job for the first time for a librarian role while all my friends got a dream job, the feeling of envy and jealousy is so so baaad. I'm glad you talked about this bc I was feeling so shitty ;-;
The other part of my life is good tho i got to make a cover for a book with a big company without even asking for it! I thought that because i have never gone to art school and am from a 3rd world country i would'nt get this opportunity but somehow God paved the way :')
God didn’t do it, you did. Stop giving your power away. ❤️ you were made to do amazing things on your own, no one is paving your path but you. No one is to blame but you, you are your own architect.
God's path for us is works out strangely, doesn't it! ^u^
Dream jobs never last. After a few years I got tired of it. Now it's work. And I'm planning my next dream job..
There is no such thing as a "dream job". How do you know it's your dream if you've never experienced it before?
Me too have a dream job
But dont know how to pursue it
Didn’t know how much I needed this talk! 💖 I can relate to so much, especially the part about holding onto things because if you let it go it’s like you were giving up. For me it was teaching physics, I went to school and studied physics, I thought I wanted to be a professor and when I did it for a year I realized I didn’t love it. It gave me so much stress and anxiety. But I held onto it because I did not want to admit that I actually wanted to do art this whole time. I was scared of what people would say/think. So just in case people asked me what I was doing, I held onto that job just so I had something to show for all my years of school. I finally took a break from it last year and it was the best decision I ever made. Every now and then I do feel guilty or slightly jealous of peers who are working in the field/ or at a fancy lab or engineering company. But I know deep down that I am meant to be an artist. And I know if I keep working on it, I can make this art thing happen for me 🙏
Amazing Marlene! I had no idea you had a physics background, it’s so impressive that you had such a big career change! I wonder (if it’s something you had wanted) if there’s a way to combine the two together? Like scientific illustration or illustrating a book related to your teachings? In any case I am so excited to see how your career grows!
You hit every note, key, and chorus of how I've felt for a while! Even working freelance feels shameful at times because it's not the status quo 9-5 that my family expects, and the jealousy that comes with it is real.
Its interesting that tangled, a movie all about dreams, is what sparked yours! And then another disney movie helped you untangle (hehe) your complicated feelings about your dreams. I feel like im in a similar position and hearing this was so helpful!! Thank you as always!
I didn’t make the connection at all until afterwards! Tangled literally ends with Rapunzel saying ‘you were my new dream’ 😭😭
Thanks for sharing your story.. for us artists, it's truly a struggle to find our path, and it's inspiring to hear yours. subbed.
Aw thanks for sharing your story Anoosha, it was lovely to hear!!
Our paths have been a strange wiggly road with unexpected turns too. Sometimes rejections can feel devastating but with hindsight, you realise they truly were a blessing in disguise :D
- Steph
Thank you so much steph!!
needed to see this today. i pivoted torwards art teaching because thats just what was avaialable in my area when i graduated art school. im not making a whole lot but im getting by and i have more time to animate than i thought i would. but my "inner child" just will never shut up about me not being a showrunner or director of some kind.
like bruce lee says man. you gotta be like water. take th e opportunities that you can get and make with them what you can. and the older i get the more i find out life usually does the unexpected and through that you grow in a new way. getting the trip you NEED not the one you WANT
🤘🏻
Similar thing happened to me. I got kicked out the house the day before I graduated with my BFA degree. So I had to find a well paying job quick because technically I was homeless for 3 mo. I reached out to a recruiter from a charter school who reached out to me while I was still in school. The position was still available. That was in 2018, I’m still an art teacher till this day. But I keep having that pull to pivot to animation my first love. But just like Anoosha my life circumstances, priorities have changed. I’m married, trying to start a family, recently got into real estate. With all of that im struggling letting go. But I also know it’s not for me for other reasons it’s just difficult letting go of the wishful thinking attached to a childhood dream.
I'm so glad I clicked on this. The rejection stage of your story is my life right now. Applying nonstop for jobs for over two years with nothing to show for it, despite having a BFA in Animation. Seeing my LinkedIn feed makes me feel sick at this point. I turn 25 in a month and I dread it more than anything. I'm not ready to "quit" just yet, since I'm lower class, I can't return to school to try again. I hope I can learn to get over this pain and find something that works for me. And not have to worry about money for the rest of my life. Thank you for sharing your story!
Maany good points in this video,
I do think dreams can be toxic, it brings an expectation (normally based upon no actual hands on experience but a daydream), this can lead you to lose scope of the bigger picture which is you wanted to do something you thought you would've enjoyed. Some people get in the industry (games industry in my case) and realise their mental depiction doesn't match the reality (or worse their skills aren't what they expected so they don't even get into industry to begion with). You then have to be honest and admit this isn't what you expected and switch, or suck it up and tell yourself you love it so you look like you made it and are happy externally.
I believe knowing when to quit is actually on of the most important traits a human can have, trying to chop a tree down with a hammer isn't a good idea, maybe you're meant to be knocking nails elsewhere but to see that you have to turn your back on the tree sometimes, and due to social media and as you said underdog stories (which by definition represent something that DOESN'T happen often which is why its made into a film, its a fantasy) there's a negative perception to quitting something which means you get trapped trying to look like a success to people probably struggling to be a success themselves.
Bare in mind i speak realtively partly from hypothetical and part from experience, in my case I did athletics for years (wearing a nike T-shirt that said "Never ever ever ever give up" which is dangerous in itself) and gave up after 6 years, that was 100% the correct decision, I'd have failed at that long term for sure, its a genetic based sport lol, I wanted to be a pilot academic wise until i flew a small plane on a lesson (single engine 4 seats). It didnt't meet the 16 years of expectation and i dropped it there and then. Then I went all in for Game dev, the parameters clicked (i.e i was more built for it than the previous subjects), and I went uni, killed it and had 2 dream jobs in a row, I just left that second dream job unexpectedly in december to start freelance and I had no plan of leaving until years later but something bigger popped up. That last job was 100% fit for a "dream job" so I left sad tbh but freelance pays exponentially more so even if its only an 80% match passion wise (still higher than most people ever reach), because passion alone doesn't pay the bills, 20% compromise for 100%+ financial gain is fine for me. In general on your journey its best to every so often , pause, survey your surroundings, if the environment has changed, pivot, readjust then continue. Tunnel vision can take you off a cliff in an everchanging world even if it was once on target :)
Beautifully said, thanks for sharing!
This mindset in this video is disgusting to me. Giving up IS failure. And no, 'everything does not happen for a reason'. You just quit and failed. that's all that happened,
@@paloma4444 While I agree that "everything doesn't happen for a reason" the phrase si often used as a coping mechanism to deal with things outside ones control, its too 1 dimensional to speak in such absolutes when it comes to the idea of failure (or success). People change, things change, times change, what works today doesn't work tommorow.
Also Failure or success to who? based on what parameters? in what subject matter? Most goals are time based, what is the time limit before success is still deemed a failure due to taking too long? This has to be defined and even then once defined, who set the rules?
Most big end goals have many avenues, If you find a way that doesn't work it doesn't make sense to repeat that failed method expecting a different result, that's being stubborn or persistent (same thing) but in this case would make you a permanent failure lol, it would make sense to readjust until you actually succeed. Its goes "adapt or die" for a reason, what "is" isn't necesarrily what "should be"
This is why i used the tree analogy, Yes if you give up trying to cut down a tree with a spoon, then yes you failed to cut down a tree with a spoon lol but what was the real goal here, cutting down the tree? Getting wood for fire?, you wanted to build a table lmao, there are other ways. If the goal is cutting down a tree specifically with a spoon, is that really a good goal and is it really worth succeeding at lol. this goes back to the parameters of success but you get the idea by this point.
Tunnel vision is dangerous, if you're too focused on succeeding with a spoon you will you miss other oppurtunities to succeed and you will "die on that hill"
the idiom the hill you want to die on is used when describing something that will make or break one's reputation, or result in either glory or ignominy. Ignominy is "public shame or disgrace." I mention this because you used the word "disgusting" which is a charged word lol it means on some level you're already in this mindset.
I'm in med school. And last year I took a step back and... I realized how much my study fucked me up. If there is more than one person sitting across from me in a work situation, I get nervous. If I'm not sure about something, I both don't dare to say what I think it is and I don't know how to say that I don't know. Thinking about making a test. Just any test, makes me cry.
Failing anything makes me fall apart and want to... well at least not be me and not talk to anyone ever again.
Med school made me feel insecure and worthless. I did feel more shame than pride when I got my bachelors, because others did it faster and better.
I'm (almost) 26. I've been doing cosplay since I was 12, and when I was 16, Avengers came out and changed my life. I wasn't into Marvel or superheroes at all, but I loved the movie so much. My friends told me that we had to wait to through the credits to see the after credit scene, and that's when I saw costume designer as a job. And, like you, I had this sudden realization that my love for cosplay and costumes could get turn into an actual job. So I went to college, but the only one that I could afford only had a fashion major. I thought, well, as long as I can make clothes, I'll get a job. So even though I was miserable, I forced myself to finish college. But, when I applied to jobs, everyone was shocked that I had never worked in a theater before and didn't see how fashion connected to costume design. (Even though I had a costume portfolio and fought my professors every step of the way to make it so.)
Then I moved to Atlanta where all the Marvel movies are filmed and after a year, I had failed to make connections and was still rejected from every job. I even went to part time and hardly had enough money to eat because I needed to 'get better at sewing'. I realized that... I'm satisfied with how I sew. It works for me, and I don't have to make costumes for anyone but myself. I realized that the networking and cattiness of the theater/film world wasn't for me. Now I'm trying to figure out what to do next. I am now living in Germany and learning German (Which, learning a second language has always been a dream of mine in itself), and university is free here, so I have every avenue to explore. I'm considering art history and/or museum work. I think once I start down the path, I'll find the niche that's right for me...
Keep going. ;)
Ended in this video because i m giving up my costume career too i m thinking studying tech in the future because i don t se art as a stable career now and i need my stability for my anxiety.
@@LadyVerg I'm consideringn tech too! It's okay to explore different stuff.
this has helped so much with my university choice. i wanted to go into concept art for disney for similar reasons- i like how it inspired me and i wanted to do the same thing for kids. after firming games art as my university choice i was crying everyday and i just brushed it off as 'ive never done it before so I'm scared'. jump forward about a month, i had no offers- i decided to change every single course to illustration. after this i got my offers back almost instantly and i got into my top 2 unis. watching this video helped me realise that i prefer illustration even though ill always love the animation side of it. and there's nothing stopping me from teaching myself these things! anyway, I'm going to firm my top university soon, this video calmed me down and made me realise that i am doing the right thing. thankyou for sharing this!
I wanted to be an animator since I was very, very young. I used to watch behind the scenes videos on youtube, I adored the animation industry, I even made it into a charter arts hs where I was able to take classes relevant to that passion. I was so *sure* I was going to go into animation. Then the pandemic hit and I realized I had so much time and wasn't nearly as passionate about it. I was scared shitless about letting go of animation. I also have so many interests it's a little paralyzing to commit to one thing. Rn I'm at community college and I've swapped degrees twice, and I'm currently aiming for a degree in business. I still want to do creative things, but I'm more interested in the production angle than being in one specific role forever. Letting go of wanting to be an animator was such a transition and sometimes I still feel sad about it, but the art I've made since has all been BETTER. I also realized a lot of artists weren't really happy about their careers. They were successful, but I'd see them at gallery shows and they'd just...seem so empty. There's a lot of egotism. I have issues revolving around validation and attention and I think...art might have been a coping mechanism for a long stretch of my life. So stepping away from tying it to my identity was scary. I have my ups and downs but its nice not to hinge everything on art and animation, and just enjoy things as they come
Oh my god. Just today I was reconsidering my passion if I really wanted to pursue animation or not... I was thinking of maybe majoring in business again while attending an academy with an animation program! I still don't know if my choices are gonna be worth it but it feels so nice that there are people in the same situation as me.
I wanted to be an animator too so I could make my own films. Then I went to "the Harvard of Animation" for art foundations. But then when I was there I found that animators were being trained to be cogs in a pipeline and not artists. Many were working like crazy and some had no ideas or film director concepts after years. But people in illustration were building their own visual voice, they were making their own books. So I went that direction and, 20 years later, I've been able to do both. Even doing animation for Disney, though it was for ads to sell jewelry. But now I know I can come up with concepts, build storyboards and pursue my own vision.
Yo, I am in that boat. My entire identity was latched onto being the "art kid" and had the very narrow mindset that I would make it working in Disney, Cartoon Network, etc. But now at 28, my priorities changed. I tried working on my art full-time, but my savings quickly dried up. I do not wish to become a starving, broke, lifeless husk in the machine. If I'm gonna be working hard, it'll be in business. I decided to go back to school, and see where it'll take me. Art will always be my hobby, and maybe someday I will make a living off of it, but I need structure and a career that can give me the lifestyle I always wanted. Can't make good art if I ain't happy.
I also love how you talked about tangled at the beginning because one of the great arcs in that movie is also a 'quit' dream. At the beginning of the movie eugene wants to be rich and popular, and after the events of the movie his priorities change and his love becomes his new dream. Sometimes change is for the better.
You were like send from heaven, thank you so much! I was so depressed, this month I just kept getting sadder and sadder.
I always dreamed about making a career of drawing even tho I didn't even know in what exactly. It was not until I finished my career as a graphic designer (and getting frustrating over it as it was not what I wanted in the end) that I learned about what vis dev is and all those amazing jobs in the animation industry. None of that was even mentioned in my school or college as it didn't exist in my country (most people just said art would make you poor). I'm from Latin America and here there was so little information and the access was so limited when I was younger that I really felt it was impossible to make a living as an artist or work in any of those projects. I'm older now and being a pro artist is still my dream, but I feel very depressed sometimes; even tho now it's more possible than ever and there are a few indi studios in my own country now, social media shows how other younger artists work remotely and have incredible skills and connections while I feel so left behind and not good enough. I almost start crying when you talked about jealousy bc I feel like a terrible person for feeling it, and I start hating my art and myself thinking that after all this time drawing I should be in that pro-industry level and I'm not. But I noticed recently that my biggest problem is that I don't know what to do, I want to do art but to achieve what exactly? I'm without direction and that's why even tho I'm constantly illustrating and learning, I don't have a route and my standards just keep expanding.
But then I remembered that I want to tell stories and to connect. I started drawing bc I was very shy, and bad at communicating and making friends as a kid, but art gave me both a scape, but also a connection to people, the possibility to talk. I could spend all my time drawing, imagining stories in my head. I don't need to be terribly good AAA video game level for that, maybe I just should put myself out there and ask for critiques.
You are so open with everything it really feels refreshing
I hear you, pal. Latino buddy here! I want to become an artist with mad drawing skills too. I started studying animation in my country and even though I know I like telling stories through drawing, the feeling of going into a direction that might not be the best fit for me sure is intimidating. This girl was right spot on, people continue evolving and so their dreams do. I guess only time and the effort we put on keep discovering ourselves will tell what our future holds. Best wishes for you, you're not alone ❤
Hey I have the same thing! I want to tell stories and connect with people! As much as I’d love doing these things the only problem I have is that I don’t know where to start or know how to learn to get myself from point A to point B (and having the same problem as your country being that if you work for art it makes you poor) I just hope that someday I would find a way to solve that problem and maybe begin to pursue that without delusions or hesitations. Until then my journey is still incomplete
Wonderful. Thank you for sharing your experience. For a long time I thought I'd illustrate comic books or try to work in animation, and I really think part of that comes from the adults around me not being very imaginative when it came to thinking of art jobs. Even now as I provide for my family illustrating board games I sometimes get told that my work would make a great movie, like that's the real goal that every artist should aspire to. I'm so grateful to find something different that works for me, and I appreciate your perspective so much!
That’s great to hear! And board games sounds so cool!
I’ll admit I got a bit bitter you talking about lack of resources yet I live in CA and was never blessed with the financial and physical support I needed to have that opportunity to pursue ANY sort of art careers when I was young. I was hung up on supporting myself at 17 after having all my jobs earnings from the age of 14 taken from me to support my mom and stepdads illicit activities. All schools out here are an hour and a half at least away and I had no money for transportation or school. The support you had would have meant everything to me. I’m glad however that you ended up explaining how you were thinking the wrong way and that every situation is different. It’s amazing and inspiring where you are now and thanks so much for sharing! I am now 30 and am hoping to start an actual art career in the next few years despite having young children and having a lot of hardships with little support from family. Wish me luck ✌️
I had a similar realization when I knew my artwork is not ready for the animation industry. I wanted to work on backgrounds but my work was not on a professional level and I wasn't working on my art often enough to improve in a short amount of time. This was after art school and I was working retail. I enjoyed making art but was not good at keeping myself accountable and probably doing freelance work. I tried to apply to other jobs like graphic design and other computer skill jobs but I was rejected again and again. However when I updated my resume to say that I was working with all kinds of printing machines thats when I got a job at my dream company! I am now working there full time, mostly doing some graphic work but printing a lot. I am happy I have a very stable job with a great company. I still work on art but more casually :)
Good for you! Maybe the key to happiness is less about achieving your dreams and more about finding a good balance between enjoyment and work
thi video has me crying in my office (at an animation studio!!!), i struggled a couple years with this too, the pressure of "pursuing your dreams" is so strong but sometimes its not even your own dreams, its what you THINK your dream is because everyone else is doing it. its so hard to find the correct path to follow your true heart. im still on it, trying to find the one that fits me. thank you so much for this video, you are amazing and so brave
Reminds of the end of Tangled when Flynn says "You were my new dream" and goes back to being Eugene. Your story is super relatable! I'm 32 and have always been trying for animation my whole life. I've done a few cheap kidlitart jobs and the illustrator lifestyle does seem to appeal to me more. But I'm still at a point where both studios & the kidlit agencies are rejecting me and I'm not sure what my art strengths really are. I get more attention freelancing as a clean up animator online, but I noticed I only enjoy animating when its not a rush job for money. Trying to go with the flow, like you said! And putting more time into my illustration skills than before (Your other videos have been very helpful). You make a great point about figuring out the actual core of the dream, and using that to help with the prioritizing decisions!
I really like this video. I've actually never had a dream job. I'm getting my PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences ( I love research and science), but I love art and learning things in general too. Right now I'm teaching myself graphic design. My favorite medium is watercolor, I am teaching myself Korean, and I'm writing a book. Just because I want to. I may never make money with these things but that's fine with me. I see art as a hobby, and I don't think I would ever want to make it a job. Recently I went to a Van Gogh exhibit (which was amazing) and an older lady asked if I'm an artist. I said no it's just a hobby. She just replied sounds like an artist to me. This got me thinking how much we limit ourselves just because it's not apart of the big dream or it doesn't add monetary value.
Definitely needed this! Thank you so much, Anoosha!! ❤️
This was a great and informative video! Thank you for taking the time and resources to make this video!
This is such a good video! I love how gentle you are with yourself reflecting on your past, but also very honest and real about your feelings, insecurities, and struggles. Its really very beautiful to see someone genuinely open up like this.
Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your story! You’re oozing with so much wisdom and your story is so refreshing, validating, and encouraging.
I really needed this Anoosha! Your videos are so helpful and touch so many important things that are usually ignored. Thank you!
This video is so real. I've gone through this process countless times. I'm glad you're talking about this! Thanks for sharing!
This video couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Exactly like you, I saw Tangled when I was 8 and realized that real artists actually made the films I adored come to life. That’s when I decided I wanted to work in animation. I had always loved drawing and been the “artist“ of my school, and I received a lot of praise for my work. Everyone was sure I would accomplish my dreams of working for a big animation studio. In the meantime, I started a social media account where I casually posted my art, but it grew a large audience I became a full time freelancer illustrator by the time I was in high school. I also wanted so badly to attend a fancy art school like CalArts or Sheridan, but my family didn’t want me studying so far from home. I was able to get into a really competitive arts program at a local college where many alumni work for big animation studios. I’m now in my first year of a college, but I’m feeling the pressure of all those promises I made my younger self start to way in me. As my freelance career as an Illustrator takes up most of my time, and my current portfolio strays further from animation, I’m worried I’m heading the wrong direction (even though I’m happy). I feel pressured to live up to what everyone close to me, including myself, imagined I would be doing. I know I still have time, but I’m not sure if I even want to work in animation, or if I just want to meet other people’s expectations. It’s been a really stressful crossroads coming to the realization that my old dreams might not suit who I am now.
My take away from this video was not to stress about it. Just go with the flow, see where life takes me, and I’m sure I’ll be happy as long as I stay true to myself. If it’s meant to be, it will be. But it’s not worth changing myself and working towards a dream that doesn’t represent who I am now- just to please my younger self and others around me. I now see that I’m not giving up, I’m simply keeping my options open. I don’t have follow any strict rules or stay in one lane to be happy.
Thank you so much for this video, its something that ppl don’t talk about enough. You definitely gave me hope and assuaged my fears!
If your illustration career is growing....keep it growing!!!!! You earn enough to buy a home doing illustration why bother doing anything else!!!!
Thanks Anoosha 😭💕 needed to hear something like this, the ups and downs of being an artist can be so defeating. Figuring out where I fit right now, lots to consider 💕🥰
Incredible video! I needed it 🧡 You’re awesome
this video has been appearing in my recommendations for weeks, so i finally watched it, and it was exactly what i needed to hear. thank you!
It's good to know what is on your list for this year. Thank you for sharing.
All your words are so inspiring , im glad someone talked about jealousy in creative industry. At the end of the day focus on what makes you happy. and 100% correct dreams can changes too
Wow! Thank you for saying all of this! It definitely puts a lot of things in perspective and helps a lot!
Thank you for being so honest about your negative emotions you experienced when you were looking for job, I really needed to hear this, I felt so relieved especially the part you talked about rapidly evolving dreams
This is really an amazing message. Thank you for being so open about the process and your true feelings. I totally agree, as we evolve as people our wants and dreams change too.
this was a very chill video, thank you :)
this video is so so important, thank you for saying this !!
thank you SO much for making this video! This topic has been on my mind for a while now, and I really needed some advice. I took A LOT of notes from this video!
Thank you sooooo much for making this video. You've no idea how much it helped me to feel better about my path and mindset.
Thank you! This was very helpful, Anoosha. Love your videos.
So much insight and wisdom in this video. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. 💜
Everything you're feeling about jealousy is 100% my experience, too! It's so so meaningful to hear another artist talking about these feelings and how they worked on the issues it brings up
Envy is ignorance.
this is soo good! thank you so much for sharing. this helps a lot. :)
I feel SO RELATED to the story you just shared...thanks for putting words to most of my thoughts and feelings...38 and still looking for the right path for me, but definitely on the gol! I am really glad you made it, CONGRATS! every artist should watch this video!
I really needed this video. Thank you so much!!! Love you art and Im VERY happy you popped up in my youtube feed :)
Thank you for speaking so candidly about your career/dream pivot experience! I’m in the same boat and it took me a long time to even have the guts to switch to doing what I know I’m passionate about. Looking forward to seeing more of your illustration and videos! 😊👍
Came across this video today. This is by far one of the best videos I've watched, and in touches on so many things that are left unspoken. I've been dealing with all of the things you listed here, and you sharing your perspective has really helped me. It definitely has me thinking, and revisiting my goals, but also understanding that it's ok to adapt too. Thank you Anoosha!
This is the most perfect video I've watched lately! Everyone needs to hear you words. Thank you so much. I'm an artist too and sometimes is really hard and confusing.
Loved this video so much , I really needed this , thank you 💕
OMG Thank you so much Anoosha for talking about this subject and sharing your experience, it was so inspiring !! I always love your videos but this one is sooooo helpful ! 💜
This is exactly the video I needed right now. It fills me with hope so thank you so much for sharing your story.
I haven't even finished the video but I can tell you that this is what I NEEDED to hear. I'm a filmmaker and writer. I have poured my whole heart and life into this, still with no success (on a LARGE scale). It's hard not to get sad and discouraged. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this!!
Thank you very much, thank you for this video. These were the words I had to hear right now. Thanks for sharing your experience. ❤
Haven’t finished this yet, but Anoosha! Your story is providing me with amazing perspective! It’s less about changing my work to fit my dreams but DISCOVERING my dreams through the work I love making.
Loved hearing your story, thanks for sharing. Life is such a weird struggle... I hope everyone can reach a good path for themselves.
Love it. I'm in that road block wanting to get into animation but feeling stuck. For sure evaluating more will help and see what I should do to feel like I am getting somewhere. Thanks again for all your videos
Thank you. Your videos always motivate me and this one came just in time to avoid falling down in bad thoughts again.
Seeing this is such a relief in this point of my life. Thanks you so much!
This resonated so much with me! A talk for anyone and everyone. Thank you!!!
wow thank you for this video! I learnt a lot and definitely relate to a lot of my personal experience with artmaking
girl thank you for sharing! love this so much :)
Thanks Anoosha this contents is really honest and helpful! I agree 100% and so happy to hear your experiences! :) Thanks a lot! looking forward to watching another video about bad artist feeling!
you just helped me feel so much less angry at myself. loved listening to this. I'm still not sure what my career will be yet, but this gives me hope
Thank you for this. I feel less alone where I am right now. I have friends from college who graduated a couple years after me and immediately landed their dream jobs. I’m ashamed of the resentment I felt when I learned about this through Facebook. It’s good to know others have been through this and found fulfillment in the end.
You are just like gold. Find you was a happiness! Thank you for sharing your story ❤️
This was a helpful perspective to hear! I made the switch from medical research to illustration a few years ago (big change!) and have been struggling with a lot of these same issues. It's good to know that I can go at my own pace!
This is exactly what I needed at this point in my life. Thank you so much for this wonderful video
this is THE VIDEO that i needed to watch, thank you for sharing your path, not only it feels similar to mine but it also is inspirational and doesn't make me feel like its all over and there's nothing wrong with falling out of your 'dreams'
Thank you! I needed this video
This made me feel 100% better and helped me focus on my portfolio while I listened. Thank you so much for sharing your story, it's crazy to feel less alone. I really resonated with the ownership of value when it comes to your own journey as an artist. Thank you for helping people 'get the hint'.
THANK YOU for talking about your bad feelings. This is something I have been struggling with trying to break into the illustration industry. It is so soothing to hear other people have this issue same as me.
I have been in this exact mindset for a year now, nearing the end of my animation major and also becomming more and more in love with books and illustration work. Thank you so much for your honesty!!! This helped!!!
this was so inspiring. i too have left tmy animation dreams behind and have finished my degree in illustration and am currently doing my masters in children's publishing. its so validating to see someone go through the same struggles as you. thanks for the video
This is such a relatable talk, even tho I'm not an animation industry. I understand going through rejection in job searches and dealing with jealousy. DREAMS CHANGE, and thats okay!! Thank you for sharing your story! 💗💗💗
I wanted to like this video soooo many times over! Thank you for this.
Thank you so much for talking about failure and the misconception and toxicity of the concept of dreams in 90s/00s movies.
I grew up thinking that following our dreams was the most important thing and eventually crumble when I found out my carrier path was not exactly what I expected it to be.
Right now I am pursuing my dream of being an illustrator but in a less competitive/ demanding way in order to give myself space to express my passion genuinely and without to much stress.
THABK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THIS!
Oh my goshhhh I resonate with this so much! I wanted to be an animator so bad but I realized illustrating is really my path.
On the rejection bit 😭 I appreciate you for being open/vulnerable!!
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I feel like it is so important to talk about this. After watching your video I found myself less scared of the future and art career. The underlying need and pressure to be successful early in life can really put someone in a dark hole. I really liked what you had to say and immediately subscribed, thanks :)
Thank goodness I came across this video. Thank you so much for what you're doing 💜
wow im late but this video is amazing. so honest and inspirational. thank you for this!!
Just... THANK YOU. 💖
Your story inspired me A LOT.
This video couldn't have been recommended at a better time.. Its so tormenting when its all in your head and u want all these things.. I can't even believe the similarities between my story and yours.. I was in a bookstore a few days ago and the childrens books/Illustrated books got my attention i was like y haven't i thought abt this before like its so obvious.. So im at a crossroad now and ur video shed some light onto the situation thank u very much.. And ur other content are so valuable.. How haven't i discovered u before..timing is everything
wow what you shared made my day. amazing thankyou so much!
Anoosha you have no idea how hard this hits girl. I really resonated with a lot of what u said and you were able to speak for my deepest fears as a 18 year old teen. I've worked so hard through all this pandemic to achieve my goals but I have this constant fear of loosing myself for my goals. I'm a Mexican girl and I know the pressure. I know my parents want me to do what I love and succeed but I´m starting to be too overwhelmed with founding money and school that all this is so stressful. I feel like im working but not being rewarded. I still have this fire in me but idk when it starts to burn myself. Please keep making this content, you are my favorite artist and you sharing this is so comforting. Thank you. Please take care of yourself
I relate so much to your art school journey.. Its really reassuring to hear from another POC studying art outside US/Canada about their experiences!! Thank you
I love this. I studied film for two years because I wanted to be a screenwriter more than anything. But I knew something was missing, even if I didn't want to admit it. I left my film school to study political science, and all these opportunities opened up. I got into film because I wanted to connect with people and help them feel seen, but I realized that I could do that (and more effectively) with diplomacy and writing books. I think I also just wanted to be famous 😅 It's so important that we be honest with ourselves in this way. We should all be more accepting of quiet dreams 😊
thank you so much for this! as an international artist i don't often see other international artists talk about their experiences at least none that are as well known, this was a great video and i hope to see more of what's coming :)