Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career.
I’m originally from Chicago, born and raised. I come from a pretty broken environment and have been on my own since I was about 16. Fast forward: I began my professional career in 2020. I’ve primarily worked as a Character Designer and Storyboard Artist/Revisionist, and like many others, I’ve struggled trying to stay afloat these past few years. Even though I haven’t quite managed to sustain that “long-term gainfully employed lifestyle” yet, I’m still hella grateful to be on the journey!
Why did you want to begin volunteering with the Guild?
I’ve actually never shared the reason why I first started volunteering with the Guild specifically, but it’s honestly pretty simple. Back when I first started working in animation, I had no idea how the Guild worked—that committees and groups even existed—and most of my colleagues didn’t either. It wasn’t until I received a Revisionist test from a signatory studio, (literally asking for about two pages of script fully thumbed, boarded, and cleaned up, with conforms and labels, all with just a two-day deadline), that I had to know if there was anything the Guild was doing to stop these kinds of abusive practices. That’s when I learned of the Testing Committee. I sat in on their next meeting and swiftly joined the fight soon after, and from there I’ve branched out into volunteering with a few other committees and groups to continue helping out!
What is the best part about volunteering for you?
Honestly getting involved with something you’re passionate about can be hella rewarding! I know everyone greases their feathers when it comes time for negotiations (as we all should), but I’ll tell you what, sometimes it’s the work you put in when the masses aren’t watching that makes the most impact!
When you’ve spent an entire year collaborating with a handful of other TAG members reaching out to families and loved ones of those who have passed within our industry to honor them in our Afternoon of Remembrance Ceremony, or directing the yearly Queer TAG Community Zine that takes upwards of six months of prep and collaboration, putting together one of the largest LGBTQIA+ global productions to ever exist, the memories you make are literally one-of-a-kind and will truly last a lifetime. Those are the moments that make giving a little time and effort all worth it to me.
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned while volunteering?
Dude… so many of us are on the exact same page, we just might be looking at things with different perspectives. It’s truly remarkable how when egos get put aside, so many of us want the same things!
What have you learned from volunteering that helps you in other areas of your life?
Talking. Anyone who truly knows me knows I’m HELLA introverted, straight-up hermit crab, facts on stacks, but volunteering is a great way to help bolster your communication and people skills! Also, “knowledge is power.” Even though I can’t make it out to every committee meeting or rally, when you volunteer at an event, odds are there are people there who have, and they can help catch you up to speed on important industry info.
What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about volunteering?
If you can conceptualize something, odds are you might be able to make it a reality (although it may require you to roll up your sleeves and do some of the heavy lifting yourself). “Be the changes you wish to make” or whatever the saying is! If there’s a cause you feel passionate about, I bet there are probably others that feel the same way! And if you have the bandwidth to try and start pushing toward that goal, I say go for it!!
Besides, “if you build it, they will come” especially applies to volunteer stuff! Even the volunteer work I do outside of TAG, whether it’s helping run the Sketch Toonz community or volunteering as a mentor in Story for All, I know for a fact that what I get out of it is going to be directly related to the efforts I put into it!
How has contributing to the Guild as a volunteer impacted your life?
I think I’ve met some really cool people through volunteering. Personally, I think I’ve drawn the proverbial short stick in a lot of departments in my life when it comes to stuff like jobs, status, and financials, but being able to donate my time and efforts with my contemporaries for causes we’re all striving towards has probably made the most positive impact for sure!
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All art by Ed Gaskew.
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