Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I grew up in New Jersey, then came out to California to attend CalArts and stayed! I was very fortunate and got my first Union storyboarding gig between my second and third year at school, working on Close Enough at Cartoon Network. I met some really wonderful artists there, learned a lot about working in a studio setting, and am forever grateful for everyone who took me under their wing.
After that, I got a couple more gigs in adult primetime productions as I finished my degree, working as a floater Board Artist at Bento Box and Netflix. Post-graduation, I joined Surfing Giant Studios, where I worked on a project for a pre-K audience for the first time, titled Hey A.J.! It was also a musical and proved to be a really fun and valuable learning experience.
Unfortunately, by the time I started wrapping on that project, the industry was already rapidly contracting. Like many of my peers, work was becoming increasingly hard to come by, and so with no leads in sight, I took a job at a grocery store. During that time, I worked on a couple of freelance projects here and there, but the time I spent away from my desk and talking to new people was honestly really refreshing. I re-entered the Union when I was offered a spot on SuperMutant Magic Academy, which I just rolled off this past summer—now I’m back on the hunt again for work!
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
Initially, I really struggled with the redefinition of my relationship to art once it became my full-time job, and it was just exacerbated by the burnout, self-doubt, and constant job searching. When the pandemic hit, I was still riding the high of wrapping up at my first big job and completing a particularly intense school year. Then everything shut down, and I was spending all my time at home. At that point, the momentum came to a halt and a mountain of burnout suddenly caught up to me. I decided to take a gap year to work remotely, and during that time started to question my passion for animation and storytelling. For a while, I couldn’t draw for fun in my free time anymore. Since then, I’ve taken time to explore other hobbies outside of drawing, like drumming, reading, and exercising, which has helped immensely in rediscovering my creativity. It’s definitely still a process for me, but I think I’m getting better at finding the balance day by day. I’m happy to say that I’m finally at a point where I’m excited to draw for myself again!
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
I’m constantly inspired by the incredible artists around me, both in and out of the studios. Seeing my friends and peers work on their personal projects is an immense source of hope and excitement for me, and I’m really grateful to be here, surrounded by such a vibrant creative community.
In the world of indie animation, I’ve really enjoyed seeing the works of Felix Colgrave, Sonnyé Lim, Ian Worthington, and Kirsten Lepore. Their voices are so unique, and it’s really cool to see the variety of tones and subjects that can be explored within animation. I can’t deny my roots however, and I will say I grew up watching a lot of anime, so I’m also very inspired by Masaaki Yuasa, ONE, Hiromu Arakawa, and Yoh Yoshinari.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
I want to keep working on shows that I think I would’ve loved to see as a kid and teenager. Animation is such a wonderful medium with a great capacity for a wide range of storytelling, and I want to keep contributing to that. I also hope to keep honing my voice, and I’d love to get to a point where I feel fulfilled and proud of my work, both professionally and personally.
What does being in the Union mean to you?
It means being in a community and having each other’s backs, through good times and bad times. Especially with all the uncertainty right now around everything, it’s empowering to know we are all here to fight for each other.
Learn more about Jessica at her website.
Follow her on Instagram and tumblr.
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