The Work Itself and My Thoughts About the Semester
From character design to storyboarding and everything in between, this experience has been an incredible journey. I’ve had so much fun, but I’ve also discovered a lot about my shortcomings in this medium. Moving forward, I know I need to be more intentional in my approach, such as committing to drawing at least one thing every day. One recurring piece of advice I came across in the YouTube videos I watched was, “Just start, don’t worry about the results, they’ll come later.” Those words really resonated with me and have since become a guiding principle.
Still, I can’t help but feel a little frustrated when I think about what I could have achieved if I weren’t working full-time while taking this course. It’s hard not to wonder how much more polished and refined my work could have been if I had the time to give it my full attention. But the reality is that cutting back on hours isn’t an option. If I did, I couldn’t afford to be here at all. It’s a double-edged sword, and it’s been both exhausting and rewarding.
The Group Work and How It Went
For lack of a better term, horrific. In the beginning, during the world-concepting phase, it was great. Meeting people in my first week was exciting, and I’ve even made some friends through the project. However, so much went wrong in the latter stages of production. We couldn’t settle on a story until about three weeks before breaking off for Christmas, and by that point, I was just done with some members of the group.
I tried not to let that frustration affect the project, and I know I’m not a fantastic artist, but it became incredibly challenging when we were trying to break down characters and actions, plan the storyboards, brainstorm ideas, and I was being shown references that, eight weeks into the project, didn’t thematically fit with anything we’d been discussing. There’s a breaking point.
Overall, the project was fun, insightful, and full of learning, but I’d prefer not to be in the same group moving forward. I know it was my choice to join this group because I liked the idea we had been nursing since the first week, and I genuinely wanted to be part of that. Unfortunately, one particular person made it very hard to enjoy the process from the second week onward.
Final Thoughts
I know the previous section was quite emotive, but truthfully, the ups and downs this semester are what made it such a significant learning experience. I’m relieved it’s over and excited to move forward. However, I know I need to work much harder and draw a lot more next semester if I want to reach the level where my ambitions lie. I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead and feel genuinely excited about what’s to come.