I am always getting inspired when watching movies or shows. Sounds cliche, but it’s true. My favorite genres to watch are horror and sci-fi. While I do prefer to draw and animate cartoons, you can get inspiration from any format. Live action films are an art of their own. You can get away with a lot of things in animation, but to get away with things in live action is much more tedious, and sometimes much more creative. I absolutely love practical and special effects. Watching them happen in both film and real life is so mesmerizing. Little Shop of Horrors is an amazing example of clever and intricate work in a live action film. They had built a giant puppet of the Audrey 2 plant and it was puppeteered by multiple people. Not only was it animated by a handful of people, it was actually sped up in post production to make it appear more fluid in motion. Because of this, the actors had to prerecord their lines, and then act it out in a faster pace to match the dialogue and the movement of the plant. Absolutely amazing work put into such a campy musical. I enjoy a lot of things, of course. If I had all the time and energy in the world, I’d definitely make as much works as I possibly could. I want to make a horror film or cartoon, or a fantasy film or cartoon, or a comic of some sorts. There’s so many fun ideas and not a lot of time. I also like to make some of my characters relatable to me. It may seem a bit restrictive, but I usually tend to write for myself in private personal projects. If it’s something I’d like to share, I make it a bit more broad and not as definitive. I’m Mexican American, so a majority of my characters or stories will have some elements of that represented. I think it’s especially important now to push more representative stories due to the current political climate. It’s not about pushing some sort of agenda, because there is no agenda, it’s simply a story. It shouldn’t matter what a character looks like or what background they come from just as long as the story is good and compelling. Of course, depending on if someone is writing a story from a background other than their own, they should do so respectfully. Creatives shouldn’t be confined to writing and creating stories about their own experiences and theirs only. It’s wonderful to have anyone of any background to write a story of their own or others lives. Creativity stems from everywhere. Nature, work, school, your neighborhood, down the street. You can find inspiration from everything and anything. And that’s part of why creating is endless, because there are truly endless possibilities of what you can create finding inspiration from the world around you, or the world from the past. Fairytales and folklore, history books, fiction books, biographies, video games, movies. I’m always getting inspired by everything I encounter. And love when I’m able to execute my ideas properly, with a great piece of art or story that is either for me personally, or something to share with everyone.

I believe Super Smash Bros is my best and favorite multiplayer game. I have a lot of fond memories and nostalgia from Brawl, which I also believe is the best installment of the franchise because of how fun and re-playable the Subspace Emissary is. I've played a decent amount of Ultimate as well, but it's usually been only in multiplayer with friends or family. I recently played it with family while we were together for New Year's Eve. I do believe it might be my favorite time I've played it just because how many people I love were there. I have many memories of playing the game with friends and my partner, or people at school for the typical video game club. But now that I'm sitting here trying to remember my favorite moment, I do think the most recent game session might be my favorite. It was me, my brothers, my nephews, and my sister and brother-in-laws. It was a lot of fun and a lot of yelling. What made it the most fun was the fact that the older ones have not played the game in a long time, especially not on the Switch, so to have to teach them and watch them play for basically the first time was really funny. And then even more funny, and also infuriating, that of course the younger ones know how to play it better and were always the winners. Despite having played Smash many times in my life, I still have no idea how to play. I don't know any combos, I'm the type of person that smash all the buttons in hopes it does something. The funniest part of the night was when, for a reason I can't remember, it was settled that everyone would get one free hit on my younger brother. At some point, my nephew K.O.'d my older brother to which he got upset and turned off the Switch. Not because he was angry, but because we had all agreed we wouldn't hit or kill anyone at the moment, and he had made the poor decicion to choose King K. Rool the round, so my nephew mistook him for the younger brother because Rool was one of his mains. It was a pretty funny moment, albeit infuriating since he turned off the console immediately after the incident. But it worked out because the game doesn't automatically shut off and restart so we were able to get back to gaming. I love that Smash is the type of game to tear everyone apart and get everyone yelling. Not in genuine anger, it's all in good fun. But man, my younger brother's voice is so loud sometimes he's the only person you can hear. Smash Bros is definitely a definitive game of, well, gaming. I wonder if they'll make another installment, even though I'm pretty sure I had heard Ultimate was going to be the last one. I wouldn't be surprised if they changed their mind, though. I'd welcome it, just as long as Nintendo can stop charging 60 dollars for their games. Despite Ultimate having the more clearer memories due to how recent they are, I do hold a soft spot for Brawl since it was one of my first games to play on the Wii. And again, the Subspace Emissary is the best part of it. They should do what LEGO and DC did and compile all the cutscenes and release it as a movie. I would watch it.

As an artist, I love to create. I love to create in many ways. I'm majoring in animation, with a desire to work in the animation or film industry. I just want to be able to make art, no matter the media. However, as much as I want to create, a lot of methods and programs typically used in the industry are out of my reach due to how costly they are. Animation programs are either a big one time purchase, and costly monthly subscriptions. Not only that, but with a lack of a strong and powerful computer, I am unable to have these programs because of their disk space size and how packed they are with tools. I simply want to be able to create anything at any moment, and to have it one day grow big and hopefully impact people the way art has impacted me. I am thankful to have the resources available to me at school. But it wasn't always like this. Even at a young age, I used what I had to be able to make art. All I really had was a simple phone and tablet, or paper and pencil. Drawing with my finger for animating on my tablet, and then I would record audio using a Nintendo 3DS. Then I got a laptop and a drawing tablet, and was able to draw on another platform. Working with what little I had was enough to help me learn the basics and be resourceful. But even then, and even now, I want to be able to use industry standard programs and resources at home, or anywhere other than the workplace. I don't want to make art just because it's what I want to do for a career, I want to make art because it's what I love doing. It's not just a hobby or a career goal, it's my life. I wish I had all the time in the world, and all the resources, to make art all the time. While using what I had was the best way I could overcome my lack of proper resources, I had other obstacles to deal with. I deal with a couple issues, mentally. I struggle often to find a reason to continue going to school, create art, or average daily tasks. My solution is usually to just ignore my feelings and inner turmoil and do something that distracts me or makes me happy. I try my very best to have a positive attitude and mindset. Some days are harder than others. The negativity can become really distracting and overwhelming. Spending time with friends and family and other loved ones are what make life worth living. Just hanging out and talking and having fun and not having to worry about work or money or homework is what truly matters. I try to spend as much time with those I cherish, not only as a distracting from my sad mindset, but because it's the best part about living. Moments where I can just laugh with friends or family are the best. As difficult as life is, at least having people to be with and love make it worth it. I one day hope for a life where none of us have to worry about anything. A life where we can be happy.

I’m Malenni, or more preferably Xavier, and I’m genderqueer. I use they/them/theirs pronouns. I had realized I was queer when I was around 14. It was the little things, and then the little things turned out to have deeper meanings. Sometimes things from when I was even younger that I realize could have been signs to a transgender future. I have had a decent amount of queer friends since then. We’re all supportive of each other, of course. I’ve never felt neglected or left out of the community. I have gone to my local pride parade twice. I do wish I had been able to go more, but sometimes plans and timing didn’t work out. The first time I went to the pride parade, it was a lot of fun. I had went with some friends, one of who whose dad was part of a small local group that signed up to be in the parade, so I got to actually be in the parade and walk the whole route! It was a lot of fun, although very tiring since it was the middle of summer. I remember passing out stickers to people watching, rushing to be able to give as many people a sticker while trying to keep up with the parade. I had a lot of fun that year, and I wish I could walk in it again. But other than going to the pride parade, I haven’t been to many other events or gatherings. Unless you want to count LGBTQ+ clubs at school. My current school has a fair amount of queer students as well. Speaking of school, I major in animation. I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil, and have wanted to draw for the rest of my life. I always thought animation was cool and interesting, so now I’m going to school for it. I want to work in the animation industry. I don’t mind where or what position just as long as I get to draw or animate. I could work for a big name studio, or a small independent studio. Again, I don’t mind which just as long as I can do what I love, and if the pay is good. Money is a big issue of mine, and is often an obstacle in my life. I can’t afford many things or programs that I use in school. Most programs I can only use on campus on the school computers because I only have a laptop at home. Not only that, but the programs are expensive; either they’re a costly one time purchase, or costly monthly subscriptions. I can only do so much with what I have. I hope to one day have everything I need to be able to create and do as much as I want. Art is an important part of life, and artists are important people. Without artists, we wouldn’t have our favorites movies, shows, and books. I want to make art as my career, my hobby, and my life.

Let me preface my entry and say that I am an animation major. I have animated traditionally, digitally, and even in CG. Now with that aside, my goal as an animator, and an artist, is to simply create. I love to create. I want to be able to create anything and everything I can think of. Unfortunately, one of my main obstacles is money. The best programs that I use in school, or industry standard programs, are expensive. Either they are a one time purchase, or monthly subscriptions. These prices stray me away from purchasing or subscribing to them because of how much they charge. As an animator, I have a lot to work with. I can animate in 2D programs or 3D programs. All of which are unattainable unless I use them exclusively at school. I would like to use them outside of school and in the comfort of my own home. Not only that, but I do not own a very strong computer. I only have a laptop. Some of these programs would not operate properly on it, so I one day hope to own a stronger computer. A stronger computer can help me use more programs, such as Autodesk Maya and Zbrush. This money would help me be able to purchase either a stronger computer, and then to buy these programs I can use to animate or storyboard. Although, as much as I’d love a new and stronger computer and the money to actually buy these art programs, most money I have would actually help me pay rent and buy necessities. I take out a lot of money from FAFSA, some of it being loans. Tuition is expensive, and so is everything else, especially in California. I do really wish I could have the programs and the money to be able to create and work, but I can only get one thing at a time. It’s difficult to have a regular job due to the fact that my school hours are so long, I don’t have the time to do much else. Not only that, but I don’t have a car to be able to get to a job. All in all, money is a big issue for me, creatively, and realistically. I want to create, and I want to animate. I want to work in the industry. I want to maybe be able to open my own studio. The big name studios are promising, yes, but I also do seek to work for smaller independent studios. Best case scenarios would be remote work, or flexible work. I don’t care where I work just as long as I can make art and be happy about it. But even then, the pay is also important. Artists are often dismissed as real jobs, but where would everyone be without their favorite movies and shows, and plays and books. Artists are important, no matter what media or format. We just need to be seen as such and given the same opportunities everyone else is given. I want to be happy with my career. I want to be happy, accomplished, and proud of my career as an artist. All I need is a little help.

I started my journey as anyone else, such as taking small steps regarding appearance, name, and pronouns. I've gone through a few different stages in my transition, my biggest step being going on gender-affirming therapy. I'm nonbinary, to put it simply. I don't view myself as male or female. My identity is complex. The only genuine issues I've had are when it comes to legal stuff since I usually go by a different name at school and with friends. I try my best to keep it separated and keep my birth name only on legal documents. I was lucky enough to attend a supporting high school and college. They make it rather easy for transgender individuals to feel welcomed. I didn't have a hard time applying to my school or getting accepted because of being nonbinary, because like I said, they had name and pronoun options for applications. I have felt very safe and welcomed at school as well, especially with the general student body also mostly being LGBT in one way or another. My major is traditional animation. I realized much too late that the sister major, experimental animation, might have been the best fit for me. Thankfully we do similar assignments and use the same programs, so hopefully I'm not missing too much. My ultimate goal is to work in the cartoon and film industry. I don't mind exactly which job position just as long as I get to work there. I also hope to one day be able to open my own studio, whether it's big or small. Aside from animating or storyboarding and such, I also would like to become a voice actor. I've done some acting in high school and I really enjoyed it. I've done voice acting with friends for fun. Both are fun, and I think I would enjoy voice acting a lot. I want to be able to voice multiple characters in multiple media. I would like to be recognized for both my artwork and my voice work. For my stories, I try to make them snippets of myself and my story. I design characters that look like me, my friends, or my family. I enjoy seeing characters that look like me, and I want to see more. Even more so, characters with similar gender identities as me. I enjoy visualizing fantasy and horror stories. I aim to make one of my own someday. I'm thankful for the recent representation in shows and movies. It's important no matter what, but I also just enjoy seeing a character I can relate to. I want to make a character like that, for others to see and relate to. Whether it's important to their identity and story or not, people like us deserve to be main characters in stories too. I'm going to create a story about a Mexican American nonbinary person, somehow someway.

Helping others truly stems from the goodness of your heart. In a world of cruelty and rough times, kindness can go a long way. You never truly know what someone's going through, what their home life is like, what their school life or job place is like, or what's going on inside their head. Some people only help others hoping to receive something in return. While it is understandable to want something in return, that's not the point of being kind and helping others. It's about friendliness, community, love, understanding, compassion, strength, and courage. The smallest things can mean a lot to someone. Sometimes just getting something off a high shelf for someone at the grocery store is enough to brighten their day. Humans have survived this long because of the community and support everyone gave each other. Everyone cared for each other and treated each other with care. Yes, of course, things were certainly different in the past, but no matter who you were or whatever the reason, there was always a community to support you. Many of us have made it this far because of helping each other. Helping one another helps us grow and understand each other, and helps us advance. Everyone is struggling in their way. Whether it be financial troubles, family issues, personal problems, or relationship problems, everyone has something on their mind that's worrying them. Of course, nobody has to reveal any of their issues to anyone, which is why whether or not they're struggling or willing to share what it is specifically, we should be kind to one another. Our lives are only so long, and they can be cut short at any given moment. The real world can be tough, unjust, and unbearable. To those who feel isolated, prejudiced, or rejected by others, the smallest gesture or smile will brighten their day. I get told by my parents to never give homeless people money if they ask for it because they'll use it for bad things. But is there truly a way to know for sure? What if they genuinely need money to buy food or clothes? We have no real way of knowing. And even if they did use the money for bad things, so what. When you're at the lowest of the low, and all hope seems bleak, what else is there to do? Most jobs require home addresses, emails, phone numbers and other proof of residency and such anyway, so if you're living on the streets, there's a high chance you don't have most of those things. And some jobs might reject you just for being homeless anyway. With mental health and other personal issues, we have no real way of knowing what someone is dealing with. So instead of giving them a hard time about, we need to be compassionate and kind to one another.

At first, I never thought of myself as being 'depressed'. I simply thought it was just harder for me to do typical things. Although, I guess the medication should have been a sign. I'm well aware everyone struggled during the roughest patches of the pandemic. I remember feeling hopeless and missing my friends dearly. I remember being terrified of getting older, so much so to the point I couldn't imagine myself being older. I had said something concerning and that resulted in me getting medicated. Things have gotten better since then, although some of it was also helped by having a better mindset. The therapist I first had was very nice and helpful. We started meeting in 2019 I believe. Everything was going well, and I was going to take a big step in regards to one of the issues I had been dealing with, but of course, lockdown happened and so we started meeting over the phone, and most things we were working on were put on pause. Most of my issues resolved themselves over time, both due to support from friends and family and by improving my mindset. Most of my issues at the time were about college. I was worried about moving out to live on campus, I was worried about tuition costs, and I was worried about living on my own. Some of these were normal fears, and of course, things turned out okay for the most part. I still chatted with my therapist until she had to move elsewhere, so I got a new therapist. She is also kind and easy to talk to. The pandemic was rough, and somehow now in college, things feel harder. I've had a hard time enjoying all my assignments, enjoying my classes, even my classmates. As an art student, my craft is my work. It gets draining, and you lose your love for it. With depression, it can be especially difficult. It becomes hard to give it your all when you're exhausted from life and school. My depression mostly stems from my inability to truly be able to change anything about this world and country. I alone cannot fix the system, the government, wages, or laws. The same can be applied to financial aid and loans. College is expensive, and my family is poor, so we have no choice but to take out loans. Money is another strong contender for my poor mental health. Wages are bad, jobs are terrible, workplace safety is also bad, customers are awful, rent is high, groceries are expensive, and gas is expensive. Everyone is at their breaking point, and yet all the companies care about is their money. It can be very demotivating to work for minimum wage, live paycheck to paycheck, and have every necessity be expensive. As a young adult, it is especially demotivating watching all this happen and having to deal with it. Most people my age have no chance of making it anywhere or owning a house or apartment on their own. Most of us are living with several roommates or living with our parents. The current state of everything is honestly detrimental to my mental health, and I can only hope things get better before it's too late.

To put it simply, I’ve always loved art. I always wanted to be an artist as my career, but as I got older, that changed to wanting to be in the animation industry. I want to one day work on an animated project of either a film, a cartoon, a game, anything. Just as long as I get to draw or animate. I’m currently a sophomore at my private art school majoring in Traditional Animation. I really like that I can get hands on experience for all kinds of work that the industry has, such as traditional animation (paper animation), digital animation, storyboarding, 3D modeling and animation, and more. And now, I am going to be completely honest. I’m like most other people at my school. We all watched animated movies and cartoons and we thought they were cool and wanted to be able to make one of our own someday. But recently, this path has started to get roadblocks. Not just for me, but for the people already in the industry. Animated projects are starting to get rejected, canceled, or removed entirely. People are losing jobs, and shows aren’t getting the ending they planned. As a student attending school in hopes to work in the industry someday, this has become very demotivating for me. It makes me feel like all my efforts are ultimately going to be all for nothing. As upsetting as animation news is, I can’t just stop pursuing my degree. I’ve already made it halfway, I have to keep going. Wanting to work in the animation industry, and constantly hearing about the bad rep it has from its workers, I have an idea to hopefully, someday, be able to have my own studio. It’s going to take a lot of effort, and probably a lot of money, but I want to see a new animation studio that actually cares about animation and its workers and its fans. A place where every artist is applauded for their hard work; the animators, the clean-up artists, the storyboarders, the writers, the visual designers, everyone. Where projects aren’t canceled because of money, where the medium is actually appreciated by all. Founding a studio is a big goal to have, I’m aware. I don’t know exactly how I’m going to go about this idea, or where to begin. But if nobody does, who will? I have to try. And try I will. I’m aware the prompt of this essay asked why I’m passionate about the arts and what artwork is the most important to me. But I feel like what I’ve already said answers it. Artists are passionate about their work. Artists deserve to be congratulated for their hard work. I’m passionate about art because it’s all I’ve ever known. It’s something I love and enjoy. I love animation, and I love what it’s done for me and for everyone. Animation is a much bigger part of our lives than most people think. Too many people look down on animation, claiming it’s for kids, clearly not aware the first cartoons were very much not aimed for kids, nor did they have kids in mind. Animation deserves respect. Animation deserves recognition. Animation is for everyone.

In a predominately eurocentric world, being an artist of color can be rough. Yes, there are famous artists of color, whose artwork is shown around the world or their songs are played on every radio station. But sometimes, for smaller artists, it's difficult to get started. I'm an artist of color, specifically for the visual arts. I aspire to work somewhere in the animation industry or field. I don't necessarily have a preference, I would just be happy to be a part of the creative process. I would love to work on someone else's work, or work on my own. My goals are a bit hard to define as of right now, but I do know that my highest goal to reach would be to run a cartoon of my own someday. Currently, I am in art school with a major in animation. I still have a lots of ways to go, but I know someday I'll reach my goals, one way or another. I had already completed my first year, and I still have many things to learn in the next three. Now, not only am I Latino, but I'm queer. It's wonderful seeing cartoons now have more characters of color and queer characters. Not just for those of us who grew up seeing little to none of it, but for the young ones know who get to grow up with seeing themselves on screen. If I were to be able to highlight a cartoon of some sort, I'd want it to be something people of all ages could enjoy. I want it to include characters that look like me, so that the children that look alike can feel represented as well. I want to include characters that have varying identities and cultures. I want to be able to respectfully portray Indigenous characters. While a cartoon of some sort that could appeal to people of all ages would be wonderful to make, I also feel like my storytelling could be aimed at a more mature audience, but who says I can't try both? Why not have a show more kid friendly and also another show more mature. Animation is for everyone. The industry right now is slowly making its way to be more inclusive of all cultures, races, and identities, and that's great.

I’m thankful for the things I have. I’m thankful of my supportive family and friends. Despite money always being an issue, we always find a way. I’m Mexican. I’m female. I’m LGBT. I aspire to work in the animation industry. It’s always been a dream of mine. I personally don’t mind what position in the industry I get, just as long as I’m a part of it. I could be a storyboarder, a writer, or a clean up artist, and I wouldn’t mind. I want to work on other people’s stories. I want to work on my own stories. I hope one day I can have a cartoon of my own. I hope one day I get to work on an animated movie. Just as long as I’m doing what I love, I don’t mind. I was lucky enough to live a blissful childhood. Now as an adult, I see the world for how it really is. It’s as if everyday brings a new setback. I always try to do a little something to help. But even so, I still feel like I’m not doing enough. As a kid, there really isn’t a lot of options for me. There isn’t a lot that we can do, and most things are out of our control. People say to vote, as if that will change anything. Voting only partially helps, and very little. With the recent billings in regards to women's and LGBT healthcare and disregarding climate change, things are starting to seem as if we’re going backwards. We cannot let this happen. Truly, and I mean honestly, we have to do something. They say violence is not the answer, but only because they’re afraid. We’re afraid too. Which is why violence is the answer. I know most people will find that as “too radical”. But I, and many others, do not. It’s simply how we must go about these times. Honestly speaking, yes, all these bills and laws are indeed blockades to my future. I’m a person of color, I’m transgender, and I’m female. For someone like me, it is continually getting worse. I’m lucky enough to not be disabled as well. For as we all know, if you’re anything other than cisgender heterosexual able-bodied white man, you’re in trouble. I don’t like seeing the rights those in the past had fought for be taken right back during my adulthood. It’s depressing and demotivating. I want to do something. We need to do something. I’m well aware that the words I have written in this essay are jarring, but this is as honest as I can be in regards to what the prompt is asking for. I truly feel no remorse for powerful political figures. And I truly wish something would happen. I want to do something about everything. I just have to get started. My desire to work in animation and my desire to make changes in this world are both important to me. And I desire a better world for us minorities.