By Elias Kempt and Inez Akumutima
Nothing is more unpredictable than the career of a professional artist. The uncertainty of life post-graduation is very daunting for students like us: two illustration majors with varied career goals and big dreams about how art will fit into the picture.
The Curleys are a married couple who work together at Tuttle Twins TV and Elephant Season Productions. Jordyn is an animation producer who founded Sketch2Screen, an organization dedicated to building community within the animation industry via educational events. She is an ambitious networker and loves to take on new projects. Charles is a Lead Story Artist and Art Director who believes that being a successful artist goes beyond fame or landing a position at a studio, but rather creating and improving for yourself. We spoke with Jordyn and Charles about their college experience, internships, and how their aspirations have evolved to learn about how they found success in their careers.
Subverted Expectations
It’s great for students to have goals and aspirations, but being flexible and open to new opportunities may be the key to having a successful career. Both Jordyn and Charles entered college with specific expectations for their future careers, and neither ended up quite where they planned to be. But this isn’t a bad thing — they each found success in unexpected ways.
In college, Jordyn was trained to work the entire animation pipeline, from conception to the final product. She started her art career in architecture visualization, where she realized that she was much better equipped to work in production than to be a hands-on artist or animator. “Being able to work with artists like Charles has allowed me to create beautiful animation that I know I could not have achieved if I was on the artist's side of things,” she explained.
Throughout his journey, Charles had his expectations subverted many times. Initially, he wanted to be a concept artist for animated films, but was gradually redirected into storyboarding television series instead. This was ultimately a more suitable path, which he did not discover until gaining work experience. Even so, he doesn’t regret the journey he took to get to where he is now. “I don’t think that my time in visual development was wasted because it’s just another toolset that I have for working storyboards,” he said. Several times, Jordyn emphasized, “if you are an artist, doing something creatively is never going to be a waste.” It’s simply a matter of figuring out how different art forms relate to each other. Keep in mind that diverging from the path you initially imagined for yourself is not a failure. We learned from the Curleys that there are countless ways to succeed.
photos courtesy The Curleys
Internships
As students, we are interested in what makes a successful internship, so we asked Jordyn about her experience. She explained that internships are whatever you make of them. “A good portion of this industry is your ability to raise your hand, identify problems, and be willing to come up with a solution,” she said.
Be assertive: Find places where work can be done without being asked.
- When Jordyn interned at a VFX house, she would clean the studio at the start of every shift to show that she was hardworking, responsible, and eager to help out however possible. She also offered coworkers assistance with their tasks when the studio got busy.
Take initiative: Identify what skills you want to learn or improve and figure out how you can hone those while interning.
- As a young animator, she used the workstations and tutorials provided by the VFX house. Jordyn also would ask to sit in on editorial meetings just to observe, hoping to get a taste of what her future career might look like.
Keep your portfolio updated: If you are applying to the same company over and over, don’t reapply with the same portfolio. Keep adding to it to show your progress and ongoing passion for making art.
It’s important for students to keep in mind that though not every internship will be a perfect fit, all internships can be opportunities to explore career options, without the stakes or pressure of full-time employment.
photos courtesy The Curleys
Finished College…What’s Next?
It’s easy to become accustomed to the structure of university, but what happens once it’s no longer there? It took Charles 7 years to get a job in his preferred field after graduating. We were curious what he did to make progress in his career and improve his skills during this uncertain time. He shared a few tips with us:
Keep your skills sharp:
- Charles recommended taking classes from artists you look up to even after graduating. He took classes from notable creators in the industry, such as Matt Jones, because he felt that his art wasn’t quite on par with his peers.
- He also read books about animation, drew constantly, and studied artists he liked online.
Make the most out of every experience:
- Jordyn gained communication and management skills from working as a restaurant manager, which she transferred to her work in production.
- Working at a gym helped Charles pick up anatomy knowledge that he could apply to his art.
Don’t forget the importance of networking:
- Maintain the networks you make! Jordyn keeps the business cards of people she’s met, takes note of what she talked about with them on the card, and adds the information to a database in order to keep track of further communication.
- Be the resource someone else needs. “Sometimes networking is not just for you, it’s also a matter of being willing to connect other people with eachother,” Jordyn said. The animation industry is small, so being a team player is really important.
photos courtesy The Curleys
Jordyn and Charles Curley entered the industry at different times, drew from different strengths and walked different paths, yet are now working together in the same studios. The journey of a professional artist twists and winds, but every aspect of it is important and filled with invaluable lessons.
“All art is a representation of our world; if you’re not living in our world and studying our world, it’s going to be awfully hard to represent it in your work.”
- Jordyn Curley
Key Takeaways
- Be flexible and open to new opportunities. Subverted expectations can lead you to success.
- Creative experience is never a waste.
- When interning, be assertive, take initiative, and keep your portfolio updated.
- Keep your skills sharp after graduating, make the most out of every experience, and remember to network!
Co-author Elias Kempt is double majoring in Illustration and Gender Studies with a minor in Cultural Anthropology.
Co-author Inez Akumutima is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Illustration, and I aim to one day work as a visual development artist or background painter in the animation industry.
Both are Emerging Leaders Interns with ArtsForce.