Apart from loving my animation career, I absolutely love to create art in my own time. I find after sitting at the computer for 8+ hours a day, it’s very rewarding for me to use a pencil, paintbrush or needle + thread to create something with my hands. Art for me is very therapeutic in the sense that I explore my emotions and events in my life while I’m creating. A lot of my own personal stories are imbedded in each piece I create. I am a dedicated lifelong student of the arts which fuels me to create all the time. I love going to galleries, museums and browsing art + design blogs to fuel my creative inspiration. Other than art I’m learning to play roller derby, which I find so much fun. I love the physical workout it brings, as well as a sense of female empowerment. The sport has taught me a lot, like dedication, focus and the thrill of physical activity. It has also taught me a very important lesson: I can’t let my fears stop me from pursuing what I want to do. I fractured my drawing hand (eep!) during a practice which meant my main source of gaining income (my drawing hand) was gone for 2 months. I was unsure about my recovery — would I be able to click a mouse, or draw + paint again? I learned that time heals all wounds, and eventually after physio therapy I returned to work, and I still play roller derby. Last year I had both of my wrists tattooed with words that are very meaningful to me. “Love” is on my left wrist (the side of my heart) to remind me that I am never alone — I carry the love of my family and friends wherever I go. “Strength” is on my right wrist (the hand I fractured) to remind me that despite events in my life that feel like they’ve broken me, I have the strength to get back up and keep on living.
