Building the Animation dream.

My newest endeavor.

So for the past year, I've been working at a residential school for gifted teens. They're some of the most brilliant minds I've ever met, kids striving to become pediatric oncologists or chemical engineers at the age of fourteen. They live here at the school, and since parenting and guidance is of the essence... that's where I come in. My name is Sandra. I'm a resident counselor, and I take care of twenty girls as if I were a second mom, disciplining them and teaching them how to do their own laundry and housekeeping... with the occasional batch of brownies. ^^

I just finished training for a second year at this job. It's exciting, but strangely uneventful... and I'm determined to fix some of the mistakes I made from last year. One: not hesitate or be afraid to get to know my girls. Two: to push for more community within the group of girls I'm committed to. Three: to do a damn good job at it.

And to think... I'm also doing this to save up money for art school.

You see, I want to be an Animator.

It's funny how sometimes you can remember parts of your life and wonder why the heck you didn't just go with your gut feeling, even when everyone else around you said to take a safer route. Artists don't make money. Artists are really competitive. blah blah blah. So I graduated college two years ago with the faint plan of becoming a teacher... and it took me about four months of academic tutoring in inner-city Boston to make me realize that no, I'm not ready to be a teacher. First, I want to make it in the graphic arts and animation world. Then maybe... just maybe... I'll be able to enjoy my life as a teacher more.

So that dream's been locked away in my mind, even while I had this job as a resident counselor. I want to have that chance to work for an awesome company like Nickelodeon or Pixar or even Studio Ghibli (if I can master Japanese). I'm aware of what I want, even though I barely have been able to master Photoshop this summer! It's a looong way to go, but I'm determined to work hard for it.

Every artist needs inspiration, so what better way to find it through the job? I love these girls and will use all my energy in getting to know them this year... with enough energy left over to keep those Photoshop and Flash tutorials going! I'll be the Nanny working diligently to raise her twenty girls, but also dedicating her spare time and creativity for her dream job in (Ani)mation. I'm the AniNanny.

Get ready to read about a young woman's progress in Photoshop, her responses about the latest animated film she's seen, as well as her personal experience working with a new batch of twenty gifted teenage girls.

I have a feeling inspiration will happen this year! =)