Get in losers, we're writing code.

In 2004, when I initially left college the first time, I didn't think I'd ever be back. I went into animation fueled by a drive to tell stories, but I found out in due time my stories were not going to be told. No matter, perhaps I could be the one to tell stories for others...but as years passed, I found the work I did fell less into the category of creative or story driven, and more a sort of filing and categorizing. I received an inordinate amount of praise for my organizational skills, which, while something I'm proud of, were not why I threw caution to the wind and moved to LA with only the promise of a 2-week gig.

Certainly that meant stable work. If no one else could be arsed to track and label all the extras in a crowd scene, the job invariably fell to me since I did it without complaint. And for a long time, I labored under the assumption that this was some kind of dues I was paying, and someday, someone would notice my creative vision and drive and give me the opportunity to do what I'd set out to do, but for money. At the 20 year mark, I realized this was delusional, and I needed to jump ship.

So here I am, in middle age, a college student again. I am studying computer science - a surprisingly challenging and exciting field which uses an entirely different part of my brain. If the animation industry seems to content to wallow in an assortment of bland reboots of the same seven shows (soon enough to be assisted by an army of AI) then perhaps I should be the one programming the robots instead of letting them take my job?

I kid. (Mostly.)

I am, as an Elder Millenial (gross) a member of the last generation to grow up without, and then with, the spectre of social media. I have found it to be both beneficial and exhausting, but as time goes on, more the latter than the former. I've been told many times that when seeking a job, I need to "build my brand." The last I checked, I was a 42 year old human woman, not a corporation. I understand the need to put your best foot forward when representing yourself. I find the idea of human branding repugnant.

So I suppose this is my attempt at re-launching myself into the corporate world, but on my own terms: a long-form blog about my transition from creative to technical, from expert to novice, youth to middle age and beyond. I invite you to join me on this journey, as I, an Old Woman, yell at clouds.

Posted on: March 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM | Category: Animation & Transition