OKIE DOKI-DOKI

mewtripled:

Art unexpectedly became my worst enemy during my first two years of college. Something I once associated with my identity, worth, and happiness, became the thing that suffocated me the most. I had no escape from art as it was the only thing I did 24/7, and it was the only thing I saw worthy about myself. And when times got rough when I felt insecure about my work, it took a great toll on my self-esteem since that’s how much I cared about it. 

But, I learned over the course of time that no— whatever comes out of your hand does not define your entirety as a human. In order to learn to appreciate art again, I needed time away from it. I needed to go out and live, spend time with my friends, explore new places, and experience shit just like any normal human would. Before attending art school, I was your typical sheltered girl who did nothing but sit in my room and draw, neglecting family, friendships, and life experiences. I found my new sense of worth in college by finding my self confidence in other areas of my life. 

I eventually learned that life is more defined by the balance and maintenance of the various bubbles within your world, rather than one particular skill. Experiencing life beyond art did not only give me new places to find happiness within, but it also gave me reasons to feel inspired to draw again. 

Follow me on IG (@mewTripled) to read more about my college struggles

mewtripled:

When trying to get a job in the animation industry, there’s gonna be a shit ton of rejections to overcome, but those are just opportunities for you to grow stronger, better, and prove bitches wrong. It’s also important to remember that rejections do not always reflect you as an artist/person, b/c there are usually many business-related things going on within a company you just don’t know about. Because of this, it’s important to not take any opportunity (no matter how big or small) for granted. During my high school senior year and my college freshman year, I interned in Times Square, NYC in the fashion district as a print designer. It was nothing near what I wanted to ultimately do, but I did it anyway to apply my artistic skills in a professional working environment. Because of that experience strangely, I finally got into an animation studio, but still didn’t get to draw cartoons. I was mostly doing production and paper work, but I was still grateful to even be there for a short time. Later on, I  got some freelance gigs where my drawings and work were actually a part of some publicized productions. Then finally, my last two internships I got to be a part of two major studios I admired, and also got to produce work for both of them. There is still a long way to go to get the “dream job”, and even when that happens I’m almost certain that my first dream job won’t be my last dream job. Every experience counts on some level, so I feel like it’s important to not be TOO picky about what’s offered to you. Just do SOMEthing, and you’ll eventually get to do THE thing.

mewtripled:

One of those unfortunate “givens” in life is that not everyone makes it from the beginning to end of your journey. Those who once rooted for you from day one don’t always make it to the finish line with you. It’s pretty shitty, but it’s just shit that happens to everyone. When I started college I thought I had solidified my friend group, but by the end of it, I realized I was wrong. The truth is everyone is gonna change and not everyone’s going to be on the same page in life. Some people you learn to let go because that separation is necessary in order for each of you to grow independently. Maybe y’all will cross paths again in the future, but you never truly know. That’s the part that makes it all scary. It’s also hard to keep in touch with everyone when you’re practically in a long distance relationship with everyone you once knew. Some people I just drifted away from, some I actively had to end a relationship with, and some passed away. It’s difficult to be thousands of miles away from those you give a shit about when things like this happen. Although losing people is an unfortunate life event, you ultimately make room for others who will come in later in life. I’m not exactly religious or anything, but in a way I do believe that everyone serves the time they had in your life for a reason.