Animator.
That is exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. Like most Animators, I started out drawing as soon as I could hold a crayon. I drew all the time and while I enjoyed playing sports, I spent most of my free time exercising my imagination. I played with action figures, I used to make movies with my parents' VHS camera, and I was always trying to make people laugh by doing impersonations. At the time I didn't realize it, but the thing I loved most about being creative was trying to manipulate people's emotions. Writing it out like that makes makes it seem sinister, but at the core that is the ambition of every artist; to make their audience feel something.
Interestingly enough, Animation had that same affect on me. It had power over my emotions. Even though I knew what I was seeing wasn't real, I was captivated by the emotional response. The real magic was they could make me laugh. They could make me cry. Growing up, I loved cartoons. I loved movies. I loved video games. Somehow, the characters were real. They were alive! I believed, and now that I'm technically a grown up (I have to pay bills and stuff) I still believe. In all the world, there is no feeling quite like seeing an audience's reaction to a character performance you've animated, because in the end, they are responding to you!
Throughout my career, I've been blessed beyond what I deserve and yet because of the promise in Jeremiah 29:11, I know there is more to come. I get to hang out everyday with my friends and people I love, bringing action figures in a computer to life, and going home to the best friend I've ever had, my wife Cirila. Who could ask for anything more?
I truly love what I do. I'm an Animator.
