Just wanted to provide a brief update on what I’ve been working on! Late last year, I had the chance to work with Élle-Máija Tailfeathers on a documentary that she’s finalizing with her team. Specifically I was asked to create some images for an animation that would be used during a short information segment in the film. This was the first project where I imagined the storyboard and drove the concept of how it may be animated given the short timeline. I focused on making compelling images because even if the animation was a simple pan or zoom in, it can look quite beautiful as long as the artwork is interesting to look at. I was not responsible for the actual animation, just the artwork, extra art materials to use for animation and providing guidance on how I imagined it appearing visually (which was taken into consideration by the animator who had far more experience with this sort of thing than myself). I am quite proud with how the artwork turned out and I’m really thankful that I was encouraged to use my art style and aesthetic.
Following this project, I needed to refocus on my thesis for my graduate program. December was my first significant writing month and has been my main priority leading into the New Year. It would be amazing if I could finish my thesis by the spring but I think a more realistic goal will be to complete this by the summer. I’m really excited about where my writing is headed and I’m hoping to share small bits and pieces on this blog in the near future.
In terms of community work, I’m currently sitting on an artist committee for Tsilhqot’in food sovereignty. I’m working with researchers and coordinators in the hopes of creating a curated project that will launch at a conference later this year. It’s always been challenging to feel connected to my home community due to living far from home down in the city but I really want to offer my illustration abilities but also project management (when it comes to artistic and creative projects). Another community project that I’ve been invited to work on is a research project with filmmaker Helen-Haig Brown. I’m working with several people to recover Tsilhqot’in history and documents into an archive which can be used for a future project. I won’t say much more because I’m not sure how much is public knowledge but I am really thankful to use some of my research skills on this huge endeavour. Sometimes when I’ve had time to reflect on the purpose of my graduate work, I’ve had some doubts in what my role is within an academic and institutional environment. But this project is so encouraging, it’s redirecting my focus on what I can do for my home Nation.
Finally, some super exciting news on the creative front is that I’ve been offered a contract with a local publisher for a children’s book project. I’ve had the opportunity to work on children’s books in the past — often community projects or research related publications — but this is the first publisher that will be actively promoting the product for distribution. Part of me if familiar with this process of book making, it’s something I’ve done for a very long time, but another part of me wants to acknowledge how hard I’ve worked to begin working with publishers and I feel like this is only the beginning of a new peak that I’ve reached.
Sometimes artists and creative types are constantly “in the grind” that it’s hard to acknowledge when we have reached some significant achievements in our career so I’m taking time to feel proud of myself.
Thanks to everyone that has supported my work, to my dear friends, family, and social media supporters, the online community has played an immeasurable role in reaching people and i know that plays a part in this.
Sechanalyagh. (Thank you)