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- Year Of Graduation: 2024
- College/University: Daemen University
- Major: Illustration
- Master’s: Leadership & Innovation
What do you do for a living, or how are you supporting yourself right now? Can you share what a typical day in your life/at work looks like?
As of right now, I’m still trying to find my path in life. I am currently between jobs, but my savings account is keeping me afloat when it comes to rent. As for a typical day in my life lately, I have recently picked back up an old idea for an animated cartoon series idea I’ve had since high school. I have been writing out scripts for potential episodes and refining the designs of old characters while creating completely new ones. Other than that, I record and edit gaming videos for my YouTube channel.
Can you tell me about your experience finding a job after graduation? Are you happy with where your journey has led you thus far?
Unfortunately, it has been a long and difficult road with no end in sight. I’ve gone through a couple of full-time jobs, however, neither of them were for me in the end. I know I should be spending my time just making money, but when I know something isn’t meant for me, I have to leave in order to save my sanity and stay true to myself. I am not fully happy right now, but I am hoping a positive surprise is waiting for me, whether it’s a job or a professional opportunity. I just have to keep moving forward.
Why did you choose your undergrad major?
I initially chose Animation as my undergrad major because I knew ever since 7th grade that I wanted to create an animated cartoon series and bring it all to life. I’ve had the same general idea since high school, so I figured I would bring it to life all by myself. Little did I know how difficult animation actually is (props to anyone who animates) and it just got to be too much for me. I knew I wanted to stay in visual arts, so I switched my major to illustration. It’s like animation, after all. The images just don’t move!
What does purpose mean to you? Do you think you’re living a purpose-driven life currently? Why or why not?
Purpose to me means you’re driven toward a hobby, passion project, or specific career that you have always wanted to have and put in a lot of effort toward. I would say before I fell between jobs, I was trying to force myself to figure out what physical workplace I should set my sights on and then how I would move up from there. I would say in my case, that’s not necessarily full of purpose. As of right now, however, I am working toward focusing on my hobbies (art, YouTube, and spending time with friends) so I hope to feel more and more purpose in my life as I keep spending time doing these activities.
What’s your biggest struggle right now? What led to it? How are you moving forward?
My biggest struggle is the overhanging fear that I will not be able to find a job I enjoy that pays me enough to survive. I tend to blame myself and my “job-hopping” when it comes to why I’m in this position. My boyfriend, friends, and family always remind me I need to take one day at a time and try my best not to catastrophize, so moving day by day is my go-to for getting through this rough patch. Every challenge eventually ends at some point, even if it is hard to see at the moment.
What do you want to spend more time working on, either personally or professionally? What is stopping you?
I want to spend a lot more time working on my cartoon series and posting to my YouTube channel. Unfortunately, neither of those pay me, so it can be quite unmotivating to put a bunch of work into something that isn’t guaranteed to return the favor. I hope to push past this and keep working on them anyway. After all, the chances of hitting it big are low but never zero!
How do you define being a successful person?
Are you surrounded by people and things that make you feel fulfilled and happy? Are you happy with your everyday life? Are you financially comfortable enough to survive? I would say as long as your soul feels fulfilled, you’re doing your best to enjoy life, and you aren’t stressing about not having enough money for necessities, you’re doing pretty awesome. Success is more than just trying to make a six-figure salary (even though six figures sure would be nice). Humans need more than material things to survive. What’s having money if you’re left with nothing to keep you mentally and emotionally sane?
If we traveled three years into the future of your life, what do you want to achieve? What would you hope has changed?
I would hope three years from now I am making a stable income through a job I am content with. In the meantime, I would like to continue working on and pitch my cartoon series to a company, or even post snippets to my YouTube channel, and I definitely plan to have more than enough subscribers to monetize my videos by then! I would hope I gain more of an internet presence and make more social connections to further increase my chances of getting my series green lit and genuinely brought to fruition! I’m definitely dreaming big, but life has taught me that anything can happen, especially if you’re persistent enough with something that is in your control.
What’s the biggest lesson or piece of advice you wish you’d known earlier?
I wish I had learned so much sooner not to be afraid of life and what it has to offer. Even though I switched majors and ended up not even planning to work for any art companies, I am slowly learning that it is okay to not understand what you are meant to do. It will come with time, even if it doesn’t seem like it for right now. Nobody is alone in this, and wasting your time worrying every single minute of every day will only harm you further. Chase what you truly want, even if you might not make money from it at first. You’ll feel more fulfilled if you indulge in your hobbies.
Connect With Emilee:
- Instagram: @scrumphle
- YouTube: @scrumphle
- TikTok: @scrumphle
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