Today we’d like to introduce you to Cherish Waldman

Hi Cherish, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

Growing up, I was fascinated by anime. My fascination began in grade school and reignited in high school where I spent hours drawing comics inspired by the popular series Naruto. Within a year I had filled over 500 pages with my creations.

I eventually transitioned to digital art since it was more practical and cost-effective for me, and this marked the beginning of my animation journey. I started by creating music videos and splash animations for animation contests where I achieved finalist status. These experiences not only honed my skills but also helped me discover my talent for animation.

However, the demands of animation eventually took a toll, and I experienced a massive burnout. To overcome this, I shifted my focus back to comics, this time digital. I found it a more manageable and effective way to tell stories. This transition proved invaluable, as it taught me how to work efficiently and refine my craft. The process of creating comics – from storyboarding to coloring and line art helped me grow rapidly as an artist.

My perseverance began to pay off when I started attending workshops and pursuing artist opportunities. This led to a significant improvement in my portfolio which in turn led to job opportunities that took me to major digital art and anime events nationwide. The highlight of my career was successfully printing my comic in October 2024, a milestone that exceeded my expectations, as it was something me from 5 years ago would never have imagined would be possible.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

One of the significant challenges I faced was collaborating with a team of seasoned professionals, despite being a novice myself. While I possessed the technical skills, I lacked the refined vision, expertise, and industry know-how that comes with experience. As a result, I often struggled to keep pace with the team’s creative direction and found it difficult to align my thoughts with theirs.

This disconnect led to increased stress and self-doubt, causing me to overanalyze every detail of my work. Each brushstroke, each line, and each color choice became a source of anxiety, as I constantly worried about meeting the team’s expectations. This pressure to perform hindered my creative flow, making it challenging for me to produce work that truly reflected my artistic vision.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I’m an animator, digital artist, and webcomic creator, mostly known as CherHyuga in the creative industry. Inspired by anime, I’ve spent the past six years honing my skills in bringing imaginative worlds to life. With a background in animation and digital art, I’ve developed expertise in webcomic creation, 2D animation, motion graphics, character design and visual development.

I’m passionate about crafting engaging stories, unique art styles, and bringing characters to life. Seeing readers resonate with my work is incredibly fulfilling, and I’m inspired by the opportunity to fuel fellow artists’ creativity.

What sets me apart? I would say it’s my expertise in animation, digital art, and webcomic creation, as it makes me a versatile artist who can tackle a wide range of projects. I’m also multitalented, pursuing several aspects of art and craft including fashion design and tailoring, which require precision and attention to detail and understanding human anatomy well, skills that can be applied to my digital art and animation work.

I’m most proud of being able to bring my characters to life through animation, taking them from static images to dynamic and moving personalities that capture the imagination of my viewers and myself. It’s always a deeply fulfilling experience to see my creations in motion. This achievement is especially meaningful, as it’s been my lifelong dream to animate beautiful visuals of the same level as the anime that first inspired me to pursue animation.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?

The Zimbabwean Digital arts and animation industry is currently hindered by a lack of resources, training, and mentorship for emerging creators. I know this struggle firsthand, seeing how I had to navigate my own creative journey without guidance or support. I persevered despite these challenges, but I’m always left wondering how much further I’d be if I had access to quality training and tools. In light of this, my plan is to build my career and establish myself as a leading figure in the industry over the next 5 years. I hope to create a supportive community that fosters creativity, innovation, and growth, providing aspiring artists with the resources they need to succeed.

Looking ahead to the next decade, I plan to expand my horizons and explore new passions and interests outside of art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://CherHyuga.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherhyuga?igsh=ZGNrcG44Mm9saXVv&utm_source=qr
• Twitter: https://x.com/cherhyuga?s=21
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cherhyuga?si=BZoCWjSvp0n70oDT