We recently connected with Josie Renkwitz and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Josie, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I went to art school, and got a BFA in Animation. Art school is not for everyone, and I think it’s purpose needs reevaluating, but I don’t regret my choice and I think I got a lot out of my school experience. The following is something I did that helped me at the time, and something I wish I’d prioritized more.

1.Communicate with professors
This seems obvious, but it’s really important. Some teachers in college will be a lot like teachers in high school, but most will not. Your teachers are also kind of your peers now. I don’t necessarily mean be their friend, but do put some effort into your interactions with them. Even if it’s as simple as asking for specific feedback, or giving frequent updates on bigger projects, or just saying hello when you walk in the classroom, you’re paying for instruction, so be as present as you can when receiving instruction. Mutual respect and trust between student and teacher can ease a lot of stress for both parties when deadlines are looming.

2. Ask for critique
My experience with crits may be kind of rare, because for whatever reason a lot of formal critiques in my animation classes were very laid back; without much participation from students (and I include myself in that) . It could have been a pandemic thing, who knows, but if you find yourself only getting comments along the lines of “looks good keep going” don’t accept it. My biggest regret of art school was not asking for more feedback. If it’s a project you care about, revel in the challenge of making it even better. If the class environment doesn’t facilitate the feedback your looking for, bug teachers (and your fellow students) outside of the classroom. I’m lucky to be surrounded by people now who I know will give good critique if I ask for it, so I’m trying to make a point of asking.

Josie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Josie Renkwitz, is a character animator, comic artist and all-around storyteller from Baltimore, Maryland; she received a BFA in Animation from The Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. Retro music, tv, and film are her primary sources of inspiration. She is particularly fond of British subcultures from the 60s and 70s, and the ebb and flow of music/fashion/film culture in general. Vices include collecting records, old toys, vintage clothes and hot sauce.

Endlessly inspired by the communities that form around music, Josie strives to capture the drama and comedy that comes out of every music venue, record store, alleyway and coffee shop. Her greatest interest as a storyteller is capturing character dynamics and performance, and there is an ever expanding catalog of characters, stories and fake band names waiting to be unleashed upon the world.

She recently finished a music video for the band Connections’ newest album, and has made mini-comics on a variety of topics such as pinball, Divine, and Ray Davies. She is also working on a video for her favorite fellow artists, the animated band Skeleton Staff.

Have you ever had to pivot?

At the start of my freshman year of college, I was really struggling with the type of art I wanted to make, particularly in terms of what I was sharing online. In high school I made a lot of art and stories inspired by my classmates, but I wasn’t really as interested in having that carry over into college. I made some fan art, but never felt super comfortable in fandom spaces as anything other than a passive observer.

So, besides myself, who is my art for? Who do I want to see it?

I had started making more 60s-70s inspired art, thinking most people who saw it (at this point most of my followers were classmates, and generally people I knew in real life) would be supportive, but not be aware of the specific context I was pulling inspiration from. That’s totally fine, at the end of the day, but can still be isolating when trying to meet and relate to other artists.

Around that same time I discovered a band on Instagram called Skeleton Staff. They’re an animated band a la Gorillaz with animation and comics showcasing the 4 band members. I immediately was drawn to the sort of Mad Magazine-Asterix-esq art, which was chock full of 60s-70s homage, but with a usually goofy twist. On top of that I adored the music! Overall I was feeling very very inspired, so of course I made some fan art, posted and tagged them saying how happy I was to have found their wonderful art.!

The next day I saw that not only had the band shared my fan art (something they’d typically do), but they had also shared some of my original work (something they didn’t typically do). I couldn’t believe it, this artist that I really admire and relate to, relates to my work too! They get it! At that moment I knew I could make and share anything I wanted online, and it didn’t matter how many people “got it”. Because this one person did. Of course since then I’ve encountered many more people who are inspired by the same things I am, but that first time was super important. It gave me the confidence to make art without compromise, and It’s made my work much more fulfilling to share with others.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspects of being an artist, for me, are trying new things, and working with other people. Animation is rarely a solo venture, and the tools people use to make it are evolving every day. I find being a part of a whole very rewarding, and artists often have strong personal flares, so being able to make something with other people that is seamless and coherent is something to be proud of! My last animation project involved learning a new editing and composting software called Olive, and even though my understanding of it is still primitive, It’s another notch in my belt and I can’t wait to maximize it’s potential for my next project!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://renkorama.carrd.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renkorama_art/