We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katherine Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Katherine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I was recommended by Charlotte Belland(chairman of animation at CCAD) to do a project for a recipient of the Make A Wish foundation. The recipient was a little boy who loves Animation and the foundation was going to surprise him with his own studio space setup. They wanted me to create a short animated clip of the boy so they could play it for him on his new drawing tablet. When they sent me photos of him to use as reference I was taken aback. I’ll be honest, when they first described him to me I thought he was a young white boy. So you can imagine how shocked and emotional I was because the boy looked like me.

Animation has always been dominated by white men and for women and people of color its hard and frustrating to get our feet in the door. Its hard to see ourselves working on major films at big studios because not enough of us are represented or even seen in this industry. So to be given this chance to work on this project for this little boy was lifechanging. I may not be a prominent face in this industry yet but just the fact that I’m here and still working at it is enough.

Katherine, 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?

My name is Katherine Williams. I’m an Animator, Illustrator, & Visual Development Artist born and raised in Columbus, OH. Ever since I was a kid I was obsessed with cartoons and animated movies. There was this tall cabinet in my house filled with VHS tapes and DVDs of almost every Disney, DreamWorks, and Pixar film from the late 90’s and early 2000s. Films like The Road to El Dorado, and The Lion King would always be replayed on my tv for hours on end. 2D Animation ended up being my foundation of study when I got to college. I now have a Bachelor’s Degree in Animation from the Columbus College of Art and Design.

When I graduated, we were all pretty much locked up in our homes due to Covid, so my career was put on hold. All the major studios that I applied to at the time were shut down and I was on my own. Freelance got me back into the industry and it’s what’s helped me to continue pursuing my passion. I’ve gotten the opportunity to work on projects with the National Parks Conservation Association as well as the Make A Wish foundation. I’m also delving into my passion for Visual Development more through my own personal projects that I’ve worked on in my spare time. I want people of all ages to see my work and be able to make a connection with the characters I create and have fun watching the story unfold before them.

When I’m not working on short films I’m drawing illustrations that I print and sell online in my shop.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I would say, show up and show out for your local artists. Any type of support means the world to us no matter how little. Majority of artists out there are making their work for a living. The work they create puts food on their table, pays their bills, and puts a roof over their head. On top of that, Art Is Not Cheap. The cost of supplies and materials to make our work is expensive and requires an investment. We have to calculate the cost of the supplies used to make our work, plus the amount of time in a day or week that was sacrificed to work on it. Now obviously not everyone can buy a $1,000 painting or $500 sculpture right off the bat, but just like people are willing to save up and spend hundreds of dollars on luxury items, the same can be done for art. If you need to, just budget yourself accordingly and make the investment.

Try to also understand the timing that goes into making art. Every artist has a process for how they go about making their work. Depending on the product it may take a couple hours, days, months, or even a year to complete. Having patience for artists is crucial to helping us get our work done efficiently.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I have been a “starving artist” throughout most of my career and that term has been heavily misused in our society. People hear it and think that it’s an artist that’s poor and struggling but that’s not what it means at all. A starving artist is someone who has sacrificed everything, like time, food, health, and many other things to complete a creative idea, project, or job. I think all creatives can attest to this. I’m a night owl and one thing that’s constant with me is that I’m more efficient with my work when it’s nighttime versus me trying to make something during the day. I’ve caused my family to worry about me because I lose so many hours of sleep staying up to draw, but in the end I like the result of how my work turns out because I know I put in my best effort. Now I’m not saying that that’s an unhealthy habit others should try, but that’s just my way of getting an important project done.

Another thing I’ve experienced on my creative journey is being mislabeled. Yes I am an artist, but I am an Animator, Illustrator, and Visual Development Artist. I have branded myself this way for a reason because these are the job fields I chose to work in. I’ve been mistaken as a fashion designer, a graphic design artist, a professional photographer, a fine artist who paints real life portraits of people, I have even been asked to re-paint somebody’s car. There are limits to what we each can do as artists which is why most of us have business cards to set those boundaries. Now if and when I do get requested for a job that’s out of my skills of expertise I send it to another creative I know that works in that specific field. I may not get the job in the end but I was at least able to give it to someone who’s going to get it done right. It’s a way that we as fellow creatives are able to connect with each other and build community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artofkwilliams.com/
• Instagram: @kwillanimations
• Youtube: KW the Animator

Image Credits
New Year (top left), Studio Time(top right), BSLA Crew(bottom left), Self-Portrait(bottom right)