We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laura Cash. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laura below.

Laura, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

There have been many projects that I’ve worked on and found extremely fulfilling. The projects I found most fulfilling were projects that I got to do for Adult Swim and Nickelodeon. Can you tell I’m a 90’s baby? I grew up watching Nickelodeon and Adult Swim (secretly of course), so being able to work on projects for them has really been a highlight of my career.

While in college I was a part of a collaborative course between SCAD Atlanta and Adult Swim. I had the opportunity to work on a promo piece for Rick and Morty. The project was initially challenging because we had a team full of various different art backgrounds. It was a bit hectic, but our team grew extremely close and had a lot of fun working together. I learned a lot while working on this project. It was extremely surreal to see a piece I worked on air on TV. I think my favorite part of that project, besides my amazing team, is that we inadvertently created lore surrounding the show. Whoops!

I also really enjoyed working on a show for Nickelodeon called Face’s Music Party. It was a really cool experience getting to let loose and tap into that silly, childish part of my brain. I really enjoy working on content that is both informative and entertaining, and this show was a great mixture of both! I grew to really love Face and all his silly antics. And I rediscovered the importance of allowing yourself to be silly every once in a while.

Laura, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi, I’m Laura! I’m a Motion Designer and Illustrator. But mostly I’m just a person who likes to make things. Growing up I had a natural talent and affinity towards art. I remember my grandpa teaching me to draw palm trees, and making arts and crafts at home.

At 13 years old I started my own jewelry line, and worked on that for several years. It sold in luxury hotels and was extremely successful. Unfortunately I hold to put a hold on that because I needed to concentrate on high school. What a bummer.

Despite having to focus on my studies, I never gave up my passion for art. I was good at most things, but always excelled in art. I knew that I needed to pursue a career in something creative, I just wasn’t sure exactly what.

It took a lot of convincing, but I was able to go to a college for art, and while I was there I learned about Motion Design. For those who aren’t familiar, Motion Design is similar to Graphic Design, but we get to make things move. I was always drawing, but the thought of making my drawings move really made me excited! I loved Motion Design so much I ended up getting my BFA and MFA in it.

I graduated at the end of 2020, and unfortunately in the midst of a global pandemic. It was a scary time for everyone, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find work. But I was extremely lucky to be able to work on various different projects. I’ve found myself working within education which I really enjoy. It allows me to flex my creative muscle, while also giving me the opportunity to keep learning.

Along my journey I’ve found that we can create something beautiful out of anything, you just need to believe it and execute on it to make it a reality.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Something I’ve had to unlearn, and am continuously working on is allowing myself to be imperfect. I know it sounds weird, but I have always been a perfectionist. Maybe you all can understand. To a certain extent it has been a useful tool to me, I am extremely thorough. But in other instances it can be detrimental. There can be so much anxiety around creating something that might not be the best, that you end up talking yourself out of doing it at all. This is something that I continue to work on in my professional and personal life. It’s ok to take risks, do something new, and if it doesn’t work out perfectly the first time, that’s ok too! Unlearn being a perfectionist, and learn how to live and make mistakes.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As a child I was bullied mercilessly by my own family members. I was teased because I liked to wear jewelry (among other things). I was a “girly-girl”. There was even a song created to mock me. I can remember crying as a child when I was taunted with it. I refused to wear jewelry for fear of being mocked. There were a lot of things I changed about myself over the years to try to avoid being judged and teased by others. However, over time I found myself even more miserable. It took a while but eventually I learned to embrace my quirkiness. And when I finally grew to accept myself, I made it work for me and even ended up profiting from it. I learned to forget the haters and concentrate on bettering myself as an individual.

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