Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Madeline Abatemarco. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Madeline, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I think I’m figuring out the perfect balance, still. I really love working in creative industries, and I definitely want my job to be at least creative-adjacent, and not just a “regular” job. I really like that aspect of working in animation production, since I don’t have to do the creative tasks that artists do all day every day for a job, so it leads to less creative burnout, but it’s still a job that requires a lot of patience, focus, and energy, like any other job does. I’m trying to get more into making my own merchandise to sell as an online shop, so that way I have a creative job that I can control my hours I want to dedicate to, so that I’m not burning myself out, and I can do it on the side and it can be designs I make for things that I’m passionate about!

Madeline, 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?

Sure! I’m a character and prop designer who’s gotten her foot into the television animation industry via animation production, and so I’ve also gotten production coordinating in my tool belt, too. I’m always seeking out new full-time or freelance opportunities for designing characters and props for cartoons and/or people’s passion projects or personal projects! I really enjoy injecting humor into my work and I’m mostly drawn to creating content that can bring others happiness and laughs, especially since I know sometimes that laughter is the best medicine.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

It’s a lot about just knowing how to find resources. The internet is so expansive and you can reach anything at your fingertips… but if you don’t know what exactly you’re looking for, it’s very hard to parse through it all to find the items of value. I think new creatives of all ages struggle with this, too. It was also pretty hard to find a lot of relevant information regarding working in the animation or entertainment industries online, and as someone who didn’t grow up in southern California, it was a huge mystery to me. Fortunately, that seems to be changing as the industry becomes more intertwined with online culture, and so the answers are there, but it still boils down to knowing what and how to look into it. So I wish I’d have known more about the industry to even look into the different aspects, roles, and standards for it, and then snowball from there in finding the right folks with the right tutorials, advice, and guidelines to help continue building my foundation as an artist moving towards wanting a profession in animation. But resources I’d recommend are a whole bunch: look on social media at artists who have jobs that you admire! Look at YouTube tutorials, look for PDF pamphlets from industry professionals… look at it all!

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

Mostly the fact that creative jobs require homework that is outside of work hours, since we’re always having to build new portfolio pieces or continue our journey as creatives. Most industries don’t involve that, the work you do on the job is all that’s needed for portfolios or for a resume, but often times a creative’s personal work is the major part of the portfolio if they’re new to the industry, or still gaining their bearings. It’s honestly exhausting having to work full-time, whether you’re in your “dream job” or not, since you’re working a job you aren’t fully invested in that occupies your time, or you’re creating all day already as is! So it’s just draining. I think having a supportive friend group, giving yourself breaks, and finding new adventures helps keep the brain fresh the best, and I know everyone can experience burnout and a tough job, but having to constantly do homework and grind outside of it for the rest of your life is a lot, when you think about it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.madelineabatemarco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mabbiedraws
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeline-abatemarco-01/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mabbaline