We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Zheng recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

As a recent grad, I think I’ve definitely learned a lot so far in working as a “professional” versus a student. I think as artists, we ourselves need to be our biggest advoates! I had to really put myself out there post grad to stand out. Whether that be branding my work on social media, constantly networking, or joining communities for artists; it’s not something you can learn through school but it’s such an important part of your growing career. I really value keeping connections from college and making new ones as I grow. My peers have constantly helped me get new opportunites, career advice, and transparency on the industry. I think sometimes it’s easy to be stuck on your own island as a recent grad during the job hunt, but I strongly advise finding some sort of community for not only career support, but also moral support!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was always interested in art since I was a kid, my favorite hobby would be to copy the cat illustrations from my books or scribble in pages themselve. Animation became a serious pursuit sometime around high school after I learned more about all the work that goes into it. I was so inspired by the process and wanted to be apart of it however I can.
I attended Ringling College of Art & Design with a major in Computer Animation and Minor in Film Studies, graduating in 2023. It was a bootcamp of everything you could need to know before jumping into the animation industry and although probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever experienced, was so valuable for my artistic career. I made my own solo thesis film, “LULU”, and learned essentially the entire 3D pipeline. I’ve also recently finished my Fellowship with DreamWorks Animation and that was such a wonderful experience to be mentored by them!
I love to create stylized bombastic animated pieces, whether 2D or 3D. If you ever need something fun or eye catching, I’m your guy!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think being able to just create whatever you want is so satisfying as an artist. The sky’s the limit! If there’s something you can’t do, just learn it! There’s so many resources out there to help! I love just being able to make and share art with others. I’ve also had so many connections in my life through our shared love for a piece of media or art! The passion is really what drives me, I think I’ll never get tired of creating something. I’m sure I’ll probably die in the middle of finishing an art project and that puts a smile on my face haha.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was working for a dream position that came really close and I got through to the final interview process, but they ultimately went with another candidate. It was really disheartening, but also good encoragement in a weird way. I sulked around for a day, but after that it was time to try even harder. I put all my disappointment into persistance! I had worked through the weeks after pivoting my goals to another position and now I’m hearing back with positive results. Keeping a level head and not putting your entire self worth in your job is really important for me as an artist so I can keep moving forward with a postive mindset when things get turned sideways for a bit!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.michelle-zheng.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle.zh3ng/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellezhengart/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDTY_YBHhp9xulWi3pnhyCw

Image Credits

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