Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Arakaki. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
It’s taken a while, but I finally understand my parents as people- their flaws, their fears, their quiet accomplishments. They might not have always understood me, but my parents always supported me in all the ways that mattered. For that, I will always be grateful.
When I was a child, they took me out into nature and let me play with bugs and mud pies. They bought me “The Lion King” on VHS and let me watch it on loop a gazillion times (so I could draw a gazillion Nalas). When I wasn’t doing so hot in high school, they let me pursue an alternative education at a local junior college and carve out a new path for myself. And most importantly, even when things were uncertain and I was stressing them out with my questionable choices, they let me make mistakes and figure it all out. They let me be my messy self.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without parents who understood that they didn’t need to “get” me… they just had to support me, knowing I would find my way.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Sarah Arakaki, and I’m a background designer working in the animation industry. My past projects include Disney’s “Monsters at Work” Season 2, WB’s “Space Jam 2”, and Netflix’s “Green Eggs and Ham” Seasons 1 & 2. I’m currently working on an unannounced project with Netflix Series Animation!
The fast paced, creativity-on-demand nature of animation is always challenging… but that’s why I love it. I may not be the most technically skilled artist, but I believe my off-kilter sense of humor and unique point of view gets my foot in the door with studios. My job allows me to connect with millions of people all over the world through art and storytelling, and I will never get over how cool that is.
I create backgrounds that help tell an animated story. My job requires an understanding of composition, staging, camera movement, character motivation, and storytelling. When it all comes together, it’s magic.
On the side, I also sell greeting cards, stickers, my funky book of mazes, and other goodies on my website and at LA craft fairs! It keeps me creative outside of work, and allows me to connect with people in-person.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My squiggly path to animation was a series of pivots. When it was time for me to transfer from junior college to university, I didn’t know about art schools like Cal Arts or Art Center. I chose a studio art program at UC San Diego (a university best known for engineering and science).
Within months of being there, I realized I might be in the “wrong place”. In a panic, I applied for a scenic painting internship at La Jolla Playhouse and, with great luck and zero experience in theater, was accepted. I painted massive backdrops and scenery for plays, and learned from some of the most talented and enthusiastic artists I’ve ever known. It turned out I was in exactly the right place… not for my animation career (which wasn’t on my radar at the time), but for learning how to be a working artist.
From there, I had the space to think about where I wanted to head for the long run. While binge watching “Friends” and crying over a mess of art school brochures, I threw together a half-baked plan to head to LA and give my childhood dream of being an animation artist a shot. I enrolled in classes at Concept Design Academy in Pasadena, which is a trade school for entertainment art. I eventually made a portfolio that landed me a job as a storyboard artist at Warner Brothers Animation. Two weeks before I ran out of money, I had broken into the animation industry!
The privilege of being able to pivot instils in me a deep sense of gratitude. None of these pivots would have happened without the support of my family and the help of experienced artists who taught me along the way… I try to pay their kindness forward.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Corporations outsource LA-based entertainment art jobs overseas to save a buck. Tech companies greedily scrape and devalue the work of human artists in order to train their plagiarizing “AI art” generators. Growing wealth inequality and tuition inflation gate-keeps art education from the majority of young people. All of this destroys the creative ecosystem, and leads to a future where an animation career like mine is impossible to sustain.
We are presently at a crossroads and we must ask… are we going to let corporate greed suck the life-force out of the entertainment industry and our wider economy? Are we going to continue electing politicians who enable this to happen?
I believe we must choose people over profit. It’s a daunting challenge, but the solution is multifaceted: support labor unions and their strikes; advocate for legislation that protects workers and limits tax incentives for offshoring jobs; uplift small-scale businesses so that a range of media can exist; vote with our dollars for heartfelt, relevant stories rather than “junk food” entertainment.
I want there to be a future for the American animation industry, so that the oddball kids who love to doodle can grow up knowing they have a real chance at turning their passion into a profession!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saraharakaki.com
- Instagram: @saraharakaki
- Other: Shop: www.saraharakaki.com/shop
