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

Alright, Shannisha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Picture it. Graduated college with a bachelors in Media Arts and Animation. Nashville, TN, where to go from here. My friends and instructors are talking about traveling and exploring states that are big on animation. All this is a foreign concept because I never expected to leave Tennessee. So the idea of moving anywhere was wild to me. California. The most I knew about California was that its where the movies happen, THAT’S IT! SO when my friend and graduates moved out here, I lived it through them until I made the biggest decision to move to California. I went back and forth debating what I should do. Leave the place I’ve known as home for all my life, my friends, my family, and my comfort zone. Biggest risk I could take and bam! I’m here! Deciding to move the California was one of the hardest decisions I could make for myself. Everyday has been a struggle, a learning experience, ups and downs, but I push forward knowing I’m destined for something much bigger than I can picture. Much bigger than the small dreams I’ve come to think. I can’t wait to find out what it is.

Shannisha, 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?

I say I’ve known all my life that I’ve wanted to be an artist. To work in animation. To work somewhere creative and free. But I learned that my fate to be an artist was in the cards before I was even born. Story for another day. I used to make clothes from my dolls out of construction paper, I loved fashion computer games, or games were I make my won something. Growing up I watched cartoons, not solely for the entertainment, but because my brain was processing the animation itself. Questioning what the mechanics are. How do they move like this? What causes this? What is this? I wanted to learn everything about what it means to be in animation.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The creative programs were neither known to accessible to me in my adolescence; photoshop, paint tool sai, illustrator, etc. These tools were welcome to me in college. If only I had the luxury growing up to learn these programs, like some of the younger artist now. It would have been an incredible gain for my shortcomings. A couple more years of experience with those programs, would have made a huge difference and a beneficial impact.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My main mission is to bring forth the things I didnt have growing up. This world has brought more diversity and representation to the media and its been very inspiring. I’m going to be apart of that same change in the right direction. Stickers, Twitch Emotes, Anime, Coloring books of all kinds, so that a younger version of me can look at this with hope and awe, just as I did. My one dream is to have someone look at my work with amazement and be inspired to follow their own dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shannishasymone.carbonmade.com/
• Instagram: @ simplysplatter