Daily Inspiration: Meet Danie Gray

Today we’d like to introduce you to  Danie Gray.

Hi  Danie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was never the kid who knew what they wanted to do when they grew up, so finding my identity has been a journey. I am learning and understanding my strengths in my identity, which is a balancing act as I stay true to who I am in life while being a mom and wife. So, in 2018, I told my husband I wanted to return to school and earn my degree. But even then, as a 32-year-old grown adult, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. After months of researching, self-reflecting, and just figuring what I liked, it hit me. I realized I loved computer animation. I would literally watch movies like Home (2015), Boss Baby (2017), Trolls (2016), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), and many others without my kids. I watched them for pure enjoyment and was intrigued with the textures, animations, and models. Once I realized this, I knew I wanted to pursue computer animation.

As a student, I realized I had strong networking and organizational skills and the ability to make others feel welcomed (probably the mom in me to ensure everyone is heard). I used the skills I learned through life and applied and to numerous school club organizations. During my time in school, I have been Co-President of the Media Arts Club at Cypress College, Social Media Coordinator with Polysquad CSUF and, my favorite, Event Coordinator with CSUF SIGGRAPH. I would have never applied to these roles had I gone to college right after high school, so I was glad I had the confidence to try them now. However, I did have some self-doubt about ageism with my classmates, but no one has ever made me feel like I didn’t belong, even though we have a whole generation between us. And honestly, I don’t think they even cared, lol. There are many more parents and older students who are pursuing the same dream and goal I am, so it’s not a big deal like it was in the past.

So, after five years of hard, hard work and dedication to my studies, two jobs and raising a family, I will be the first gen Latina in my family to graduate this spring with my BFA in Computer Animation and Game Art from Cal State Fullerton. Additionally, last summer, I landed a production internship at Obsidian Entertainment, a gaming company in Irvine, which has led to a contract position as a Production Assistant. I would have never guessed that I would have ended up where I am today had I not taken that chance on myself. There is a quote that I love saying “Don’t be afraid to start over again. This time, you’re not starting from scratch; you’re starting from experience.” I say this to whoever is questioning if they should “uproot” their lives to pursue something so important to them and just to do it. There will be tears and struggles along the way, but it will make the accomplishment and reward that much sweeter, and no one will fight for you more than yourself!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There were definitely struggles along this journey, let me tell you! Growing up, I was the kid who was bullied, meek, quiet, and scared of her own shadow. I had so much anxiety going to school because I feared what the day would have in store. In high school, sports were my best outlet, and it helped me grow a bit out of my shell. However, in my 20s, I had to learn to fight for survival. I was being physically, emotionally, and mentally abused by people who were supposed to be “family.” Sadly, it took almost a decade to escape. I promised myself I would never let anyone else control my life again, but because of this trauma, I learned the survival skills I now have today. When your freedom and freedom of choice is taken from you, you realize that once you get it back, nothing would ever stand in your way again. This experience gave me my tenacity to return to school, no matter the difficulty because nothing would ever be harder than that part of my life. Having the chance to live your life unapologetically is the most freeing experience anyone can have.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
So right now, I have two jobs. I am an Executive Assistant for a software company and a Production Assistant at Obsidian Entertainment. I am pursuing the production career path as I love supporting a team, organizing tasks, meeting deadlines and being part of a team. Once I graduate, I am sure I will still take additional art classes to strengthen my skill set in UI, 3D environmental modeling or virtual production in Unreal. I constantly want to keep gaining knowledge since you can never stop learning.

I think what a lot of people know me for is being involved in school functions and to get others involved. At work, I know my work speaks for itself as I work diligently to complete my tasks and keep learning the ins and outs of the pipeline.

I am most proud of taking the chance on myself. As I mentioned before, I never would have guessed where I would have ended up at the end of this journey. The people I have met, from the animation and gaming industry to the alumni and current students, have made me feel so proud to be in the same circle as them. So many of them are unique, dedicated and amazing people that I would not of had the chance to meet had I not taken this leap of faith.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Yes! I love networking and I know for so many it can be a daunting task but LinkedIn and social media are your bestfriend for this! When reaching out to someone you want to connect with, find something you both have in common, if possible. On LinkedIn, it could be your college, club or company/job position. On IG/Twitter, it could be TV shows, art styles, or that you just love their work. Anything to break the ice and to give you that opening statement. Second, be kind, keep the message short and sweet and end with an action statement. See if they have time to chat on zoom or if you can email them questions about their journey. Always remember to respect their time and be professional. Depending on who they are, they could be receiving hundreds of messages a day, and you don’t want to be the one rudely asking for them to review your portfolio or asking for a job.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danie_3d_art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danie-gray/

Image Credits
Family pic: Aubrey Moffit @aubreymoffitphoto