Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabel Higgins.
Isabel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always loved animation, but I realized it could be an actual career path when I became an Adventure Time fan in high school. I followed Pen Ward on Twitter, and through him, I found other artists online who spoke pretty candidly about how they got started working in the industry. I learned about CalArts, and made a plan to transfer there from Santa Monica College. I was accepted into the Experimental Animation program and that’s when things really took off for me. I made five short films while I was a student, and solidified my interest in 2D animated comedy. I graduated last spring and currently work as a production assistant on an [adult swim] show with plans to complete another short film by 2020.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think my biggest struggle has been having anxiety that my work isn’t good enough and that everything I make is total garbage. The antidote to this for me has been meeting other animators and feeling like I’m part of a community of artists from CalArts and in the greater Los Angeles area. I’ve found that when I show my work to my friends they are usually excited about it and seeing my work through their eyes takes me out of my own self-defeated mindset. I think for women it’s really helpful to meet or know about other women artists, even if you only follow them online. Especially because women aren’t as well represented in the industry, it’s great to see what individual artists are doing and to feel like your own work is part of something bigger.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I make irreverent and offbeat animated comedies with an eccentric cast of characters. My work is unique in that it’s a combination of outlandish and charming, that’s a boundary I always like to explore. I like to take something that seems innocent and then flip it to show its sick and twisted side, or vice versa. I get a real satisfaction from a visceral gut reaction, and I like to put in moments like that in my films. For example, in my film Origins, there’s a moment in which the main character’s teeth all pop out of their mouth in one big burst. Kind of the stuff of nightmares, but shown in cheerful Flash animation with punchy sound effects. I want the audience to feel disgusted and also laugh, hopefully, in general, they experience a satisfying cathartic release.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
My friends Victoria Vincent and Jonni Phillips have both been a huge inspiration. They are some of the first people I really started sharing my animation work with and they are super encouraging and supportive. Plus, both of them are prolific and seeing them constantly churn out amazing work keeps me motivated to push forward with my own stuff.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vimeo.com/isabelhiggins
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sludgeguy/
- Other: https://isabelhiggins.tumblr.com/
Image Credit:
Isabel Higgins
Matt Krajewski
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