Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddie Jack.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in good old Fresno, California, where agriculture and suburbs are king. Since I can remember I have always been in love with being entertained, specifically through visual storytelling. Of course, it all started with the animated movies and shows I was exposed to as a child. Then, visually stunning early 2000s PC games, BONE comics, the Gorillaz animated music videos, theater, movies… As a child, I was pretty fearless, and I began to make my own comics and stories. I even wrote plays and forced my sister and cousins to perform them with me in front of our family.
I think the joy I found in cartoons, films, drawing, etc., provided me with an incredibly light and jovial childhood- I had hardships but didn’t let them affect me much. I had formed my identity around the joy I received from my creative interests and had known probably since the age of 6 that I had wanted to be “an animator.” I pursued this dream all the way to college, where I found myself attending an affordable public school that had a humble yet passionate animation and illustration program at San Jose State University.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
So, I’d known I wanted to be “an animator” since I was a child, but when I got to college, I didn’t know the first thing about anything in terms of the industry. I didn’t know anything about the animation pipeline, about the film, what a gesture drawing was, or how to effectively animate or even draw, really. I began to experience for the first time in my life what many know as imposter syndrome. I constantly felt like I needed to play “catch up,” and I also lost a lot of my love for the work because of the stress. Though I had to work a lot of cash jobs to provide for myself and pay my tuition, I’m grateful for how service jobs have bolstered my social skills and street smarts. So- yeah, between the rigorous course work, cash jobs, and running on an average of four hours of sleep a night for four years… it was a crazy time, but I mean going into your early twenties is a complete fog, anyways. In the summer of 2022, I was selected to be a Pixar story intern which I am still incredibly grateful for. It was unbelievably inspiring, and I am fortunate to have learned so much and to have met so many lovely, creative individuals. Though I had this opportunity, I don’t have current work in the industry. Every day it is constant work to balance all things in life, while continuing to prioritize my commitment to my dreams.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So, I’m a storyboard artist for the animation industry, but I like to create in many other ways as well. Anything that stimulates me mentally and is creatively inclined, I’ll think about it or even attempt it. I’d say I’m known for my silliness and openness. I don’t think much in terms of what sets me apart from other people- but rather, how I can connect with other people and bring an experience closer towards that universally felt intense, bright, divine state. My heart glows at the concept of universal connection. I’d say chasing that feeling now is what I try to recreate in my life and in my work. That feeling a run at 7 AM in the morning gives you while the sun is creeping up over the hills, or when you are laughing in a dinner at 12 AM with close friends, or when your mom calls you crying, and the caretaker roles are reversed. Those moments of pure humanity. Of being lucky enough to be here to experience it all. Every raw and honest bit of absurdity, emotion, thrill, serenity, and wildness. I love to try and capture those moments in a drawing, a storyboard, a bit of writing, or a painting. And, of course, I love to observe others’ work when they are trying to do the same!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I think for me, the ability to not quit or give up is where a lot of my feelings of success have come from because I know a lot of what we deem as “good” in art and life are mileage-based. That and pushing myself towards what I know will make me proud to embody or represent as mine. Success for me so far is living in line authentically and honestly with my values and not quitting, ever. I listen a lot to the song “Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts” by Funkadelic right now. I run to it, which is great because it’s a 12-minute song, haha. 5 and a half minutes in, after the instrumental, everything that is being said in that song is what success is to me. Strong-mindedness, love, self-honesty, lifting yourself and others up, bigger-picture thinking, perseverance, and good intentions. Success is basking in that glow. It’s continuous work. A reaping and a sowing! 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maddiejack.com
- Instagram: alofttheskies
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelyn-jack-7471b1139
