Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Fidler.
Hi Christina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Like many animators, cartoons were an exciting escape for me as a kid. I had a pretty tumultuous home dynamic, so getting myself immersed in other worlds was exactly what I did. The original Animaniacs was a huge influence on me — it was quick, smart, all over the place, and downright absurd. I’ve been drawing since I was six or seven, so when I realized I could create my own stories in that way (or in any way, really) my animation journey began.
I moved from my home in New York City and attended the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore. I graduated at the start of the pandemic and was lucky to fall into remote work with Comedy Central in their digital shorts department amidst all the chaos. At that time, my thesis film, “Condolences from the Vulgar Tongue or (Boner)” was also winning awards and making its rounds in the newly virtual festival circuit. These two experiences were incredibly legitimizing for me in terms of building my confidence as a creative thinker. With that, I kept making art, I kept sharing it online, and I made a bunch of animation friends, many of whom already lived out here in Los Angeles, which had me thinking…
I started work at A Studio Digital (alongside some of those online friends!) a little bit after my time with Comedy Central, and began making self-directed shorts for them, which left me feeling empowered by the thought of being an indie animator and director. And many of those animation friends, who are also self-directed, continue to push and support me in that quest. Before I knew it, I was moving from Baltimore to Los Angeles in January 2022. Currently, I am freelancing at Buzzfeed — pitching, boarding, and animating alongside a hilarious team of artists. And after that? I dunno! I’m excited to see where my career takes me.
I believe I have a voice and a plethora of experiences that are worth sharing as part of my desire to connect with others. Most of my work is focused on making light, and in many ways, making fun, of the incredibly painful yet universal woes we endure as human beings. Self-loathing, interpersonal relationships, how small we feel the world is…those are all themes I like to explore in my personal practice.
So yeah! That’s how I got here. Like I said, I’m super stoked for what’s in store for me — I’ve got some ideas for new films brewing. 🙂
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road by any means. Crippling self-doubt is something I think many artists struggle with, and it can be brought on by just about any painful experience.
I endured a lot of trauma in 2022. Several sudden deaths, a cross-country move, emotionally abusive relationships…you name it! Amidst all of the exciting things that I knew were just around the corner for me, it was hard to not feel like I was also just treading water. All of that pain, much of which is still being processed, can very easily fog up the mind. Our brains like to tell us we aren’t capable or important. “Why is my story a story someone wants to hear? Is this even worth sharing? This is cringe and no one cares and I just sound annoying.” Pushing against that kind of noise (which of course is way more haunting in the mind) is exhausting. Especially when you’ve left your old comforts and dear friends on the other side of the country.
It’s only now that I’m beginning to get over the hump. Showing kindness to myself and nurturing a very good support network of friends are the things that have stopped me from giving up on my goals. There are so many things that aren’t in our control, and time is certainly one of them. And time also plays a huge role in things turning around for the better. There is so much more time in life than I realize. So I’m learning to be patient. To silence the critic inside. Draw what I want when I want. Say what I want when I want. I am learning to own my voice again.
And of course, it’s also not easy being a woman in this industry. Especially a younger one. How do you stand up to mistreatment? How do you speak with an unwavering yet grounded confidence despite being put down or not taken as seriously? I’m learning about these things every day. And I think I’ll be constantly be learning and developing those answers with…well…time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a 2D animator and director, with my work often leaning in the camp of dark comedy. I like to poke at the sores in my brain around self-perception, interpersonal relationships, and what it means to feel like the whole world revolves around your problems when in reality, it doesn’t. There is freedom in realizing you’re incredibly small in the grand scheme of things. And also, most things (within reason), when spun around in some way, make for hilarious stories! The world is dark, but it can also be fun if you let it.
I have won several awards for my work, secured a streaming deal for one of my shorts, and have been featured on podcasts, panels, and artist talks discussing what it means to be funny, crude, sometimes annoying, and vulnerable all at the same time.
We all have deep flaws. It’s okay to embrace them and be curious about where they’ve taken us in life. I think I’m proud of my ability to embrace that and my willingness to translate it into my practice.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Honesty matters most to me. Being open to sharing a deeper part of yourself in the form of art takes a lot of bravery. It shows a desire for human connection and the confidence to express one’s self. I find that truthfulness grounding yet rare.
It also takes self-assurance to be that candid. Especially when it comes to making and sharing art. And especially considering everything I’ve been through in the last year, I’m eager to challenge myself to get deeper. To be bold enough to point out painful truths in life that I’ve learned through the lens of my own personal experience with death, loneliness, emotional abuse, and cyclical patterns of ruminative thought.
It’s going to take time, but I’m slowly rebuilding the chops to challenge myself. I always want to be honest.
Contact Info:
- Website:Â christinafidler.com
- Instagram:Â https://www.instagram.com/schwiftybits/
Image Credits
Headshot courtesy of Morgan Kelley Photography
