Day One, Origins, Influences, and Ideology

What are your origins?

Origin is defined as the point of place where something begins, arises, or is derived. From that logic my origins would be Omaha, Nebraska where I was conceived and born. I was technically born in Omaha, Nebraska but I was in Louisiana by the time I was three months old. My origins are not rooted in any singular state or city. I’ve lived in Nebraska, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, Virginia, and Hawaii. I probably missed a few. My origins are rooted in my family.  Related by blood I have my mother, father, and sister, my larger family is the military. My mother and father are my origin. Neither of them led the best of childhoods but they met and were married at 18. They put each other through college. My mom always tells me the story of how she would be so excited when she found some extra change. She would go to the store and buy a can of spaghetti-O’s. They were determined make their own path. My father joined the Air Force after college and became an Officer. A pilot to be exact. A B-1 Bomber pilot.

Who are your influences?

My biggest influences are my parents and the military. Because of the Air Force I was able to live in different states, learn different cultures, and meet all sorts of people. We were stationed in Hawaii so I got to discover my love of being around the ocean. But that would never have happened without my parents and my father deciding to become an officer. Because of my parents and the military we were able to go on vacations to places like China and Japan. I’ve had experiences that have opened my eyes and that have made me want to share with the world. Which is why I decided to become an artist. I chose animation in particular because animated films were another constant in my life throughout growing up. No matter where I was living I could always push the tape into the VCR and watch my favorite animated movie. I could go off listing artists that have inspired me once I was old enough to be interested in them. But at the root my parents and the military are what started it all.

What is your ideology?

My ideology at the root is that humans are naturally good-hearted. There have been wars, but it was always because groups thought one ideology was better than another. Another is that all life is valuable. Once there was a bug on the outside of the car while we were speeding down the interstate. I cried and screamed until my father pulled over and the bug could go free. This doesn’t mean that I’m against eating meat, I believe it is natural for humans to eat meat but up to the point of slaughter is it asking too much to give the animal a good life and a relatively painless/quick death?