katelynski – Page 5

OTM #18: Immersion

November 22, 2022November 22, 2022 katelynski Leave a comment

We’ve made it to break! Hope you’re all doing well and resting up this week. I’ve been super into the new Pokémon game as of late; I’ve rushed to finish all of my work so that I can do nothing but play all of break. I find solace in living a modestly hermit-esque lifestyle on occasion; it’s definitely not something I like to be proud of, but I have to admit that it feels good to do nothing but play video games all day sometimes. It’s good to allot time for that sort of thing, I think, allowing some true you-time and immersing yourself in something pointless. Whether it’s binging Dance Moms, playing Pokémon, taking a walk or a run, or finding new music, I think that indulging in art (of whatever form and quality) is a great way to recharge. I already was inspired to draw and create because of Pokémon; I was inspired in a way that a child would be. I’m getting urges to design hundreds of Pokémon, to make paper dolls, and various other sorts of childlike crafting urges. I love to keep in touch with that side of myself, the endless creator I was at eight years old, and that’s why I’ve been loving Pokémon so much lately. It reminds me how fun art is. I hope you’re all able to get immersed, inspired, and rested this break! Thanks for reading as always.

OTM #17: Snowing

November 15, 2022November 15, 2022 katelynski 1 Comment

Each year, when the snow finally rolls in, I’m always thinking about the ending of The Shining. Especially this year – the weather had been so gorgeous for so long, and all of the sudden it dropped and snow poured from the skies. It’s the Michigan condition, and we have to love it a little, but it’s so drastic. My mood changes as the cold arrives, I want to do nothing but sit and think. I can see myself perfectly in the movie’s ending, just as Jack was out freezing in the dark, covered in ice and snow. Winter kind of sucks, I think to myself, but there’s comfort to be had in it, too. Break is coming up, and soon I’ll be cozied up by a fireplace eating turkey. The end of the semester is coming up, and I can finally take my winter hibernation. I hope you’re all fighting through the cold okay! Good luck this week and thanks for reading.

OTM #16: Waiting / Music

November 8, 2022May 24, 2023 katelynski Leave a comment

Happy Tuesday yet again! I’ve been reflective as of late, arriving up to thirty minutes early to classes just so I can sit in the empty halls and stare at the wall. It’s become sacred to me; my music becomes the forefront of my focus rather than a backdrop, and I picture animated sequences moving with the song’s notes. I used to use Flipnote Hatena every day growing up as a kid, an animation program that came free with the Nintendo DSi. It was my primary motivation as an artist; there were thousands of young animators that would post their work there, animation trends, short stories, and more. Because of Hatena, I discovered all sorts of music and animation styles. It was really popular to animate original characters to songs in pseudo-music videos, and I would often make my own. I’d sit in silence at sleepovers, drawing frames over and over again, listening to the same 3 second loop of Carly Rae Jepsen trying to animate my warrior cat persona. It’s something I have, in a way, carried with me into adulthood; I listen to music with the intent of seeing an animated, silly music video in my head. So, with these minutes before class, it’s been really helpful for me to allow myself to go back to that childlike mind and simply sit with the music.

Have a great week, everyone! Thank you for reading.

OTM #15: Autumn

November 1, 2022November 2, 2022 katelynski Leave a comment

Happy November! Hope you all had a great Halloween. It’s been so pretty out – almost too pretty – and on my walk today I was struck with the realization that it will end far too soon. It’s so important for me to embrace that crisp fall air, to walk on the leaves like they’re rose petals. I think the hardest when I’m walking, and this time of year is peak for a good walk. I’d highly recommend going down to the Arb if you’re in Ann Arbor – if not, maybe take a trip to a cider mill, or simply study outside. We don’t have much time left, and taking the reference picture for this painting really helped that to sink in. I don’t even think a camera can capture the beauty of Michigan autumns, so I’m once again going to advocate for all of you to experience it for yourself, to slow down a bit and smell the air. Hope you have a great week, thanks for reading!

OTM #14: Reaction

October 25, 2022October 25, 2022 katelynski 2 Comments

Happy almost-Halloween! I went to the theater to watch Perfect Blue with my friends last week, an old horror classic for animation nerds like myself. Every time I watch it, I’m profoundly affected; it so wonderfully blends reality and fantasy, its horror comes from its psychology. However, I think I was in a different mindset than the rest of the crowd. Several times throughout the film, people clapped, cheered; it was as if they’d seen the film millions of times and weren’t affected by it anymore. I was kind of shocked at this. I wasn’t mad by any means, but with such heavy subject matter, I wondered, how can they all be so cheerful right now? So when the lights came on at the film’s end, I sat there motionless, tears filling my eyes while the rest of the crowd happily moved on with their day.

This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced this – an insanely different reaction than the rest of the theater – but with this particular film, it felt personal. I want to laugh at myself a bit more, to say, “stop taking it seriously!” But I am who I am. I guess in some ways I like to be profoundly affected by media. Hope you are all able to enjoy a good movie (perhaps a horror flick) this week!

OTM #13: Nap

October 11, 2022October 11, 2022 katelynski 2 Comments

I’ve been really burnt out lately. I think everyone has a little, it’s around the time for midterms, but I just want to sleep all day. My roommate’s cat and I have always gotten along well, but it seems like lately he’s been able to pick up on my feelings. Almost every morning, like clockwork, as soon as I open the door he runs in and crawls up on my bed. He lays square on my torso, and sleeps. Even if it’s just for a minute, it’s like he understands. It’s a great mood booster, a familiar warmth that makes me think, “I can make it through today.” So thank you, Haru, for bringing me a little comfort (even if you start biting at my hoodie’s drawstrings after a while). Hope you’re all able to find some comfort, maybe in the fall weather, maybe in a friend, maybe in a TV show. Whatever it is, have a great week!