ARIEL PAXTON

JUNIOR Motion Designer

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

5 favorite musical artists of all time? 

1. Chaka Khan

2. Aaliyah

3. Maxwell

4. Missy Elliott

5. Ashanti

What inspires you? 

I'm inspired by various feature films and animated films from different decades such as Matilda, Dead becomes, Spirited Away, Pans Labyrinth. I love whimsical storytelling with a touch of reality and humor.

What advice would you give to your younger self? 

Be patient and enjoy the process of creating a story. Take your time to enjoy the process of brainstorming, writing the script, creating the visuals, and sharing it with your friends and family before rushing, especially if it's a personal project.

What industry blogs/websites/podcasts do you enjoy?

I like using Cartoon Brew from time to time. It's an animation news website that usually talks about 2D films or projects that are in the works.

What do you think the future holds for people of color in creative industries?

I think the future is very bright for people of color in creative industries. We are slowly but surely paving the way. Having more representation is a must in every creative industry and it opens a door to future creatives who never even knew certain jobs existed.

What is your dream job?

I feel like I'm working at my dream job currently. I've grown up watching Nickelodeon's Noggin so to be able to work with them has been fun. I love telling story's for kids so I'm happy that I'm able to create storyboards and some animations for them.

What skill(s) would you develop if you had more time? 

I want to develop my script writing skills. I love to visually draw out a story but I also want to develop my script writing skills.

What is the last thing you learned? 

I learned the difference between a stage play, a screenplay, and a novel. Stage play usually reveals the character’s plot in an outward way through dialogue. Screen plays show a lot of action and character visuals. Novels share a lot about a character's internal dialogue like we're in their head.

What are you working on right now?

Currently, I'm working at Nickelodeon's Noggin. My personal work involves a lot of animation and storyboard work on a short film that I'm in the process of creating.

If you could talk to your favorite creative for an hour, who would it be? Why?

I would talk to Hayao Miyazaki. I'm just so curious about his creative process and how these ideas for his characters come together. Every time I see a film of his I'm always in wonder because these characters are so otherworldly and yet relatable.

What advice would you give to creatives of color looking to pursue their passion full-time?

Don't be afraid to show your work and promote it. You never know who's following your work. So many industry professionals share the same social platforms as you do, so if they stumble across your portfolio or you promoting your portfolio, you never know if that will land you a job.

How do you keep your creative drip going? 

I love reading graphic novels for inspiration or looking through some art of books such as Art of Spirited Away or the Art of How to Train you Dragon. To me, it's fun to see how other artists goes through their creative process.

Contact: arielgpaxton@gmail.com or LinkedIn

Check out her Instagram, and Portfolio more of her work!