Now comes the time for me, Nelson, to retrospectively consider my revolution around the sun with Broom Cupboard Studios.
What an untamed encounter this has been. Many a moon I have spent with these individuals and all I can say is that their talent, wit, creativity, and punderific liveliness is unmatched. They are a source of constant inspiration and although this magnificent expedition is coming to an end, I will continue to watch them, inspired and creepy, from afar (or from the shadows-it’s hard to say).
Through many a caffeine induced night spent on our projects, I have learned the importance of collaboration, teamwork, communication, and organization from my time here - as well as how to profusely discuss the significance of Marvel movie classics and the importance of “death of the author” in relation to relevant pop culture stories.
In all seriousness, I have known these people for over 5 years and all I can say is that I can’t imagine my life without them. They challenge me to be better, to think outside the box, and to shoot for those unattainable goals. In truth, I have always felt like the least talented person in the room here. Not because they make me feel that way - in fact, you will be hard pressed to find a more supportive and nurturing group of people - but because the studio is comprised of such talent. And being around such talented people will occasionally make you fall into an existential artistic crisis… but, you know, in a good way? We’ll just say that they are artistic goals (or something more eloquent).
In my time here, I had the honor to work on six projects with Broom Cupboard Studios, all of them challenging me for different reasons. And although I had the opportunity to wear a lot of hats, I would have to say that my favorite projects over the last year were E G G T O A S T and Feathers and Teeth. Both of these gave me a lot of creative freedom and the ability to really develop my assignments. Both being traditional animation, I had the chance to explore this style where otherwise I may have avoided it in fear of it being too difficult.
I’m honestly not sure what I’m going to do going forward. I plan to spend some time taking online classes and playing around with ideas I’ve had over the past year - but so far, nothing concrete. You can follow me and my randomness on Instagram - @amnelart.
In closing, I’d just like to say, thank you to the everyone in Broom Cupboard. You are some of the very best people I have ever known and I can’t thank you enough for being a part of my life. A special shout out to Bridget, without whom we never would’ve embarked on this journey.
On that note, as Xing would say, “I’m not crying, I’m just congested.”
- Nelson