Georgina Cahill is an active student in multiple communities: that of the University of Southern California, and Sketchbook Skool!
Q: Georgina, what got you started on your creative journey?
A: I have been creating ever since I can remember. Whether it was drawing, painting, or sculpting, I always loved it all! This is thanks to having a family made up of creative thinkers and doers. Coming from a family of artists was essential for me starting my journey as an artist. My mom, Jen Cahill, (Look Ma, I made it!), was a fashion designer and is currently an artist.
She has always encouraged me to pursue my passion for art and helped me do so by giving me the opportunity to take extra art courses outside of school, bringing me on trips to museums, and sharing her higher grade art supplies with me.
The Sketchbook Skool community has also helped me build my confidence as an artist. Not only have the excellent classes and teachers inspired me and taught me new skills, but the other students are some of the most encouraging people I have ever met (even if I only know them online!).
Having such a strong support system made up of my own family and my larger Sketchbook Skool family has boosted my confidence in my work and has motivated me to continue to make art.
Q: I know you’re in school right now. Tell us what you’re working on and what your ultimate dream job is!
A: I am currently a fourth year BA candidate at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts Animation and Digital Arts program. It is a bit of a mouthful, but I have loved my time here so far. After taking a few years of classes and working as an artist on several projects, I found that my favorite part of the animation process is storyboarding.
This is the first step in interpreting the script into a final animation. It involves a lot of autonomy and imagination to figure out how to get the writer’s vision translated well into a picture. It is almost like figuring out a puzzle. I am hoping to eventually become an Episodic Animation Director so I can turn this love of deciphering puzzles into a job.
Q: Since you’re diving into a creative career, does drawing ever feel like “work?” How do you keep it fun?
A: It feels like “work” all the time, but who says work cannot be fun? Loving what I do has been critical with sustaining my motivation to keep drawing. Everyday, I wake up with an urge to make things. Of course, sometimes, it can be difficult to work on a project when there is something else I would rather be doing (and in a big city like Los Angeles, there is always something new and exciting going on). This is especially true if I do not have a particularly strong interest in the drawing, project, or animation homework assignment I should be doing.
If I start to feel this way, I try to think of the bigger picture and look at everything as a challenge. I think of how others and myself could benefit from completing this work. If I am sketching out a storyboard for a film, I try to envision that the final work could make someone laugh, spread awareness about social justice issues through a public service announcement, or have a powerful story that someone relates to that makes them feel more understood as an individual.
Even if the only benefit is that I get to practice my drawing skills or get more experience working in a computer software, it is enough to get me excited about working creatively.
From her sketchbook pages to her Procreate drawings and storyboards, we love watching Georgina’s art blossom! Check out more of her art on her website: https://www.georginacahill.com/.
