CTN 2014

As an artist, it is often easy to feel like an outsider. In the past few years I've had that feeling more and more often while pursuing a second degree in business. Art folk are friendly and welcoming while the people in business are ruthless and focused on making money. I have never considered myself to be a mean person and, in a way, this makes me stick out in a crowd of business students.

This year was the first time I had ever attended CTN Expo. While at CTN, I felt like an outsider. I no longer intend to pursue animation as a career because I can't find where I fit in to the equation. I don't regret my decision to have studied animation but I do wish I would have realized I hated animating sooner. I was stuck on the fact that I loved animation as an art form that I desperately attempted to place myself in that world.

While walking around the expo, it was initially difficult to start a conversation with the rest of the attendants. While waiting in lines, I would ask people who had a portfolio or iPad under their arm, "so what are you pursuing?" And after answering or displaying their art, it would inevitably lead to, "how about you?" The first time I told someone I was no longer doing animation, they visibly lost interest in the conversation. They shifted slightly and their eyes darted away. It was uncomfortable.

By my third conversation, I was catching on to how to tell my tale. "So long story short, I appreciate animation but it's not for me. I'm studying business which will help me save up to go back to art school. I'm not really sure where I fit in but I think I'd like to go into special effects makeup and prosthetics." Okay now people are interested. A few conversations later, I was giving business advice to artists who didn't have business cards or websites. CTN stands for Creative Talent Network. People pay a lot of money to attend the show with the intention of networking and/or having their portfolios reviewed. To not have a business card at this type of event is a missed opportunity.

After a while, and feeling a bit more at ease, I would talk to larger groups of people about my art-business fusion. In one particular conversation where I shared advice on interviews and business law, I jokingly mentioned I could use my odd combination of degrees to do consulting for artists. I was going on about ways artists could prevent abuse in the industry and mentioned ways to help market themselves. About five people simultaneously asked me for my business card. Well who was unprepared now? A missed business opportunity for yours truly but definitely an idea I will be fleshing out for future ctn expos.