After a few weeks working at this internship this has been rather exciting and different than most experiences I’ve had. There are things I won’t miss once it ends, of course. Particularly, the long almost three hour trip from my house to Accardo’s studio is one thing I won’t miss.

Despite this, I would definitely do this again. It’s worth it. Truly. The valuable experiences I’ve learned here will surely come in handy once I’ve made my way into being a freelance artist too. Professor Accardo, both as a designer and as my mentor, has given me new insight on my career path and has given me this almost renewed passion for my craft. Yes, there have been some rough patches and I’m sure there are many more to come, but even still, my desire to be a freelance artist supersedes any anxiety I feel about this career path.

One of my many areas that needs improvement, I would say, is having more confidence in myself as an artist and as a human being. I think the key, for me, is to just get out there and do it. Even if I know I won’t succeed, try anyway. The worst that will happen is I won’t get the job or my artwork isn’t accepted at some big wig art studio. So what? There are many more to choose from, I just need to keep trying until I finally catch my dream job by the nads. I’m not a terrible artist, I just need to keep growing and learning new techniques to hone my skills. One of the many sayings that Accardo has taught me is that you never stop learning, even when you’ve been in the business as long as he has been. As long as you are willing to put in the hard work, you will continue to become better at what you do. That’s something I’ve learned the hard way and now through Accardo’s guidance.

If I had to give advice to a newer student, that is what I would tell them. Never stop perfecting your craft, even when you think you’ve mastered it. There is always room for improvement, somewhere. Just keep swimming until you get there.

(I totally can’t wait until Finding Dory comes out!)