End of Year Reflection - Animation

What I Learned

Technology wise, I learned about how to use adobe software much better than I did last year, and this newly accumulated taste for adobe software encouraged me to get a laptop my own to work on personal projects. I learned to better collaborate and be social with my classmates, especially during the final project, and I improved my social skills when asking questions and that sort of thing. I thought I stuttered a little bit when it came to project management in the first semester, but later I got better at it, turning things in on time. Leadership wasn't a big part of this year for me, since the only group project I had was the final, which I wasn't a leading force in.

Strengths/Weaknesses

I think my strengths mainly reside in my ability to get work done on time when I can focus. I also usually try to do something new with every project, trying to take a step forward and go beyond the instructions.

Obviously, I'm not perfect, so there are some things I need to work on. For instance, I should really work more on my collaboration skills, and even though I did better this year compared to last year, I still have room to improve.

What Will I Do With What I Learned

Even though I'm going into Graphic Design next year, I do want to continue to expand my knowledge in animation. I'd like to use what I learned to do more 2D animation and visual effects, and possibly collaborate with video students.

Anything I Would Change?

No, I don't think there's anything I would change. Even my weakest projects reflect how I grew as an animator, and I think it shows how I can improve later in life. Every artist has to evolve, nobody is ever perfect from the beginning. It's great to compare your start and your current status as an artist to see how you've evolved, in what certain aspects.

Conclusion

I really liked this year of animation. I feel like I learned a lot and grew as an animator, and after a year of thinking about it, I decided Graphic Design was the right path for me to take for the rest of my high school career. I really enjoyed this year and I learned a lot after being in the class for a full year, rather than a quarter.