Salutations!

Hello! My name is Ellen Packer and I am a student studying... well, this is where it gets complicated.

I'm writing this blog because a mentor and friend of mine, Christopher Birnbaum, suggested it was a good place to start. To start what you may ask? My personal journey to becoming an animator.Currently, I am a sophomore studying Music Education (P-12). I have a great passion for music and community and the simple magic of making music together. Music Education is a valuable part of every school curriculum and is enriching to the character of every single person on this planet. BUT this blog isn't about Music Education. It's about animation.

Before coming to school, I had two choices of action. I could study music education or I could study animation. At the time, I was sure about music, but I was timid about animation. I knew that it was something that I loved. I admired the great artists works. I longed to bring characters and stories to life in places, times, and cultures that maybe didn't even exist. As I visited college fairs and got pamphlets in the mail, my parents were very supportive no matter what I chose, but I was scared. Scared out of my mind.

Drawing was something I had been teaching myself. Doodles mostly on my notes at school or in a sketchbook. I used to say that I maybe had one decent drawing up my sleeve a day. And a really "good" drawing maybe once every month. I was scared that I didn't have the talent or the endurance to make it as an animator.

But again and again, my passion for animation has reared its head and said "Hey, don't forget about me!" - and after talking with my parents and various artists and animators in the field, I finally have the courage to take a step towards pursuing it whole heatedly. The road ahead will be bumpy and definitely rough, but it'll be worth it. I'll have my friends and family, and God by my side. And in the end, I will be an animator.