2024 Merit Scholarship Recipient: Mia Robertson

Describe the work you submitted for merits.

I submitted a collection of four works that I am really proud of and got good feedback on in the classes that I made them in, one being an essay and the other being creative writings. One is a essay on the history of Christmas ornaments, their origin, evolution in materials, and representation. One is a short story of a crow who serves under a human king of Hell as a sage but then goes on to search for medicine when he fell sick. Another one is another short story based off a dream I had where I could turn skin into string by hovering my finger over the other person's finger. And the last one is actually a chapter from a book I have been working on since my first semester as a Junior. It's about a boy who runs away from his cult-like family and goes out to sea with a wanted pirate. They both then go on this journey around the world but also this journey of knowing their place in that world.

Why did you decide to come to MCAD?

I came to MCAD because there weren't any good animation programs in my home state. I knew what I wanted to pursue but also had to considerate of tuition and other costs of college. After makign a list and comparing art schools, I found that MCAD was more affordable and had a better animation program than most. Now I'm here about to start my last year after this semester.

What are your plans for your senior year? And beyond?

I know that for my senior year, I will have to be very committed to my senior project and put more work into it than all the other projects I have had before. Not much is planned for my senior year other than settling on an idea for my senior project and going though with it while managing five additional courses. No different than now, but certainly a lot more stressful since It'll be my last year. Afterwards, I plan on going for an internship, if I can get any, and then just have a moment to work outside of my computer. I love animating and working with all kinda of visual storytelling, but after four years of juggling animations, work, and other assignments, it can really take a toll on your physical and mental health if you're not careful. I certainly want to work on my portfolio more and do another smaller projects, but I also want to take a moment to focus on my health and spend time with friends and family (I've been away from home for too long!)

Favorite thing about college life (so far)?

I certainly the routine that comes from my schedules; some are/ were more overwhelming than others, but I like the feeling of being productive and the sense that I am growing in my skills. However, I also really enjoy the people here. It feels a lot easier to talk to the folks here than the people I have gone to school with back in Texas, but at the same time it's hard for me to reach out to them. I just get so anxious and then feel all guilty when I miss an opportunity to talk to them or ask them if they want to hang out or talk more often.

What inspires you?

Mostly stuff I am binging or artists I find online (Twitter, as much of a mess it is a good majority of the time, can also be an actual good place to find real good artists if you try. I also have friends I like to talk to on Discord, some of which I haven't talked to in a while but still have access to their old docs that contains backstories of characters and other creative writing- those never fail to inspire and motivate me. Other students tend to inspire me or at least motivate me to push my work more since I tend to compare myself to others and overthink on the critiques I get. I'm a huge perfectionist and the thought of failing or getting a weird look from someone when I share my work is enough to make me think about every detail of my work and figure out what I can do to make it stronger.

Do you have a favorite piece you've made? Describe it!

I've recently made a self portrait painting called "Me and My Fellow N-Words Paying $13.99 To Stare At Miguel O'hara's Asshole For 2 Hours and 20 Minutes." It's basically from a photo of me in a .5 perspective at the movie theaters, and rather than paint in the actual people, I replaced them with characters that I really love such as Buggy the Clown and Tony Tony Chopper from One Piece, Shadow the Hedgehog, Part 4 Jotaro Kujo, and Goku from Dragon Ball (though he's mostly a representation of my friends who are obessed with the anime). It has a nice blue/orange palette with nice shifts in temperatures (a challenge, but a very rewarding one), and it makes me so happy to see it because the whole piece is literally just an inside joke between me and my friends. My professor even laughs at it and described it as "taking a serious medium and making something super funny out of it." I really liked that description.

Anything you're obsessed with at the moment?

One Piece (overall, just pirates), my 96 Crayola crayon pack, and this really nice thick black marker I got at the art cellar that I love using to make tiny, messy comics in my sketchbook.

Lastly, do you have a favorite question we didn't ask? Tell us and answer it!

What do I listen to when I work? I listen to music ranging from Catholic choir music to classic rock to death metal, but I change my music too much to really stay focus. I like to listen to the "Let's Talk About Myths, Baby" podcast whenever I want to hear someone chatting. And I especially like listening to audio books. Right now, I am currently listening to the Warriors series (right now I'm on the last book of the 5th arc)