The Three Characters That Changed My Life

     

Sorry I have been away for so long. I've gotten very busy with my film and being in the Animation BFA at my school.

My 3 favorite animated movies of all time that inspired me to dream of becoming an animator are Fantasia (1940), Pinocchio (1940), and Peter Pan (1953). It's not just the moral messages that inspired me, but rather more, the characters that encouraged me through these messages. Today, I drew my 3 favorite cartoon characters, Peter Pan, Jiminy Cricket, and most of all, Mickey Mouse.

 Third to foremost, Peter Pan always reminds me to not grow up too fast and to always have faith and trust. When I was in elementary school, I was often made fun of for liking things people thought I was 'too old' to like, such as dressing up as Mickey Mouse and watching shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. That made me both question my childish personality and feel pressured by society to 'grow up'. At the same time, Peter Pan encouraged me to embrace the child inside of me and to never let that go, to embrace my immaturity in that there's always something new to discover. 

 Second to most is Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio (1940). In elementary school, I also really doubted myself on many of the decisions I was making back then and felt tempted by my tutors and parents to conform and have similar interests as peers who are the same age as me. At the same time in 5th grade when I was starting to see and believe the miracles, angels, and spirits that my Lord and Savior can bring to me, Jiminy Cricket came into my mind during the Remember Dreams Come True firework show at Disneyland, reassuring me to trust my heart, to follow my conscience, and to believe in my wishes and dreams. For the first time, I felt then that my dreams and ambitions were validated. 

 Most of all, as a lonely child in elementary school with barely any true friends, Mickey Mouse shined the light. In Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I felt welcomed by Mickey and his pals into the clubhouse. I would always feel sad when he has to say 'so long' at the end of each episode. In the classic Mickey Mouse cartoons, he taught me what it means to love and care for each other and what true friendship means. In the Fantasmic! show at Disneyland also in 5th grade, he also inspired me to keep using my imagination and to be open to all the amazing possibilities out there. 

These 3 special characters are not just my favorite cartoon characters, they are the first true friends I met. Yes, many of you may think I am weird for saying this, but this is why I say 'Happy Birthday' to my favorite cartoon characters. 

I feel like my struggles to make friends, while it did come with feeling lonely and excluded through the end of high school, I also felt it came with a blessing in disguise. Owing to my loneliness, I thought about how Mickey and his pals, Jiminy, and Peter Pan all made me feel less lonely through their inspiration. This made me think about all the other kids and adults who may be feeling lonely and want to create my own cartoon characters to inspire them and give them lifelong friends they can relate to.

These characters didn't just gift me with my dream to move to/near L.A. and pursue animation. They also helped me to transform my heart, to open up and be vulnerable, and also blessed me with all of you, especially my wonderful and amazing friends I've met both in-person and online since I started at CSULB. 

Thank you for reading my story and for always supporting me throughout this lifelong journey. I'm really grateful for all of you and can't wait to see where this journey leads me.