Mia Lee Moore
On the right track

Currently studying at a high school specializing in art, the High School of Art and Design, majoring in cartooning, and recently being awarded the Haney medal by the School Art League, I feel that I am on the right track to hopefully being able to pursue a career in the arts and, perhaps, make a living from it. I am very grateful for that kind of opportunity and intend to make sure I can do what I can to make that dream a reality. At the League, I feel like I can expand my knowledge of what I can do as an artist that won’t be restricted to the curriculum of my current school. I can acknowledge my strengths and weaknesses as an artist and focus on what I can do to better myself and my skills. I’d also like to be more prepared for college, including portfolio reviews, so I’m not as worried about not knowing what awaits me after graduation.

While I don’t have a set career in mind as of right now, at the moment I am interested in illustration for children’s novels, magazines, and graphic novels as well as visual development for the animation industry. I have an interest in character design and stories; each of these career paths pertains to my interests in some way. When I think more on this, I find that a lot of my interest in these fields—excluding graphic novels—stems from the artist Carter Goodrich who had done work within each of those paths, as a freelance illustrator. Whenever I feel unhappy with my style, I often look back at Goodrich’s art (and many other artists’ work) to see what makes it unique to him and what I can implement into my own work.

Although, I can’t exactly say he has influenced my own art style, it is still undeniable that he has influenced me in the career path I want to take. I often worry about not knowing how to use my art for a career; Goodrich’s ability to adapt to these different uses for his own work is rather inspiring to me and makes me want to follow in his footsteps. I want the ability to work on my terms and not be stuck in a stagnant in-and-out for the rest of my life. To gain that privilege, I feel I need to be a better artist.