Meet Dena Springer

We recently connected with Dena Springer and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dena, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

I like to frame a creative blocks as moments of rest or research, a way to get back to the basics and reconnecting with myself. Generally, I start with either walks or working out to get out of my head, blow off some steam, and build that separation from the mental block. Otherwise, I like to ground myself in various research materials that inspire me– music, movies, books, etc. Gather as much inspiration as I can, and create a moodboard to map out my interests and ideas. I always try to foster a “ground zero” with these boards, so I can leap from here to anywhere.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m an indepedent animator and illustrator based in Chicago. I like to create short films that combine found footage, animation, and vintage illustrations into one digital surrealist dream. Being biracial, I was constantly othered by both sides of my family and peers. It was frustrating growing up– I was constantly seeing myself through the eyes of other people, trying to get their approval. As an adult, I’ve realized that my identity will shift and change depending on the context I’m in– always fluctuating and fluid. I like to explore how relative our culturals ideas and values are through animation, combining mixed media, illustrating strict crowds of people, etc.

Aside from my own work, I collaborate with musicians to create music videos, visualizers, or album covers. I also dabble in editorial illustration, like for Bloomberg Businessweek and the Atlantic.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Having a professional or artistic practice is like maintaining your garden. It’s about maintaining the whole, and not necessarilly having the product at the end. Take care of yourself, your body, work on a project, research, reflect. Cultivate your best self, and the product will eventually follow.

2. Connect with a community that builds you up & you can learn from. Adding onto the idea of self-maintence, being mindful my energy and putting in people who don’t pull me down or drain me. Seek folks out who inspire you, build you up, and you can learn from as well.

3. Don’t strive for perfection, especially starting anything out. Just complete a piece. It doesn’t have to be good or perfect, it just needs to be complete in order to be a data point to steer you in the right direction. In other words, learning from your failures.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

Finding representation! I’d love to have an agent represent me. The best thing I can do right now, is to make a list and cold call places that feel like the best fit. Until then, I’m going to continue building my body of work and create my own path until I find the right team that wants to tag a long!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.denaspringer.com
• Instagram: @_yukapuka_