We were lucky to catch up with Hannah Ford recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hannah, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Growing up, I was always considered creative. I dressed in bright colors, drew in the margins of my notebooks, and loved to edit videos for fun. This escalated when I went to college and began my degree in 3D animation. People started to ask me to design things for them and if you needed something done in Photoshop, I was your girl. Even when I became a full-time Elementary school teacher, I would make little doodles for my students. Creativity was my talent.
This all changed when I went to graduate school at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Suddenly, I was surrounded by people who were much more creative and talented than I was. For the entirety of my first year here, I felt like an imposter. I wasn’t creative. I didn’t know the basics of good design like I thought I did. Sure, my family and friends back home thought I was still artsy, but in art school, I was, in my mind, painfully average. But then I found my niche.
It took some experimenting, but I found what I was good at – 3D motion graphics. Shocker, right, since I have an undergraduate degree in 3D animation. My problem was that I was comparing myself to everyone around me, and it seemed all of my peers could make beautiful, illustrative work. But that just wasn’t my talent, and when I let it go and focused on what I enjoyed, my work improved significantly. Not everyone will enjoy the bright, colorful things I like to make, but its what makes my work mine. Now I know that I deserve to be at art school just like everyone else. Sure, I want to improve in other areas of motion design, but I want to keep making things that I’m passionate about.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My story began when I was around 8 or 9, and I would write plays, whose primary actors included me and my patient dad. This led to me filming little skits using the computer’s webcam and editing them on Windows Movie Maker. Then in middle school, I would film music videos, edit those, and, embarrassingly, upload them to YouTube. When I was 13, my school required us to fill out a 5-year plan, which included what we planned on majoring in college. My love of video editing and drawing led me to write down “animation,” and I stuck to it. I majored in 3D animation in college, but after graduating, I struggled to find a job. So for a few years, I focused on a different dream of mine – to leave the United States.
I lived and taught English in South Korea for two years. While I am so thankful for this experience, I was not finding complete fulfillment through teaching. I missed making things and being in a creative environment. I decided to move back to the United States and applied to SCAD’s Motion Media Design MFA program. When I was accepted, I packed my bags to move to Savannah, GA to continue my dream.
Now, I’m about to finish my second year in this program, and I have been finding myself creatively. I still have a love of animation, and you’ll find I have a lot of 3d work in my portfolio. But one thing I was surprised to find myself passionate about is projection mapping. I had my work displayed at Digital Graffiti, a projection festival in Alys Beach, FL, and seeing my work displayed on buildings felt larger than life. My dream is to create bright, immersive experiences that people can lose themselves in. I am currently working on a project to be displayed in a planetarium, and I can’t wait to see what the final product will look like.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Confidence, even when you don’t feel confident. I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but in this market, you really have to fake it ’till you make it. I’ve learned that when I am confident about my work, viewers will more likely feel impressed by it. I used to talk down my work all the time, but that wasn’t doing anything for me. It’s okay to like your work, especially when you’ve worked hard on it.
2. Flexibility. There are times when I have a plan for a project, but it doesn’t work at all like I planned. I then have to go to the drawing board and start over. Don’t feel discouraged by this. It’s better to start over than waste time fixing something that doesn’t work.
3. Tenacity. Don’t give up even when it doesn’t feel like you’re improving. I have hit so many bumps in my artistic journey, but I just keep moving forward. Compared to just one year ago, I have improved so much. I can’t wait to see where I am next year!
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t be afraid to say no. In the words of Taylor Swift, I am a “pathological people pleaser,” and I want to help everybody. We are not designed to take on the problems of the world alone, and you’ll be surprised how willing a lot of people are to help you out, whether with a creative project or something else entirely.
There’s also a lot of value in rest. All around me, I see sleep-deprived students and it shouldn’t be that way. I know the more energy I have, the better my work is going to be. There comes a point when we’re so tired, we are no longer productive.
Finally, don’t hesitate to look into what mental health resources are available to you. There are many online counselors available and students usually have access to free, on-campus counseling. There’s no shame in getting help and I believe everyone can benefit in talking to a counselor.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hannahliz.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannah_liz12/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahliz12/
Image Credits
Personal photo by Jay
