Meet Rebecca J. Jones

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rebecca J. Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Rebecca J., thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

We have all had struggles. How we choose to deal with those struggles and everyday life varies from person to person, depending on what they have learned about themselves from past challenges. I have learned that the more I focus on negativity, the harder it is for me to achieve tasks/goals. So I look for the enjoyable aspects – however small those may be! It reduces stress and anxiety to go into things with a smile and focus on having fun. I try to let the little things go and am ok with the fluidity of life. Letting the wind carry me where I need to be.

Now, I have been known to be stubborn in the past, but I have found that the more I am willing to accept new directions, the more I learn and the happier I become. There is a great quote from Lao Tzu, who says, “A tree that is unbending is easily broken”. I have found this to be very true! The more stubborn/ridged we choose to be, the unhappier we are when things don’t move in a particular direction, and then we find ourselves overwhelmed, stressed, feeling down, and pessimistic. Whereas, if we move with the wind, we open ourselves to learn new things and evolve. This can also create empathy and understanding.

Another one of my favorite quotes is one written by Walt Whitman, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.” So… I will put my focus there. Where the light is – that one positive thing.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I grew up with a pencil in my hand and parents and teachers who encouraged me to try things. I was fascinated with the world of animation – specifically traditional animation. However, in high school, I fell in love with the camera and found myself in the photography department at East Carolina University’s School of Art, where I earned a BFA. While at ECU, I also picked up skills in woodworking, sculpture, graphic design, as well as traditional drawing and painting.

I began my career with Out of Our Minds Studios, which was transitioning from graphic design and illustration to animation (a common interest among the staff). My education in studio photography and creating 3-dimensionally with woodworking and sculpture helped me adapt to the 3D animation world, lighting scenes and sculpting in 3D CG spaces. In the early years at OOOMS, we took a leap, taught ourselves the animation programs, and created a 3d animated short film that landed us a nomination at the BAFTAs. We were excited by our success and continued pushing the business forward not only in the film industry, but commercially as well. We have created animated content for movies, tradeshows, sales pitches, commercials, how-to videos, museum installations, video games, banner ads, AR, VR, etc. for over 25 years now! Not bad for a team primarily built of traditional artists!

We have always loved when we can put our traditional artistry into our animations, and with that, we have reintroduced our illustrative side! Over the past few years, OOOMS has continued elevating our animations for film and commercially, as well as creating 3D renderings, concept art, book illustrations, and fine art illustrations.

Independent of the studio, I continue to evolve artistically, creating my own fine art. With each piece, I try something I have never done before – technically, a new medium, subject, etc.. The learning never stops! I am very involved with different art leagues/guilds/societies, both on a local level as well as nationally. I have enjoyed getting to know other artists and learning from them!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Don’t be afraid to be wrong/fail.
2. When all else fails, go back to basics.
3. Work hard for what you want.

1. Don’t be afraid to fail/be wrong. – Doing things differently and coming up with new ideas involves the risk of being wrong and failing. If you’re wrong… It’s ok. Own up. Take responsibility. Learn something and move forward! I have found most of us have no clue what we are doing anyway. Sometimes the best way to learn is to find out what doesn’t work.

2. When all else fails, go back to basics. – I will never forget the time one of my teachers told me to “throw away” my computer and “do it with finger paint”. I was stuck on a project. I was trying to design a poster on the computer (#1 – it’s ok to be wrong). My designs were AWEFUL! I was blocked creatively. I didn’t know what to do or why I was having so much difficulty with it. My teacher told me to go buy finger paints and draw 15 designs with finger paints. Of course, I looked at him like he was crazy, but I did what he asked. It was fun, I guess. But obviously, I was even more frustrated with my design. He asked me to pick out my 5 favorites from the group of finger-painted scribbles, and “Congratulations!” he said. “You’ve graduated to crayons!” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Again, I did what he asked… refining my blobby finger paintings with crayon. These were actually beginning to look like… well… something. Next up were pencils! Now we are talking! It took my top 2 crayon creations and refined them more with pencils this time. At last! I had something usable!

With that project, I got in my head that it had to be done with the latest greatest tools and created a specific way. It was the medium/tool that was the problem. I was forced to use my brain differently and it allowed me to loosen up and be free to explore. So, if you ever find yourself stuck, try going back to finger paints!

3 – Working hard. – As a dyslexic, I have always had to work harder than most, and that gave me the work ethic I needed to succeed. I’ve never been afraid to roll up my sleeves and get straight into the task at hand, no matter how long it will take or how tedious the task may be. Being lazy won’t get you far. Doesn’t matter how good you are at it; if you want to get better or be the best, you need to put in the work.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

Well, you may not like my answer! But here we go… Both! Typically, our strengths are who we are made to be. They are part of what makes us, and we should embrace that so that we feel whole. If you don’t lean into those strengths, there will be a part of you that feels unfulfilled.

However, being well-rounded helps us discover new things that we can then apply to our strengths. It allows us to learn and be more creative in our thinking and in how we approach tasks and challenges.

Let’s take art and science. Two totally different things, but they both complement each other and can make the other better. The surgeon paints and draws to learn more control, feel, and flow. The artist uses science to help develop new techniques.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rebeccajjones.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccajonesshenanigans/
• Other: https://outofourmindsstudios.com/