STUDIO SPOTLIGHT VOL. 1: MICHELLE
Staying Humble While Pushing the Envelope

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in the Vision studio? If so, you’re not alone. We wanted to start shining a light on our incredible designers, so we’re interviewing them one by one to get to know them, their approach to their craft, and everything in between. First up is Michelle, a graphic designer whose illustration and animation skills have added tremendous depth to Vision’s capabilities. For Michelle, the story starts with her youthful early efforts in art and progresses to her constant development even now. Explaining her motto “stay humble,” she says, “As I grow and gain wisdom, I realize I don’t have it all figured out. I view every project as a new lesson.” She emphasizes the importance of staying curious and notes that her growth and staying humble as an artist mirror her “soul growth” as a person. As they say, art imitates life. But at the same time, no one can doubt that art has a significant impact on life, as it has for Michelle and those working around her.

A SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE

When Michelle started at Vision, “staying humble” was at the forefront of her mind. She explains that she had gotten too comfortable at her previous agency. Coming to Vision, “I was floored by the talent and creativity. It got me out of my comfort zone.” But with her outrageous sense of style, love of a variety of art forms, and a ready stream of ideas, Michelle found Vision to be an ideal studio in which to grow and explore. Michelle notes the learning curve for knowing when to push the envelope and when to work carefully within the lines. She says she’s struck a happy balance between the commercial nature of projects and the creative side, enjoying the ebb and flow of production and the more creative projects.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF VISION

One thing that’s important to know about Michelle is her unbridled curiosity. A tireless traveler, she’s climbed daunting mountains and traveled to Mexico, Central America, Europe, Yellowstone, and the Pacific Northwest all in a relentless search for unique experiences. On the other hand, she’s perfectly comfortable relaxing on her deck at her lakeside home in New Jersey with her fiancé and equally adventurous dogs. She’s also an outstanding gardener and a soulful animal lover and protector, once driving an hour to bring an orphaned squirrel to an animal shelter. When looking at a designer’s work, you wouldn’t necessarily think about these qualities. But curiosity, adventurousness, calm, concern, and love of natural beauty are all important factors in conceiving and communicating ideas. Michelle gracefully ties them together.

INTO AN ANIMATED WORLD 

Being animated herself (Michelle is a wonderful talker and with all that travel experience, who wouldn’t want to listen?), Michelle has taken a very deep dive into the world of 3D digital illustration and 2D animation.

When Michelle considers the challenges in learning these skills, she says, “Fear is just a factor in creating, especially when you have time constraints and a budget.” But she says, “What I really love about animation is the problem solving. When you get something to move and flow the way you want it to, it’s mimicking real life movements. It’s so satisfying.” She’s also discovered a supportive online illustration and animation community that she has immense respect for and has been a crucial part of the learning process.

What’s in the future for Michelle? We can be sure that she won’t be standing still. Besides getting married, “In the fall I want to start advanced motion methods–advanced animation–then start implementing 3D animation.”

Oh, and did we mention how proud we are of Michelle? And how much our Flight Crew loves working with her? Our bad. We couldn’t be prouder, and our Flight Crew couldn’t be more grateful to have her.

You can check out a few of our social media posts that Michelle has animated below!