Chasing Childhood Dreams
Photo by Gopi Vadsak (@aawaari)
Didn’t the idea of pursuing a career path seem daunting growing up? Were we supposed to settle based on income? Do we stick close to our hobbies and skills? Or do we let our parents decide what’s best for us?
“I was originally going to go into computer science for college,” said Francesca “Cheska” Odulio in between laughter. “My dad really wanted me to go into it, and I was like, ‘I want to do art!’”
Odulio is a 20-year-old digital artist and pre-production animation major who stands firm for her love of animated television and nostalgic art, with her eyes set on professional opportunities that can channel her fascination with creating.
“Have you watched ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’?” asked Odulio. “It was then when I thought, ‘Oh my god, there’s a girl that looks like me on TV!’ I needed to see more representation of Asian culture, especially for Southeast Asians. I want to create that inspiration again for other people.”
While cartoons laid the foundation for Odulio’s craft, she never viewed it as more than a commodity for children’s entertainment. Animated shows like “Harley Quinn”, which spun the notorious villainess into a relatable person with real-life problems and relationships, helped her realize that there was truly no age limit for enjoying animated works—the animation industry is evermoving with time and worldly themes, and that prospect excited her for her future.
Her epiphany helped solidify her sentimental goals for her career path as well. Much like how the sequel shows “The Legend of Korra” and “Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake” expand on the setting and ideas of their preceding series, Odulio aspires to work in that supplementary beat to “reinvent them for the older version of those children [viewers]”.
As Odulio and I raved over the animated series we grew up binging, I realized that art was more than just a career choice bred from interest and skill for her. The pursuit of honoring her youth and the mission to help those like her feel seen is what breathes purpose into her path. Reminding people of their fond childhoods is the essence behind her creations.
Photo by Gopi Vadsak (@aawaari)
Odulio began sketching “pretty inconsistently” throughout her upbringing. She recalls constantly analyzing small screen characters to replicate them in her mom’s old sketchbooks out of innocent fun. It wasn’t until her teenage years that she started to consider drawing as a worthwhile hobby that required nurture.
“I started [drawing] in sophomore year of high school and it really just took off during COVID,” shared Odulio. “I was stuck in my room all day. Every time I had the chance to go outside, it made me look back to my childhood and think, ‘I should’ve appreciated those small things back then, too.’”
The uncertainty of the pandemic placed a timer on her life. Vexed over the state of limbo that consumed her, she wanted to rediscover the resolve that was taken from her during the precarious era of quarantine.
Now, she is running a public art account on Instagram (@chellioh) with 43.5 thousand followers and an Etsy shop (@Chellioh) where she sells clay-made phone accessories and pen holders, digitally drawn prints and sticker packs with callbacks to her personal life and the universal Asian-American upbringing.
Odulio said, “I wanted to incorporate that nostalgic but appreciative feelings for those moments and experiences. Once you’re older, you might forget or you’ll miss them because you can’t just go back.
Despite operating public platforms as an active artist, she admits to not being the most eloquent person, especially when it comes to verbalizing her feelings.
“I found art as an outlet for that,” the artist said. “I was debating if this was really what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Is this a reliable source [of income]? I wanted to test that out with my Etsy shop to see if I could do it, and I’m still doing it today.”
One of Odulio’s biggest challenges as a novice in the art business is finding the balance between creating for herself and creating for her clients.
“I got really burnt out,” said Odulio. “I was making it for other people and not for myself, and it feels limiting if I have to think about what other people like all the time. Drawing what I liked is what got those people to me in the first place!”
Though her personal art has undergone profound changes in style and purpose, Odulio is still laser-focused on breaking into the animation industry where her passion is rooted. According to her, working in animation requires flexibility and technical practice that can only be learned through discipline.
She credits her collegiate experience to her evolution and assurance in art, especially since she made the move to publicize her work for the world to see. Being self-taught has its perks in creative liberty and personal amusement, but Odulio realized adapting foundational skills was just as vital as her imagination.
Photo by Gopi Vadsak (@aawaari)
When asked about the most influential courses she has taken at CSULB, Odulio replied, “Character design and painting! I don’t like painting at all. But when I took that class, it changed my perspective on how to see objects.”
The few art classes she took in high school didn’t feel so perceptive to her as she thought the curriculum was too rigid and redundant. The insides of the art industry weren’t explored then as thoroughly as she had hoped, at least not to the level of insight she has now. Her college experience cemented her aspirations as tangible goals through its arduous, yet motivating teachings that honed her artistic methods and determination altogether.
While many regard hobby-turned-careers as the ideal path to strive for, is it possible to avoid falling out of love with what we cherish? How do we maintain that adoration when it becomes a tool of survival? The means to eat and live?
Odulio pondered the same, particularly when it came to tackling the contemporary culture of career preparation.
“Now I feel like I’m in a time crunch,” said Odulio. “I’m nearing my fourth year and I have to find an internship, I have to network with people. As an introvert, that’s hard! I feel like there’s so many people ahead of me that I need to catch up to.”
She mentioned a moment when she curiously looked through students’ portfolios from the California Institute of the Arts and “got so sad”. The submission expectations and project quality were so high that it made Odulio consider taking a gap year just to improve her own portfolio.
Despite feeling deterred by the capable students accepted into the acclaimed institution, Odulio understands that comparison is the thief of joy, even when she can’t help it.
“I want to get to their level,” she said conflictingly. “But it constantly stresses me out. What should I do? Should I try to copy what they’re doing?”
Another concern of Odulio was becoming too wary of how art should be properly executed instead of leaning on her artistic instincts—the instincts that conceived her original love for art. Suddenly, the practice of creativity had constraints that weren’t there when she was a kid, where Odulio struggled to draw freely without looking at references and felt like she was breaking under the pressure to be perfect.
Photo by Gopi Vadsak (@aawaari)
In an effort to relearn the creative spontaneity she had forgotten and combat burnout, Odulio is actively exploring alternative mediums of art besides digital illustration and animation.
“I am doing what I love, and that’s why I feel like I need to have other hobbies, too,” said Odulio. “Now I’m trying to work with clay—the traditional art I’ve been working on. I just remember thinking, ‘Do I want to risk hating what I love in the future?’”
The likes of creative comparison, art block, burnout and putting work out for the world to perceive can turn a simple joy into a grudging chore, even outside of creative industries. Odulio’s strength to confront it all stems from her fervent childhood and her profound captivation with art and empathetic storytelling.
“Just trust yourself,” said Odulio, upon reflecting on a message to tell her younger self. “You’re doing a good job, and you’ll get to where you need to be. Every step you take will be necessary, no matter if it’s wrong or a failure.”