It all started when I was born.
And it just got worse from there.
When you watch a movie--a really good movie--what pulls you in? Is it the story, the characters? I’d argue it’s both; engaging the audience with a compelling plot, while building up characters they can connect to. Audiences enjoy stories better when they can relate to and care for our heroes--in fact, it's what makes us human: mirror empathy. Storytelling is as old as humanity itself, intrinsic to who we are.
But there is a massive lack of diversity within our media, and it leaves out whole groups of people who don’t see themselves reflected in the stories we tell.
Brian McDonald, author of "Invisible Ink," believes that stories exist to pass along survival information. They teach lessons and contain meaning we carry with us long after the movie is over, but what does that say about those that are so often underrepresented? Media inclusion, or lack thereof, contain the most important message of all: weather we do or don't belong. Until someone is willing to give these stories a voice, to portray them in a way our audiences can connect to, inclusive practices will continue to struggle in real life. Media, after all, is a black mirror.
I'm developing a career in visual development and writing for animation, specifically working to expand the diversity of characters seen in our media. I’ve been inspired by the lack of characters who look like me my whole life, and I know there are others who have truly never seen a reflection of themselves in media, too. It’s time to start correcting that. We have things to say, and I'm going to start saying them.
How about you?
Summer 2020!
UW grad of '21
