So, I've been trying to learn the basics of animation for a bit, like the 12 principles and just really get the hang of it yknow? Really hammer in how animation works in my brain so I can start trying more complex animation.
But I also don't really have the time to draw on my iPad, and idk how blender works yet, so something I've started doing (mostly out of boredom) is using the corners of my notebooks or just any stack of paper to practice the basics. Like just lil bouncy ball, or a Stickfigure doing a lil twirl, etc.
It's far from new or inventive but I found it to be a pretty fun way to practice, and since it's a corner of a page and you have to draw small you really have to simplify things and just focus on the movement instead of the details. Idk I think drawing on paper also makes me less likely to undo stuff, which was an issue with digital.
Currently rewatching Kiki's Delivery Service and watching it now as an adult feels so different, it's so much more relatable. Kiki's leaving home, to find her place in the world as a witch; and for a witch she doesn't really have a "talent" outside of flying. She's hyped to see the world and make her mark and basically start living her life right.
And something I've always loved about the movie is how they portray magic, a lot of shows tie magic to feelings, like love or rage or sadness, and that's still really cool, will always love that. But the way its portrayed in the show as a metaphor for motivation/art block is just so idk cool? Maybe part of it is because it's relatable what with being an artist and getting struck with the good ol' artblock.
Bad artblock, like the kind that lasts months where you can't pick up a pen, or look at a doc. The baaad kind of artblock makes you kind of feel like you lost touch with yourself. Like a part of yourself just up and vanished.
Throughout the movie Kiki is known as "the witch" or "Ms. Witch", and yeah for the most part she's really proud of that. But when she loses her magic, she also loses herself. Afterall what is she without her magic?
I would love to see a psychological horror movie or show that's based on that type of feeling y'know? Like I think that'd be sick.
I'm being a lil' dramatic, but to me it reminds me a lot of that tumblr post explaining ants and eldritch madness (I know it's not the exact same please bear with me for a sec.) You are able to create fun pictures, stories, or music, parts of your soul in physical form and then all of a sudden you just can't.
It doesn't look right, or it's not matching whatevers in your head, whatever it might be. It feels like you can't do the creative thing anymore; and for Kiki, she's lost her magic, she's lost her ability to fly and through that she can no longer do her delivery work. To me that reminds me a lot of artblock and how that might affect an artist who relies on their art for work yknow? Not only have you lost this thing you like doing(or at least id hope you enjoy art?) but you're also losing work yknow? And that's so well represented through Kiki and her magic and broo it's such a good movie.
Idk I really love the characterization of Kiki's magic in the movie its so unique and well thought out and well done, I wanted to share some of my thoughts. Beautiful movie, thanks if you read my silly little rambles lol.