Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Hodges.
Hi Jacob, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up always wanting to be a scientist. After high school, I went to Salt Lake Community College where I received an associate degree in biotechnology in 2018. The same month that I graduated, I left on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints which I had joined the year previous. I served for two years in Orlando Florida teaching about the gospel of Jesus Christ. When I returned, I began school again at Brigham Young University Idaho (BYUI) in January of 2021, studying nursing. This same week is the week that changed my future forever.
Growing up, my family had always been taught to study hard, go to college, and get a degree that would help us get a strong, stable, and hopefully well-paying career. Having grown tired of sitting in a lab while working on my associates, I planned to become a nurse and help people more directly. That was my strong, stable, well-paying career path. Having taken a two-year break from school and already having finished my generals, my full-time course load was full of difficult core-level classes. Ten months into Covid-19, most classes were still online. I didn’t leave my apartment, let alone my desk for the entire week. I had to make a change.
After talking with multiple family members, advisors, and friends, I made a call to the one family member I hadn’t yet contacted – my mother. After discussing my new plan so relieve some pressure from my classes, she asked me if I was truly happy, or if I would be happy doing something else. I was stunned. What else was I supposed to do? I already had the start to a bachelor’s degree, and I wasn’t prepared or interested in going into anything else. Her next words blew me away. “What about that stuff you were working on before you left? Your sibling thought it was really cool and has been asking if you’ve worked on it more?” That stuff she was refereeing to, was 3D modeling and animation. Art.
Art had never been a career option for my family. It simply wasn’t the smart choice, isn’t stable, isn’t lucrative unless you get lucky and famous. Again, I was shocked that my mother would even suggest something like that. I had tried to pick up 3d modeling and animation as a hobby my senior year of high school when I discovered the software “Blender”, and again after I returned from my mission. Never had I considered it anything more than a hobby. Nevertheless, my mother insisted that she didn’t feel like I was happy going into nursing; and that if I so chose, I could study art because things had changed with our family while I was gone those two years. With 24hrs to make a decision, I prayed, I fasted, and I studied the scriptures searching for the right choice. On January 12th, 2021, I changed my major.
Now, I am still at BYUI studying entertainment illustration as a Bachelor of the Arts. There is no 3D modeling or animation degree, though there are a select few classes that cover those skills. In the majority of the 3D work that I do, I teach myself outside of school and integrate it where I can and maximize what opportunities this school does offer. With nearly two years of experience since I made the change, I am still far behind many artists. Regardless, I am happier with the things that I am doing than ever before. I will graduate in July 2023 and work even harder to bring myself to create studio-quality work.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has defiantly been rough. I have constantly battled with imposter syndrome and fought against the doubts that come from choosing to go into the arts as a career. It is so backwards from my original path in nursing I often wonder what I am doing and if I can actually make it. There has been some tension with my family as well. Many beyond my immediate family don’t know exactly what I am studying for fear of distancing myself from them. My immediate family often questions what exactly I am going to do, where I am going to work, how I am going to get a 401k, health insurance, and all the other benefits that come with other careers. I know with a studio, I can get such benefits, but there is still so much that I don’t know. I left struggling to find a way to validate my choice of career other than, I am happy and while I don’t know the answers now, I will find them.
Comparing myself to others has also been a struggle. I have barely been doing art for two years, and I am pushing myself to keep on par with students around me who have been doing art for much longer and have always known they wanted to be an artist. It is hard to catch up to others, but I am doing my best. Being at a school that doesn’t teach a lot of 3D modeling or animation has also been a major challenge. Very little of the work that I do in school reflects what I want to do for my career. Trying to balance part time work, classes, homework, and still developing 3D and animation skills is tough to juggle. Regardless, I take what classes I can, and mix whatever work I can to give myself the opportunities I need.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now, I am doing my best to specialize in 3D modeling. I have developed some illustration skills as well as 2D animation skills, but I am trying to build my specialties in the 3D world. Of the work that I do, I am most proud of the 3D pieces that I have finished. They are few and far between at the moment, but that’s why I love them; because I had the chance to make them and learn from them. What sets me apart from others is my 180-degree change in career paths and the dedication/work ethic that I have for my projects. For each project that I put my focus and energy into, I give it my all, putting upwards of 40 hours into a project on top of attending classes and working part-time to make sure that it is the best that I can make.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am a lover of languages. Learning a new language has always been a life goal of mine. I have spent time learning a little German and Japanese. During my mission in Orlando, I had the opportunity to learn some Chinese, Haitian Creole, French, Finnish, and even a little Russian. I have yet to fully learn a language, but after I graduate, I would like to finish learning French, Chinese, and Japanese. Given the opportunity in the future, I would love to work with a foreign studio speaking a different language.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.animalienproductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalien_productions/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX3xwnkXuL5hy0jrbPF7Miw
Image Credits
Taylor Ogaard
BYUI Photo Services
