We had the good fortune of connecting with Madeline Abatemarco and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Madeline, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
For me personally, I’ve found that success is something that happens gradually over longer expanses of time rather than short bursts or clusters, and so I’ve adjusted my thinking patterns and habits to reflect on that idea. I’ve put much less time pressure on myself when it comes to success, and I think by doing so it’s helped me feel more comfortable to take more risks and maintain a better work/life balance because I’m not feeling as though I constantly always have to be “on,” or that in a week’s time I need to see tangible progress in myself or my work. We currently live in a rapid-paced environment and take in media faster than ever, but it’s been a grounding experience to be able to not feel as though I constantly have to be creating, posting, and keeping up with today or this week’s hot topics. It’s alright to take breaks and take a step back and breathe; it’s what helps me keep in touch with myself and my individual creative voice.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I grew up in the Northeast in a rural pocket of New Jersey, where working in animation was all just a crazy pipe dream for me, so it’s been a wild art journey to make it to where I am currently! I’ve always been interested in character design, and the majority of my media influence comes from a combination of the cartoons I’d watched growing up (Spongebob, Ed Edd N’ Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog) and video games I’d play with my older brother (Sonic, Mario, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Pokemon). I think what sets me apart is being of the generation that grew up surrounded by a golden age of technology, and it’s exciting to both have skills in 2D and 3D at my fingertips to push and play with design mediums and see where things end up. There’s about to be a new generational wave in animation and it’s incredibly exciting to be a part of it as social media continues to evolve and new stories get to be crafted and heard. I also strive to continue to push the envelope for children’s media that’s inclusive, where kids of all backgrounds can turn on their favorite show and feel seen and heard by their favorite characters. I’m proud to be a woman working in this field, and I keep wanting to open more doors for us in animation.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d say we’d have to go to Sunright Tea Studio because they finally just opened a place in Pasadena which means they’re the mandatory boba spot! I haven’t actually been in Los Angeles for a year yet, so I’m not super familiar with all of the nooks and crannies that the city has to offer, but I’d love to take them to the Antelope Valley reserve and walk alongside some of the poppies and wildflowers, hike along the coast near Malibu, and take them to San Gabriel for Golden Deli pho. Lots of road tripping! The West Coast is so spread out and it blows my Northeast mind that you can drive in such beautiful wilderness and desert for long stretches and find all the nature that southern California has to offer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shout out Jesse Kate Bui for her mentorship that jumpstarted my love of character design and TV animation! Without her mentorship and continued support and advice, I wouldn’t have wound up where I’m at and the path ahead may have been a lot more scary and unknown. If we can shoutout others, I’d also like to shout out Liz Chee, Rachel Stringari for being some of the best coworkers and support systems I could’ve ever hoped to ask for in my first animation production job. I wouldn’t be half of the worker I am today without their guidance and I am grateful for them every day.

Website: https://www.madelineabatemarco.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mabb.ie/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeline-abatemarco-01/

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