Meet Dena Springer | Animator & Illustrator

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

Hi Dena, why did you pursue a creative career?
I can’t see myself being in any other path that would give me the same amount of satisfaction and agency. In another life, I’d be an educator working with kids— which is an amazing career choice for those that want to pursue it.

I think the one thing that I enjoy most with choosing a creative career, is the platform that I get to create for myself instead of others. For most of my life, I’ve put other’s needs ahead of mine. I’m so used to quieting my own voice. The best thing about pursuing this path is being able to take up as much a space as I want, and being as loud as I want.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In terms of a professional practice, I feel really lucky and work with a lot of musicians and other creatives! I make visualizers, music videos, animated promos for musicians a lot of the time. Otherwise, for my own personal practice, I like to make experimental animations using found footage from vintage documentaries. It’s a lot of fun to repurpose older work, and mess with it in different and innovative ways. A lot of my own practice is a response to being a biracial child in the world— where I often wasn’t accepted in white or asian spaces growing up. Animation allows me to take up as much room as I want to heal that inner child.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In Chicago, I’d definitely take my friends to have a picnic at Humboldt Park– beautiful spot with great people. We’d walk around the park, and stop over at Quimby’s to grab some indie comics and books.

For lunch, Kasama because it’s an amazing Filipino restaurant not only with amazing food, but a community of Asian-American creatives behind it.

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?
Caroline Cash, a Chicago cartoonist. Juliet Cangelosi, NYC based photographer & musician behind Magnolia Rocketship
Lily Cozzens, Chicago artist

Just thankful for all the folks that supported me emotionally and in other ways throughout this process. :”) Josh Blum, my producer and mentor. My partner, Gil Park, for always humbling and supporting me. Caroline Cash, Alexa Cuiloli, Jules, Rob Kelsey, my homies at Kasama for the Asian-American love, and all my indie comic and animation pals <3

Website: www.denaspringer.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/_yukapuka_

Other: www.vimeo.com/denaspringer