Meet Nick Winn | Designer for Animation

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

Hi Nick, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I think I pursued Art and Animation because that was one of the few things I saw myself doing everyday. It was either art or running track, but I got bad knees haha! I also really enjoyed how cartoons and artwork made me feel coming from someone else and wanted to give off that same feeling to others if I were to pursue it. It’s such a beautiful medium to tell stories and ask hard questions and there is such a wide variety of styles and voices that it made me want to contribute.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Right now I’m a Design Supervisor at Cartoon Network but it was really hard to actually get this busy haha! I feel like I got here by luck and by brute force. I applied everywhere everyday for half a year because I ran out of money to pay for tuition so I just hoped and prayed someone would pick me up and sure enough I got lucky and landed an internship at Cartoon Network. I knew I got lucky and I told myself not to waste it so I learned as much as I could and took every opportunity to learn from my team/show the studio what I could do. I was not the best artist in school and I’m still not the best by any means. However, I’m very proud that I put my head down and worked hard enough to where if I get lucky with an art opportunity, I would be prepared for it. As for my art I still feel like I struggle with what I want to say with it, but I’m slowly finding out I’m into sci fi stuff but in a playful but heartfelt Parliament Funkadelic kind of way. I think that kind of art hits harder when they don’t take themselves so seriously. It’s fun experiencing art that parties with the audience rather than parties for them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I really like the Botanical Gardens and Art museums like The Getty. Both of them have really cool Architecture and also have grassy resting areas for picnics and naps. There’s also the Beach! My favorite is Zuma because my family and I would go there a lot when I was younger so it holds a special place in my heart. There’s always some good beef noodle spots in San Gabriel and Little Ethiopia is just filled with some insanely delicious restaurants all on a strip. There really is so much to see here from big attractions like Universal and Six Flags to little small parks in Glendale where a bunch of Grandpas sit and play chess with each other. There’s a little something for everyone! I really enjoy going to Brand Park or the Glendale Library whenever I wanna take a break and clear my head a bit.

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?
God has blessed me with a wonderful Mother and Brother who always supported me no matter what I wanted to do. I come from a family of actors so pursuing the arts is not new. I’m very thankful for her and my late Father who told me “whatever you end up doing, work hard and be the best at it.” That has stuck with me throughout my life and because of that I have met friends coworkers and mentors such as Richard Isanove, Danny Hynes, Benjamin Anders and Benny Acosta who have not only help improve my artwork but helped improve myself to become a well rounded, humble adult. The women in my life have also played a big part in where I am today. From my Mother and Grandmother, my good friend and mentor Catherine Apple, all the way to friends and loved ones I’ve made in my short animation journey like Liz Chee, Allison Kim and Tiffany Ford, I have learned so much from all of them and cannot see myself being where I am without their help and guidance. There are so many other people I want to thank but this will get too long so I’ll just give them a big hug when I see them!

Website: https://winnsart.carbonmade.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winnstinn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Winnstinn