Meet Rebecka Petersson | Artist

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

Hi Rebecka, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
I don’t remember where or exactly when, but a few years back I read a quote that said something along the lines of “The danger comes when our need to belong outweighs our ability to question.”

This relates to me more than just when it comes to creating, I think in general it is a good thing to remember. But when it comes to art, I’ve made many decisions based on the want to belong. When I was eleven years old I had already decided I wanted to work in animation. Part of it was my love for drawing and love for animated films, but a big part was that I had listened to interviews with artists in the industry, and watched youtube videos of teams of artists working together putting a story sequence together. I wanted that passion, and to belong to people that loved what I loved.

With time, that want to belong in the animation industry really took ahold of me and I was so scared to not succeed that I narrowed down what type of art I did. In the end I only looked at what the studios wanted, and not what I liked. I kept questioning if other artists would like what I created and didn’t even think about if I liked it. When I got my first professional job and got to work with an amazingly talented team of artists that did so many different things than what I had imagined I’d had to do, it really opened up my eyes. I wasn’t just an artist working in animation, I was an artist, period. I broke free of the box I had put myself in and found inspiration in everything around me. I started writing, something that I had loved as a young child but had lost somewhere along the way.

In the end, we all want to belong, and it is a beautiful thing when we do. But it is important to not let that need outweigh our ability to question. Question what it is we believe in, what is right and wrong, and question our taste and why we do what we do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a Set Designer and Visual Development Artist working in the Animation Industry. I got my big break thanks to friends and people that I met along the way that were kind enough to take time to give me advice and feedback.

I work both in 3D and 2D. I draw, paint, do rough 3D modeling. It’s a fun job with a lot of variety. My hope is that I get to continue to have that variety in my work in my future roles. I enjoy problem solving and jumping between drawing and working in 3D. It keep things interesting.

The challenges I’ve faced are many. Financial, fear of failure, loneliness. Fear of failure is a challenge I continuously try to overcome. I think when we want something really bad, when it’s our passion, fear of failure is inevitable. What I’ve found is that when I am scared to fail I take the easier road, which usually means I don’t challenge myself and I don’t grow as an artist. Finding people that can help push you is hard, but when you do it is so important to hold on to them. People that you feel comfortable with that can be honest while also inspire you is the best way to beat that fear of failure. If you don’t have those people, I think you can try and be that for yourself. Find things that inspire you outside of where you usually look for inspiration, and let yourself fail and be okay with it.

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 am not sure if it’s still going on, but there was an Hayao Miyazaki Exhibit dedicated to the works of Studio Ghibli at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles which I would really recommend. I am not the biggest fan of contemporary art, but one of my favorite things to do is going to see artworks made by the great old masters, and so the Getty Center is definitely another place I would recommend. There’s also has a cute little park by there too. I spend most of my time in Pasadena and I love a good library, so the Pasadena Public Library is also a favorite. Grand central market is wonderful, it has every single type of food and a lot of different restaurants.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been lucky to have the most encouraging and loving parents. I would not have had the courage to do what I’ve done without their kindness and love pushing me forward!

Website: https://www.rebeckapetersson.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecka-petersson/