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

Hi Zhara, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
I think throughout my school life we were directed to act and behave in the way they felt would prepare most for professional success but when I actually got there I found that the working world was a lot more chill than i expected! For example, this idea of always being extremely professional was always pushed, but I found that when i started working, my coworkers and supervisors were some of the most laid back people i had ever met! There was also always this mentality of making your career and work your top priority in life. But I’ve actually found it much more effective to balance work and leisure. By putting importance on my personal life I’ve found it much easier to find inspiration, which has in turn helped improve my work

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.
I was always very interested in art from a young age. My earliest memories are sitting in front the TV and trying to copy the drawings of cartoons I saw on the screen. So a career in art seemed like the natural choice for me. I went to Ringling College of Art and Design where I studied computer animation and I now work as an animator full time! I think the highest profile project that I’ve worked on is The Mandalorian on Disney Plus. But the one I’m most proud of I’d have to say is my thesis project. This was a 5 minute short film I worked on in my final year at college, called ‘Tiffanys’. This one is favorite because I got to have a say in the entire process, from start to finish. And I worked on it with two of my best friends! It was absolutely not an easy process but it taught me so much about how to work with others, prioritizing, and understanding myself better as an artist, which i think is so important.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this question haha! LA is my favorite city and I’m always looking for new spots to take my friends when they come visit. Malibu is my favorite place to go to for relaxing. I love the Pier and Leo Carrillo Beach is my favorite. I find a lot of inspiration in going out to the desert too. Sometimes my friends and I will take little spontaneous road trips every now and then. I find Joshua Tree and Palm Springs so refreshing. These days I’ve been going to the Lake Hollywood Park. It’s really relaxing and there are always a lot of dogs there for my puppy to play with. I think a big part of LA culture is going out to eat! There’s a big social aspect of it. I live in Koreatown so I’m surrounded by a bunch of really good restaurants. My favorite places in KTown are Dan Sung Sa and Hangari Kalguksu. A big thing for my friend group also is getting brunch! My favorite places are Openaire, Fratelli Cafe, Rose Cafe, or anywhere that allows dogs haha. For a night out I love the overall vibe of downtown LA. This is where some of my favorite nightclubs and hangout spots are.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I couldn’t have gotten to where I am today without the love and support of my friends! As cheesy as it may sound, we all went to college together and studied in the same major, so we’ve been close for a really long time. I’m from the Caribbean originally, and since I’m from another country, it feels like my friends often take up the role as my family members when I have problems or need advice. They always have a lot of foresight and are so good at keeping me grounded and helping me see things from other points of view. This applies to both in my career as well as in my personal life.

Website: https://www.zharahonore.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhara-honore-7371a474/

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