She started off making art and now she’s created a masterpiece of a career. Reannon Koochicum lives in Meridian, Idaho but originally grew up on and off the Okanese First Nation reserve in rural Saskatchewan. In her free time, she plays videogames. When she’s working, she considers herself a 3D generalist, creating 3D animations and modeling as well as digital illustrations. Her current project which she is directing is very exciting, working alongside other talented artists. In the highly competitive field, she’s worked on indie projects which have helped her see more of the behind the scenes work that goes into bringing a project to fruition.

Always interested in art growing up, Koochicum never considered 3D animation and modeling until her college, Centre for Arts and Tech, came to her hometown, because she didn’t realize it was an option. She became fascinated with digital design, animation, modeling and wanted to see her art move in that direction. She was interested in technology’s advancements and thought it was a perfect fit for her. “I just knew it was just something that I just wanted to do forever,” she beams.

For her schooling, Koochicum attended Center for Arts and Technology in British Columbia which was a big adjustment, having always lived in Saskatchewan. She also did remote learning with Toronto Film School to learn about animation modeling for the video game industry.

Her advice for Indigenous youth leaving their home communities to pursue opportunities is that it’s going to be scary but “Do it scared….It’s definitely worth it. I think it’s very vital to your growth and your mindset as well.” She acknowledges the challenges that will come but believes that’s part of life. While there will be loneliness, she offers that the connections built with classmates and instructors will help build a new home and that your family, reserve and community will always be there. “Your community is definitely always going to be behind you, hopefully rooting for you as well,” she adds.

As far as obstacles go, Koochicum struggled with car issues, her mental and emotional wellbeing and intergenerational trauma. She also had challenges with social anxiety, imposter syndrome, loneliness and learning to deal with things on her own. Initially, she found it overwhelming to do at such a young age but she learned to take a step back and take a breath to assess things instead of blowing up from bottling up her emotions. Sometimes breaks would affect her attendance, but it’s what was necessary at the time. She found she had undiagnosed anxiety which was alleviated when she talked her feelings out and learned more about what she needed. Social anxiety used to be a big struggle for Koochicum, especially given the importance of networking in her industry.

If Koochicum could share a message with her younger self it would be, “Literally everything is going to be okay. Take a step back, breathe, take a break, and proceed when you’re ready. It is vital that you get to know yourself…Learn coping mechanisms in a healthy way.”

To balance her mental health and look after her well-being, Koochicum swears by her breaks, taking walks and eating well. In her downtime she believes in reading a book, playing a game or watching tv to turn her mind off especially helpful for overthinking.

For those considering following in her career footsteps, Koochicum recommends joining online communities, collaborating with other artists on animations, watching tutorials, and practicing to improve their skills.

When it comes to inspiration, Koochicum has always been ambitious and artistic, even as a young person. The game Final Fantasy inspired her with the way it is so story-rich and story-driven, its designs and characters. “I am the warrior of light of my own life,” she shares. “Because of rich stories like that I want to be able to create something like that as well, for not only my community but for other people around the world that can resonate with it and hopefully draw inspiration and motivation from it as well,” she continues. She loves being part of a big project of her own creation and finds it inspirational so others can see it and be inspired to make their own projects.

In closing, she shares, “I believe in our youth, I believe in you and you should believe in yourself. You have no idea how valuable you are, how very ambitious you are. I see so much of youth filled with so much talent and it’s amazing…follow your dreams because once you do, it’s going to feel so unreal and you’re going to feel so unstoppable.”

She always loved making art and was fascinated by technology, now a 3D generalist, Reannon Koochicum found a way to make her passions pay. Bringing her creations to life with the magic of 3D animation and digital illustration, she’s also brought her dreams of success into being. She didn’t know her dream job existed growing up, but when she found it, even anxiety couldn’t hold her back.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.