When we asked James about their dream career, they already knew the direction they wanted to go: animation. What they didn’t know was how to get there after cancer had disrupted their plans.
James was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 at the age of 21. Like many young adults facing a serious illness, their treatment journey forced them to put parts of their life on hold. The plans they had carefully built for their future suddenly felt uncertain.
“It sort of just messed up all of my life plans,” James said. “I felt really behind and stuck, and I wasn’t sure what to do or how to continue my career.”
Through the hospital where they received treatment, James was introduced to Connecting Champions. Looking for guidance and a way to regain momentum, they enrolled in the program hoping to continue pursuing their artistic ambitions.
At the time, James had become fascinated by a specialized form of animation known as rigging. Rather than drawing every frame individually, animators create digital “puppets” that can be manipulated and animated efficiently. Although the technique has existed for years, its popularity has grown significantly in recent years.
“I was super interested in it, and I really wanted to get into that field,” James said.
Connecting Champions matched James with Bijou, a professional animator who shared a passion for the craft. From their very first meetings, the mentorship became highly collaborative. Together, they began working on an ambitious project: creating and rigging an original character designed by James themself.
The process involved much more than simply drawing a character. James and Bijou regularly exchanged files, reviewed designs, and discussed technical details that make a character functional for animation. Through ongoing feedback, James learned how professional animators think about everything from character construction to joint placement and movement.
“I’d send my work in, and they would look at it to see if it’s good enough for a rig,” James explained. “We’ve had this back and forth of slowly building this rig to be as workable as possible.”
As the project progressed, James discovered that the mentorship offered more than technical instruction. It provided an opportunity to create something they had always wanted to make while simultaneously strengthening their professional portfolio.
“It’s given me the opportunity to make my own character,” James said. “I’ll have this nice character I can animate with, but it’s also something I can show to demonstrate my work, progress, and learning.”
For James, one of the most valuable aspects of the mentorship has been access to an experienced professional willing to share industry knowledge that can be difficult to learn in a classroom setting.
“I really enjoy learning more about a field, and sometimes it can be hard to get the specific details,” James reflected. “It’s nice to have a mentor that knows this stuff and can help me understand it.”
The mentorship has also introduced James to an entirely new artistic medium. While they entered the program with experience in drawing and some three-dimensional art, character rigging was largely unfamiliar territory. Having an expert guide them through new software and techniques accelerated their learning and increased their confidence.
Most importantly, the experience reminded James of something they had missed during the challenges of cancer treatment: the joy of creating.
“It’s been a really fun experience to meet new people and work together on a project,” James said. “It’s been a while since I’ve had an opportunity like this to make something fun and learn a whole new art medium. It’s been really nice.”
As James continues developing their character alongside Bijou, each new lesson brings them one step closer to their creative goals. What began as a search for direction after cancer has become an opportunity to build new skills, expand their portfolio, and rediscover their passion for animation.
