Amabelle M. Johnson

Amabelle Johnson is a graduate from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design: BFA in 2D Animation and minor as a Teaching Artist.

“ I work as a 2D animator with focus in visual development and character animation. My work centers around feel-good stories that also have moral themes embedded within them. I like to explore stories that have a fantastical “what if” element; for example, “what if we could customize pets?”, “what if the seven deadly sins were personified”, etc. As far as moral themes, I strive to insert thoughtful meanings and messages in my work that viewers can relate to, whether it addresses mental health, bullying, or just a different perspective of concepts. As humans, we learn a lot through storytelling and visual media (examples being folktales or fairytales), so I believe we can successfully express these complex issues through animation and relatable characters.

            I get a lot of inspiration from other animators, illustrators, music, but also toy merchandise and alternative fashion trends. I scroll through so many Pinterest boards and Instagram feeds for fun and finding a spark of creativity. I take character and story development seriously and is what I spend most of my time on. With lots of research and ideation, I put my characters in different scenarios and imagine how they'd act to unravel their personality a bit more; again, questioning the “what if’s”. “