Kat Darwich
Digital Artist / Storyboard Artist

Can you tell us a little bit about what you do?
I’m a Media Arts and Science student at Wellesley College, which is a combination of Studio Art and Computer Science! Personally I’m focusing my degree in digital art and media, like animation and video game design. In my spare time I create digital comics, animations, and storyboards, though I also enjoy doodling.

How did you first become interested in art?
I’d say I first became interested in art when I was in 10th grade. One of my friends enjoyed drawing and I followed suit, bringing a childhood sketchbook to school and starting to doodle. This was also about the time I got invested in cartoons and their stories, so I ended up drawing plenty of characters from my favorite shows and inventing a few of my own!

How does art enrich a community, and what are some ways people can engage with art in Burbank?
Art can enrich a community by telling different stories by different people. And since art is all about telling stories, learning from these stories can help us empathize and understand one another. Different people are sort of like different mediums; some people work in charcoal and others in acrylics. Some people work with crayons, watercolors, spray paint, or a mix of many. But they are all art and should all be appreciated. People can engage with art by making it and sharing it with their community, so their stories can be heard and appreciated too.

If you could share with our community one thing about art, what would it be?
Talent isn’t really a thing when it comes to art. A lot of people assume that you’ve either got the gift for art, or you don’t, and are prone to saying, “Oh look how talented you are!” And while this is a lovely compliment, it isn’t true. Good art is about practice, experimentation, and sharing that art with others. Some people may have an eye for color or a steady hand, but it takes practice to harness those skills and keep them from getting rusty. Everyone starts somewhere, and if you ask any artist to dig up their art from the beginning, I sincerely doubt it’s much better than yours. Early art isn’t cringeworthy garbage, it’s a foundation. So never feel discouraged from doing art because you think you aren’t “talented.” If you give it the dedication, you’ll see the improvement. Get creative!

To find out more about Kat and her work, visit her website or follow her on YouTube.