Inner-Mu-de
Styleframe Design / 2D Animation
This is an interesting project. I’ve revisited it at three-different times in my career. It embodies a specific external or internal challenge I’m wrestling with at the time. It’s been a form of art therapy to help me navigate life’s challenges. Like a close friend this project is always there for me and I can lean into it whenever necessary.
At first…
At first, this project was a way to cope with the stress of managing the work place anxiety I was experiencing. Then, it was there, when my creativity was hitting rock bottom, and I needed something to kickstart my design and animation growth. Now, It's been a mirror, reflecting on where I've been and where I'm headed career-wise.
(…attempt)
Back in 2017, I enrolled in Learn Squared’s “Motion Design” course taught by JR Canest. In the class he broke down his process of interpreting a creative brief, translating it into a seed concept, and tackling the design and production. JR gave us the assignment to find a quote that resonated with us. At the time, I was spending all of my free time reading up on Zen Buddhism in the hopes that I’d find philosophies and practices that would help me manage stress and anxiety. Lots of meditation, lots of breathing. A quote from one of the books stuck with me. It was about how enlightenment can be achieved through the notion of “Mu” which translates to “nothingness.”
“Mu is a sword which enables you to cut through your thoughts into the realm that is the source of all thoughts and feelings. But Mu is not only a means to enlightenment, it is enlightenment itself. Self-realization is not a matter of step by step progress but the result of a leap. Until your mind is pure you cannot make this leap.”
By no means do I think I am capable of reaching enlightenment but the idea of reaching a goal through committing deeply resonated with me.
From here, the basic and obvious concept I came up with was a spherical ball-like protagonist trapped in a greyscale maze of shifting and expanding boxes. The protagonist couldn’t make sense of the puzzle-esque confinement, continuously bouncing off the reverberating walls. Eventually, the protagonist abandons its frenetic and going-nowhere-fast attempts to break free. Instead, takes a good hard look inside and figures out the real way out is in.
External trappings were just a construct and self-reflection would allow our protagonist to leap (very literal…) through his confinement into enlightenment.
This being the beginning of my motion design career, the concept and execution were ‘meh’ at best. Nothing worth writing home about or sharing. Somewhere along the way (probably work ramping up) I dropped the ball (ha!) on this project and moved on.
Then…
(second attempt)
Years later, during Covid, my wife and I relocated from NYC to Iowa City so she could pursue her MFA in Playwriting (spoiler: she completed her MFA!). I kept my job in New York and became a remote worker. The job was laborious and not particularly creatively inspiring during this time. Feeling cut off in a new city and lacking the buzz of creative work, I've found, is like mixing a cocktail for mental health issues.
Creating has been the one rock in my life, and this phase just drove home that without making or shaping something, my mental state's not at its best.
So what better time to dust off the old styleframes from years ago and see what I could bring to them with a new lens, developed skills, and more intentionality!
In this version, I didn’t revisit or interrogate the concept. The design frames were what was important for me. How could I add visual sophistication to the frames to tell a more captivating story?
But the idea stuck, and has intrigued me for nearly a decade.
In the opening scene, the camera zooms in on a simple 2D square, which then morphs into a 3D box, and explodes into a maze of more complex, almost claustrophobic box formations. With each transformation, I wanted our determined protagonist to feel increasingly overwhelmed, realizing the complexity of his confinement that had once been a plain, four-sided white box. A little digging reveals that this white box is actually a sprawling network of shifting perspectives and moving parts.
I was way more satisfied with this take, but as it often goes with side projects, they don't always get finished…
Until now…
(Third and final time?!)
A few years later, I had just become a father and found myself with a brand-new perspective on life. Third time's a charm, as they say, and this latest version of the project felt like the moment to finally finish it. With the fresh insight that comes from becoming a father, and that driving desire to pursue my passion, it was time to close the chapter and finish telling the story of our protagonist!
This time, I meditated on the fear of the unknown, what it would take to pivot careers to completely throw myself into motion design.
I continued with the original concept of “Mu”. The metaphor was perfectly fitting for me making the leap to motion design. I paid attention equally to concept and craft. After heavy reflection and free-writing, 3-distinct trials emerged for our protagonist to overcome on his path to enlightenment (freedom): the Fear of starting over, throwing off the Golden handcuffs, and the fear of not being able to provide for family. I dove back into the project, fueled by fresh passion and purposeful energy. Storyboarding, mind-mapping, sketching, rinse, repeat. I was driven this time - had to nail it, had to get it just right. Through this process, I found a stronger, more personal story to lead me on.
For design, who among us hasn't looked up to Ordinary Folk and their consistently mind-blowing work? Starting this project with JR Canest guiding the way, it felt right, almost full circle, to turn to his studio for that spark. The styleframes are an acknowledgement of my progress and development as a creative. Crafting them is a labor of love.
Right now, this project's still on the drawing board. Life threw a few curveballs, and I had to shuffle the deck priority-wise. I have hope. One day, these frames will come to life, and our protagonist will make that much anticipated leap.
…or maybe wrapping this project isn't the goal? Perhaps it's my creative sandbox, evolving and transforming, always ready for a jam session. Like a reliable friend, unconditionally supportive.