I was never normal. I never had the dream of being a teacher, a lawyer, or a doctor. There's nothing wrong with those careers, but those never even bubbled into the surface of my dreamsphere. I dreamed of being a fashion designer, an animator, a cartoonist. I wanted to paint murals and do all sorts of things. I wanted to be the next Jim Davis. Over the years growing up, I faced two kinds of people. The first kind of people were the best kind of people. They supported me. They wanted me to succeed, they wanted to see my art. The second kind of people, well, they laughed in my face. For example! My freshnam year of high school we had to sit down with our counseor so that we could built an appropriate four year plan to graduate. My high school teacher asked me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I have had the same plan since I was a kid. I want to be a cartoonist. My high school counselor laugh straight at my face and then said, "Oh my gosh, wait, you were serious?" From that day forward, I decided that one, I would never be a guidance counselor. Second, I would prove everyone wrong who doubted me.

Luckily for me, I grew up around art and support. My dad, David Reddick, is a cartoonist. I grew up watching him create and go for his own dreams. My mom supported us both in our endeavors. My dad didn't sit down and teach me how to draw, instead he cultivated my own talent, and watched me grow into an artist all my own. He told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I didn't have to be a cartoonist, him and my mother would be proud of me if I were a trashman (they actually do make a lot of money.) I knew I always wanted to do art. I started painting at the age of 2. I was my own canvas and painted myself with black paint. I have sketchbooks dating back to when I was 2 years old. Fast forward to the present, and my dad has already spent 10 years at Paws, Inc (Garfield). Now he works for Blondie, and has his own syndicated comic. Intelligent Life. I myself am an award winning painter, published illustrator, freelance graphic designer, and a published writer. If I learned anything, it was to never stop dreaming. My dad didn't, and now he has his own comic strip.

So what does it actually MEAN to want to be a cartoonist?

Well, to me, it looks a lot like scribbles. Constant doodling, and watching a TON of cartoons. It looks a lot like drawing my boyfriend and making comics of our lives together. It looks like a lot of marked out drawings that I decided I hated. It's the feeling when Dad gets me a new sketchbook. Wanting to be a cartoonist lead me to study business administration and digital media. I want to not only draw, but I want to be a good businesswoman. I finally narrowed down to exactly what I want to do. Kind of. I want to work for Adult Swim, particularly shows like Bob's Burgers or Family Guy. I want to run the company, while simultaneously drawing for the comic/show. I have a lot of dreams, and this is the first step to it so that I build a life for myself with cartooning.

Being a cartoonist means you get a lot of neat opportunities. I've got to do business cards, murals, and everything in between. It's such a fun career, but it's also a lot of work. I'm not the best out there. There are so many talented artists in the world. I'm happy to say I know a few personally. but I'm especially happy I know my dad.

No matter what career you delve into, it's going to be a lot of work. My mom used to tell me "All you can do is the best you can." So, no matter who laughs at you, do what you love. I know I am.

-A