Melissa Bloom

"I started by making the LLC and looking up some alternatives to paints and glues that I could start using in projects. From there, year by year it grew by starting my first project, then getting the second one, and continually researching in between, reconnecting with old co-workers, getting advice from people. Now, about five years later, I have a brick and mortar space in Montana."

"When I got there, I actually tried all these different things. I tried a production design class, cinematography, art direction, all these creative aspects. Because I was so creative, I knew I wanted to do something with my hands, something more hands-on, but nothing felt like a good fit. The longer I went into my freshman year, the more I realized I hadn't found my thing. What actually made it click was when I found animation."

"I also had an internship with a film producer, and of course producing, you think of money, you think of working your way up in a studio, so my parents were kind of swaying me to take that path. But it just didn't feel good, it didn't feel creative enough, it didn't feel like it was nurturing my soul. It felt a little thankless and like it just wasn't quite my place."

"Something that really helped me, not directly in finding my purpose but in learning more about myself, were different modalities like astrology, numerology, and human design. Sometimes having yourself reflected back to you in a different way can help you see yourself differently, see what you love, or just see yourself. Sometimes you just need someone else to put it into words, and that can make something click."

"I was one of the only undergrads in that class, and I was the most motivated. I did every assignment, made my puppet from beginning to end, and just loved it. That teacher told me to get internships and learn on the job. I applied to three or four studios. I didn't hear back from some, a few others said they already had their intern. I gave up for a second, and then I ran into that teacher. One of the biggest things for me was always putting my passions at the forefront of my life. Whatever is resonating at the moment, whatever you love, there really are no rules."

"It was my junior year that I literally ran into a door that had a flyer for a puppet-making course. I didn't know what puppet-making was. That was my introduction to stop motion animation specifically, and that was when I 100% knew that was the direction I wanted to go. I gave up for a second, and then I ran into that teacher in the grocery store parking lot right before summer started. She told me to try one studio I hadn't tried yet. Sure enough, they said yes. They hired me on my birthday. That was another sign."

"That teacher is the one who told me to get internships and learn on the job. I gave up for a second, and then I ran into that teacher in the grocery store parking lot right before summer started. She told me to try one studio I hadn't tried yet. Sure enough, I reached out to them, they said yes, I came in for an interview, and I started soon after. That was very much a reason why I'm doing what I'm doing today because someone said yes to me, which I think is a huge thing."

"The studio's mission is creating alignment with nature. From the people working for the studio to family and friends, people are getting on board with the idea of creating an alignment with nature and recognizing that we are part of nature and not separate from it. Part of the studio's mission is reconnecting and enjoying being out there, being in nature, and then also bringing those materials in to use to create. We've gotten so far from that. We've gotten so far into these synthetic ways of creating. Even natural things can last forever."

"My sister was becoming chronically ill. She had some endocrine issues and kept seeing doctors, but no one had answers. I became partly her caretaker because some days she couldn't get out of bed. We ended up moving home to San Diego with my parents. On the flip side, I was learning and growing more as a person. I was getting healthier, and we were starting to find solutions for my sister's health. Through her health journey and through getting healthier, I started to recognize the things about the stop motion industry that were the reason I ultimately left. I had no idea before; it just wasn't something I thought about in my life at all. It was like that final piece of the puzzle came together."

"The conundrum became how do I do that without going back to the industry that is the reason I left. The only answer was to make my own studio. That's what I did. I started by making the LLC and looking up alternatives to paints and glues. Year by year it grew by starting my first project, then getting the second one, and continually researching in between, reconnecting with old co-workers, getting advice from people. Now, about five years later, I have a brick and mortar space in Montana. Everything culminated for me from following the inkling of what I love, figuring out what I care about, and putting those together to make my career and what feels like my purpose today."

We are an eco-conscious stop-motion animation studio on a mission to replace the toxic and wasteful practices of the industry with non-toxic and eco-friendly alternatives…

"The darker side of that industry is that there are toxic materials, you're under fluorescent lights all day. What was fun and exciting quickly became thankless, tiring, and creatively draining. I had several years of confusion, asking why I wasn't happy doing this anymore. The second half of finding my true purpose was actually leaving my dream job. At the same time, my sister was becoming chronically ill. She had some endocrine issues and kept seeing doctors, but no one had answers. Through her health journey and through getting healthier, I started to recognize the things about the stop motion industry that were the reason I ultimately left: long hours, unhealthy lifestyle, toxic materials, and a toxic environment. Pairing that with the fact that I was learning more about the Earth and toxicity, all of that became very important to me. Then I finally admitted to myself that I still liked stop motion animation and I still wanted to do it. The only answer was to make my own studio."

"In my first animation class, I fell in love and knew that was the path I wanted to take. It was my junior year before I had to sign up for classes that I literally ran into a door that had a flyer for a puppet-making course. I took a graduate-level course, and I was an undergrad. That was my introduction to stop motion animation specifically, and that was when I 100% knew that was the direction I wanted to go. I was the most motivated. I did every assignment, made my puppet from beginning to end, and just loved it. All of this part of my purpose, because it was rooted in my passion, was very easy. The steps kind of laid themselves out."