Artist Spotlight: Daron Nefcy

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF - WHO IS DARON? FOR ANYONE MEETING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO IN THIS CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE?
I’M DARON NEFCY. I’M AN ARTIST, WRITER, AND A MOM. I LOVE GOING ON ADVENTURES, TRAVELING, ART, AND PLAYING WITH MY KID. I CREATED AN ANIMATED DISNEY SHOW CALLED “STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL,” WHICH RAN FOR 4 SEASONS AND PLAYED AROUND THE WORLD. I’M CURRENTLY WORKING ON A GRAPHIC NOVEL CALLED “SUMMER AND WINTER.” MAKING QUALITY STORIES FOR KIDS IS MY PASSION.

WHAT ORIGINALLY DREW YOU TO WRITING AND ANIMATION?
I ALWAYS LOVED DRAWING AND MAKING UP MY OWN STORIES. I WAS TELLING EVERYONE I WAS GOING TO BE A CARTOONIST SINCE THE SECOND GRADE, AND INCREDIBLY, IT’S WHAT I’M STILL DOING IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER. IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY, BUT IT’S WHAT I LOVE TO DO.

WHAT KIND OF STORIES ARE YOU MOST DRAWN TO TELLING RIGHT NOW? IS THERE A SIGNATURE ELEMENT OR FEELING YOU HOPE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE IN YOUR WORK?
CURRENTLY, I REALLY FEEL DRAWN TO TELLING STORIES WITH HOPE, HEART, COMEDY, AND LEVITY. I ALSO LOVE FANTASY; CREATING NEW WORLDS IS SO INCREDIBLY FUN. WE’RE NOT LIVING IN THE BEST OF TIMES, AND WRITING GIVES ME AN ESCAPE. HOPEFULLY, IT WILL GIVE OTHERS THAT AS WELL.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PROCESS? DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS THAT SET THE TONE FOR CREATIVITY TO FLOW? DO YOU SIT DOWN WITH A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO CREATE, OR IS IT MORE INTUITIVE?
NOW THAT I HAVE A KID, MY CREATIVITY HAS TO BE ON A MORE SET SCHEDULE. I HAVE THE HOURS HE’S AT SCHOOL, AND I’VE GOT TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEM. I DO FIND THAT WHEN I GET STUCK, IT’S GOOD TO TAKE A BREAK. TAKE A WALK OR RUN SOME ERRANDS. I ALWAYS FIND THAT THE BRAIN HAS A WAY OF SOLVING PROBLEMS WHEN YOU ARE MORE RELAXED. I ALSO TEND TO WORK ON MULTIPLE THINGS AT ONCE, SO I’LL HOP FROM ONE TO ANOTHER IF I NEED A BREAK.

IS THERE ANYTHING NEW THAT YOU’RE EXPLORING WITHIN YOUR WORK?
MAKING A GRAPHIC NOVEL IS NEW TERRAIN FOR ME. I’VE WORKED AS A STORYBOARD ARTIST IN THE PAST, AND YOU WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE SIMILAR, BUT THERE ARE SOME KEY DIFFERENCES. STORYBOARDS ARE ALWAYS TV OR FILM-SIZED RECTANGLES, AND YOU NEED TO SPELL THINGS OUT MORE. A GRAPHIC NOVEL IS ALSO VISUAL STORYTELLING, BUT YOU FOCUS MORE ON THE PAGE DESIGNS, AND YOU CAN HAVE MORE INFORMATION IN A SINGLE PANEL. AND SPEECH BUBBLES ARE A WHOLE THING!

WE READ THAT YOU ARE ONLY THE SECOND WOMAN TO CREATE AN ORIGINAL DISNEY ANIMATION SERIES - MAJOR KUDOS TO YOU!!  DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE ON NAVIGATING MALE-DOMINATED FIELDS?
IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE WHEN I STARTED IN ANIMATION, IT WAS MUCH MORE MALE-DOMINATED THAN IT IS NOW. I WENT TO COLLEGE FOR ANIMATION AT CALARTS, AND MY CLASS WAS 40 PERCENT WOMEN, AND THAT WAS A BIG DEAL. NOW IT’S MOSTLY WOMEN AT CALARTS! TO BE HONEST, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT MUCH. I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN I WAS DISNEY TVA’S SECOND FEMALE SHOWRUNNER. I JUST CAME IN EVERY DAY, WORKED HARD, AND DID MY BEST.

HOW DO YOU REFILL YOUR CREATIVE WELL BETWEEN BIG PROJECTS?
I LOVE NATURE AND HIKING. IF I’M NOT DRAWING AND WRITING, I TRY TO GET OUTSIDE AS MUCH AS I CAN. I SPEND TIME WITH MY KID AND FRIENDS. ALL WORK AND NO PLAY LEADS TO A LACK OF CREATIVITY IN MY OPINION! YOU NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND HAVE NEW EXPERIENCES, OR WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO WRITE ABOUT? I’M A BIG YES PERSON. I WANT TO EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING.

YOUR EMMY AWARD WINNING SHOW WAS ABOUT A GIRL WITH MAGICAL POWERS, SO WE HAVE TO KNOW….WHAT IS YOUR MAGICAL POWER - THE QUALITY OR ABILITY THAT MAKES YOU WHO YOU ARE?
POSITIVITY! WHATEVER I DO, I TRY TO COME AT IT WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE.

YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR - DO YOU HAVE ANY TAKEAWAYS FROM THAT EXPERIENCE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?&
LIFE IS SHORT. I REALLY BELIEVE IT’S OUR JOB TO ENJOY IT. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW, AND THAT COULD BE SCARY, BUT HONESTLY, THERE’S SOMETHING VERY FREEING ABOUT IT. WHEN I GOT MY DIAGNOSIS, MY CHILD WAS 3 YEARS OLD, AND MY ONE WISH WAS THAT I WANTED TO BE HERE TO RAISE HIM. CANCER VERY QUICKLY SHOWS YOU WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMATION TO REWATCH?
TOTORO AND SPIRITED AWAY. I’M A BIG MIYAZAKI FAN.

WHAT’S SOMETHING SMALL THAT’S BRINGING YOU JOY LATELY?
I HAVE A BIG MILKWEED PLANT IN MY YARD, AND THAT THING IS CONSTANTLY GETTING MONARCH CATERPILLARS. I LOVE WATCHING THEIR PROCESS. I CALL THEM MY BABIES!

WHAT DO YOU WEAR WHEN YOU WANT TO FEEL POWERFUL - LIKE YOU’RE THE MAIN CHARACTER?
I HAVE A COUPLE OF BEL KAZAN MATCHING SETS. A LONG SLEEVE/PANTS SET WITH SKETCHY BALLERINAS ON IT AND A SHORT SLEEVE, AND PANTS SET WITH PURPLE, GREEN, AND WHITE ARTSY DESIGNS. I GET A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS ON THEM, AND THEY ARE COMFY AND STYLISH. I CAN CLIMB TREES WITH MY KID IN THEM AND THEN BE THE MOST STYLISH GAL AT AN ART OPENING

WHY DO YOU WEAR BEL KAZAN? WHAT PIECE ARE YOU LOVING RIGHT NOW?
I’VE BEEN A BIG FAN FOR A FEW YEARS NOW! I LOVE DRESSING UP, COLOR, AND UNIQUE STYLES. MATERIALS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. I ALWAYS LOOK FOR COTTON AND SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS. NOT JUST FOR OUR PLANET BUT FOR HEALTH. DID YOU KNOW PLASTIC CLOTHING, LIKE POLYESTER, IS AN ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR? BEL KAZAN IS ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE AND SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS. YOU KNOW YOU ARE BUYING A CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED PIECE OF ART WHEN YOU BUY THE CLOTHES, NOT SOME PLASTIC CRAP THAT’S GOING TO END UP IN A LANDFILL.

RIGHT NOW, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE LA VIE EN ROSE DRESS FROM THE NEW COLLECTION. I HAVE IT IN POLLY. IT’S LONG AND BEAUTIFUL, LIGHT AND FLOWY. A REAL SHOW-STOPPER!

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