I’d like to tell you a story about an awards show I attended 5 years ago this week. (Thread)

It was the International Caricature artists’ convention in Sandusky, Ohio, the town where as a young adult I learned how to do caricatures at Cedar Point. These conventions are basically just people drawing each other for days, and filling the walls with awesome work.

The awards show was the culmination of the event, after everyone had done their very best work for all to see and vote on their favorites in various catergories.

This was my third convention. I went to one in 2006 in Orlando, and another one in Sandusky in 2009. I was never the best one there, not even close, as people had devoted their entire careers to doing amazing caricatures. Look at this stuff.

People from all continents of the world came with the desire to win the Golden Nosey, the most prestigious of all caricature awards. This time, I was determined to win something, I would likely never compete again, because my career had shifted to animation and motion design.

I tried my very best, doing digital illustrated caricatures, and posted my work on the wall in my designated spot. We each had a numbered space. Mine (on the right, 188), was positioned next to an unbelievable artist whose work dwarfed mine in both artistry and quantity.

When it came time to vote, we could choose three of our favorites, so I voted for two other artists and I cast a vote for myself. Was I the best? Heck no, but maybe someone else voted for me too, so my vote could put me in the running for top 10. Who knows, right?

I didn’t win anything, at least not in any of the official categories. I was, however, called out during the awards dinner with two other people (I don’t remember their names, as I blanked out in that moment) in a joke category: “Voted for Themselves Award.”

It was humiliating. I was at a dinner table with mostly strangers who could see on my name tag that I was the one they were talking about. They laughed and felt embarrassed for me as well. I tried to laugh it off, sitting there in my button down and tie, trying to not feel shame.

I ended up leaving during the bathroom break, and decided I would never go back to a caricature convention.

Was it a haze? Did they do this every year, and since I didn’t know about it I was the one who did the thing? Or was it just an anomaly from the people who ran the convention that year, a joke from jokesters to whom humor is paramount?

I came to find out months later that that little stunt didn’t sit well with a few others, and one of the other people that was called out (and who was much more involved in the caricature community) came forward as extremely offended.

It bothered me quite a bit that night and for a week or two after, but beyond that I had no need to continue being a part of that “community.” There was no future for me in caricature illustration at that level, and I wasn’t interested in being part of that kind of bullying.

For those of you who stayed to the end, I’m happy to say I have been a part of the #motiondesign community for the past few years, and it is like a night and day difference in how people treat each other and lift each other up. I’m proud of us.

And for my final word in this thread, I’m happy to say that a project I directed ( http://jjmotion.com/the-Scotts-way ) won Best in Category for Motion Design at the CSCA Creative Best awards this week. I’m thankful for the project and the people who helped make it such a huge success.