Ru Kuwahata
How do you stay connected to Parsons?
As a teacher! After I graduated from the BFA Illustration program in 2005, I had an opportunity to teach an animation class at the Parsons Pre-College Academy, and I loved it. When I see my students get excited about animation, it thrills me! Also, I participate in Career Services alumni panels and speak to students about entrepreneurship, freelancing, and choosing a major.
How do you maintain your creative voice and still meet clients' requests?
I had teachers at Parsons who encouraged us to focus on the artistic side and develop our voices. I decided to become the creative director of a company to have maximum input into projects. Now I run Tiny Inventions with my husband, which allows me to express my artistic vision. Having a company also gives us the flexibility to take time off to concentrate on our own art.
Can you describe a project that you have done for a client?
One of our first projects was a music video for They Might Be Giants. They gave us a song, and we developed style frames—illustrations showing how we wanted to approach the video. After the band reviewed the style frames, we made revisions and created a storyboard. Working with They Might Be Giants allowed us to develop our own style; since they’re also artists, they gave us creative freedom.