Teamie Spotlight: Bernice Gordon
A little bit about Bernice:
I was born and raised in Toronto, and then lived in Israel for my adolescence and young adult life. Majority of that was always dabbling in art and animals, as I was always the kid who was monster hunting, and (trying) to live in the bush. Naturally, a lot of my extra canicular hobbies ended up being associated with that kind of wildlife; archery, leather work, paper crafts, etc.
What was your first job?
My first job was mural painting as a teenager. They were mostly in apartments for the residence’s kids, or to add depth to an otherwise small living space.
How many years have you been working in this industry?
Over 20+ years now. 15 in Vancouver.
How did you get started with Kickstart Entertainment?
I had heard about a storyboarding job via word-of-mouth when I was wrapping on another show at a different studio. I loved the mandate that Kickstart had, and the culture around the studio really piqued my interest. I knew I had to come and check it out.
What piece of advice do you wish you had been given when you first started working in this industry?
Let me tell you the advice I DID get and was always helpful:
There is a difference between “Good” and “Good Enough”.
In the industry, you will find you don’t have enough time to make every drawing a masterpiece, and your eye has to be both on the quality and the time limits you have. Sometimes you have to pull back in order to deliver the product equitably to the cost and deadline you are obligated to. Does that mean sacrificing the details? Sometimes it does. Otherwise, you will burn out, stress the pipeline, and deliver only half mast.
If you could give one piece of advice on how to get through a hard day, what would that be?
Don’t take it personally; everyone is going to make a mistake, or come up against problems. Don’t complain; it’s a waste of time and really don’t change the past. Think of solutions to get beyond the obstacle, or at least recount what went wrong and why- so you can learn from it.
Hard days are there to give you an excuse to go indulge after, so buy yourself a toy or a junk food after to soften the blow.
What is the highlight of your career so far?
I’m pretty much thinking my entire career thus far is a highlight. I get to wake up and go make cartoons- how is that not the best thing ever?
Do you have any advice for women out there who are wanting to start their own business?
Be assertive and ridiculously confident. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been witness to individuals who thought themselves worthy of a senior position, and then googled tutorials on the first day of the job. This overconfidence allows people to take a leap of faith in their skills and learn through the school of hard knocks, as opposed to being stuck in the same dead-end cycles out of fear of failure.
Neil Gamin attested to this- he lied about his writing portfolio just to land his first job at a prestigious magazine, and then went about trying to write for all those high-end publications for the rest of his career so he wouldn’t be called a liar. What a sense of self confidence!
What qualities do you look for in a mentor?
Honesty and sincerity with a side of empathy.
It’s hard to navigate the real world if you are not given real answers to real problems. Not matter how inconvenient they are; I’d rather have the truth be told to me in a palatable way, then a bunch of feel-good answers to avoid a hard conversation and hurt feelings. That’s when a good sense of humor and empathy can help.
Who are the fellow leaders you look to for inspiration and guidance?
I have a mix between people and stories; the living (or passed) are often those who are eloquent, soft spoken but incredibly fierce; Golda Meir, Shimon Peres, William McDonough, etc
I turn to traditional stories for lessons on situational or spiritual conflict, and for emotional support when obstacles present themselves. Those are a bit harder to list, so come tell me what your conflict is, and I’ll point you in the right direction.
What continues to motivate your work, or has that changed over the years?
The natural world, and oral traditions have always been the backbone to my work. Story is the ongoing reality of consciousness, and we find them in all the living things around us. From the Big Bang, to evolution to the point that we woke up and realized we were here living in a prologue, and then trying to make sense of it all.
What’s your idea of a perfect Sunday?
A couple of hours on the Archery Range (or in the bush) doing Archery, then home doing some personal art project of craft. Throw in a bubbletea and the day is made.
What is your superpower?
I still manage to get 8 hours of sleep every night, even with my robust extra curriculars, full time jobs, and several side projects on the go. Some people doubt this... and sometimes I am surprised by it as well.