I'm having an artistic block at the moment.  Pony burn-out, perhaps?  Well, hopefully, the new AJ episode coming up will be awesome and recharge my resolve to finish stories and art alike.  Or maybe it's all the projects in queue, both on my computer and in MY MIND that are creating writer's block.  Like, quite literally, there are so many ideas, that they are just blocked up at the door.  Ah, well...

Now, a warning: I was being very nostalgic when I wrote this and kinda hate to waste it.  Read at your own peril

Watched How To Train Your Dragon last night for nostalgia.  I love that movie ^_^  It's my favorite Dreamworks movie.  It also made me think of how some people look down on animation and think it's just for kids.  That made me kinda mad.  I remember the exact moment I realized that people think that way of animation.  I was in college talking to this guy in my Chemistry class, and I referenced Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas.  He had no idea what I was talking about.  Even for such a well known song from a well known movie, he had NO IDEA what I was talking about!  Now, maybe I grew up spoiled - in my experience, the male of the species actually WATCHED Disney movies.  Even my nephew who was in the army and has his arm adorned with tattoos loves animation and Disney movies to the point that he made animation his career.  But THIS odd-ball had never seen the movie. So I asked him about it, and he said he didn't watch animated movies.  He had seen Cars, though, because his little nephew watched it five million times a day, but that was about it.

But it was more the way he brushed off the notion of watching animated movies that struck me as odd.  I could see it in the way he dismissed the idea - he thought it to be infantile.  And to be honest, I had never met someone who reacted this way to animated movies, before.  I was shocked.

I mean, I grew up with anime, video games, Disney movies, and all that great stuff.  I never liked Barbie dolls, but had Trolls, Legos, and stuffed animals...maybe even a pony or two, though I can't remember which ones.  The Trolls were actually one of my favorites because my cousin was into Trolls, too, and whenever she would come over, we would play with them. ^_^;  Even as a child, I noticed the discrepancy - a little girl who didn't like Barbie dolls? For shame!  (I mean, seriously, what are you supposed to do with a Barbie doll?)  But at least we had Trolls as common ground to play with.

If you don't know what I mean when I say Trolls, I mean these trolls: [link]

There was a troll with Rainbow colored hair, smaller than the other trolls, and we both had one.  When we were playing, the troll went up to their respective "mothers", and both my cousin and I said at the same time, "Mom, can I go play with..."  Then we made the trolls look at each other while we both realized neither of the trolls had a name.  Then, at the same time, we turned out rainbow-haired trolls back to their "mothers" and said, "...Rainbow?"  ^_^;

My cousin stopped playing with dolls long before I did.  It was too immature, I guess.  I still remember the day she refused to play a game involving dolls and stuffed animals.  So I stopped asking her, and played my own games, but the fun had been lost.  It was a shame, too.  I still had epic tales to tell and share with her, if only she were interested.  I've taken those beginnings and started writing stories and drawing, and gave up playing with stuffed animals altogether.  Now those dolls and stuffed animals are just artifacts of my past.

She works for a bank now. -_-  I guess my point is she was always the mature, responsible, adult-like of both of us (sitting with the parents while they had their conversations, watching telenovelas and Sabado Gigante with them, sitting quietly at the table while I was itching to do something more entertaining), and I was the one who never wanted to grow up (still play with video games, still watch animation, still a big dreamer with no resolution in sight.)  Not sure if I ever will "grow up" to the point that society would find me anything but a dork, and call me as such the moment my interests come to light.

But back to my original point: Even SHE loves movies like Kung Fu Panda.  She would probably just never do something as silly as oh, say, obsessing over a cartoon who's demographic is primarily geared towards young children.  

Now who in their right mind would do that?  ...*slowly raises hand*

Anyways, I guess what I'm trying to say is even if a person is not a big kid, like me, they can find a love and appreciation for animation. Even if they don't get excited and eagerly anticipate the new Disney movie while it's still in production, draw fan art and write fan fiction, or wear clothing with an animated character on them, a well-done animated movie or show can still touch people.  Told correctly, these stories entertain while still containing that innocence that we lose upon getting older and entering the real world.  I can't think of anything better than that.  I wish I could still DO that - go back to a time when rainbow-haired trolls could play with their dopplegangers, and go on epic adventures from one side of the living room to the other.  But I can't.  My stories often refuse to stay innocent nowadays, and lose their way sometimes.  But at least I can always go back to well done animated shows and movies, and enjoy my childhood again, just for a little bit.

....if you've read this far, you kinda HAVE to comment, now, on your thoughts on animation, or anything I talked about here.