Creative Clydesider

I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to interview my sister, Thuraya Ahmed, who will be attending the University of Edinburgh this September.

Although I am incredibly proud and excited for her as she begins this new chapter, I know I will miss her very much when she moves away.

Thuraya has been drawing since 2015, and over the years, I have watched her grow into a truly talented artist with so much potential.

Her creativity, dedication, and passion for art continue to inspire me, and I am excited to see where her talent takes her in the future.

I wish her all the best as she begins this exciting journey at university.

I know she will achieve amazing things, and I canʼt wait to see what the future holds for her.

What first made you fall in love with animation, and what keeps that spark alive today?

I have always been fascinated by animation! I grew up watching cartoons, animated movies, and I especially loved Japanese animation.

Animation gives characters such emotional depth and allows for endless artistic expression, which I find really interesting.

When Iʼm watching a live-action movie or show, Iʼm aware that actors are just performing roles, but in animation, even though the medium itself is not real, charactersʼ emotions and experiences are real within their world!

What keeps the spark alive today is the incredible animation projects being released every year.

Recent films like Spiderman: Beyond the Spiderverse and KPop Demon Hunters are amazing examples of how powerful animation can be.

The endless creative possibilities and storytelling in animation make it impossible for me to get bored with it.

Iʼm also constantly inspired by the talented artists in the animation industry who bring these incredible projects to life.

With AI becoming more capable how do you feel about the future? Has it changed the way you think about your career or creativity?

Iʼm certainly worried about AI, but I truly believe that it will never be capable enough to create meaningful and high-quality animation.

Recently, there have been many successful indie animated films and shows that prove that people will always appreciate animation created by real and passionate people over AI-generated work.

Even if major studios embrace AI, artists who donʼt will always find ways to share their human-made animations.

The rise of AI has totally changed the way I think about my career and has made me more anxious about the future, but it would never affect my creativity or my love for animation.

When you’re feeling stuck or doubting yourself, what inspires or motivates you to keep creating? Is there a person, film, artist, or idea you always come back to?

Whenever Iʼm feeling stuck, I always look at the work of the many artists that I follow on social media.

Some of my biggest inspirations are Sophie Li, Emily Xu, Francesca Fedele, and Kat Tsai, among many others.

I also get instantly motivated whenever I revisit Studio Ghibli films such as Whisperer of the Heart, Howlʼs Moving Castle, or Kikiʼs Delivery Service!

As you prepare to move to Edinburgh, what are you most excited about?

Iʼm very excited about living in such a beautiful city, as well as meeting and becoming friends with other students who love art and animation as much as I do!

I also look forward to studying animation in depth and developing personal projects that I could share with others.