Meet Elizabeth Ku-Herrero | Co-Founder & Director at Super Dope

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Ku-Herrero and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, how do you think about risk?
I believe taking risks is necessary to change and growth. By taking a risk, you are putting yourself in a position where real failure is possible but so is real success. Risks have been huge catalysts in my life and career. After high school, instead of going to an art school, I went to a public state school. I didn’t believe I could make a good living off art so I wanted to have options. Well, after two years, I was having a great time. It was Penn State, the people were amazing and college life was like the movies. But I wasn’t being challenged and I knew that I was meant to be an artist. I could complete two more years at Penn State, or pivot to an additional 4 years at another college. I decided to move to NYC to go to art school. I was terrified to make such a big change by moving to the city, leaving all my friends, and prolonging my college career. I still think it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I learned how to be a professional artists, made incredible connections, and left with a Student Academy Award, Student Emmy and Art Director’s Black Cube under my belt.
After graduation, I worked my butt off trying to get a staff position at one particular studio. After 3 years, I got the job, and after less than 2 I realized I wasn’t happy. I stumbled upon another road block: stay or leave. It was hard to step away from something I had wanted for so long. It was hard to leave consistent work with benefits because I knew very well what the freelance world entails. But I knew I wasn’t becoming the person I wanted to there. I had spent 5 years putting my eggs in one basket. And because it took me 5 years, I really started to question my worth and ability as an artist. However, after I quit, now that I had gained the title of CG Lead at a respected studio, the gigs were non-stop. I could feel a difference in the way people spoke to me and considered my art. I nearly doubled my pay.
After going freelance again, my partner and I really started to evaluate where we were in life, what we wanted, and how we could get there. We could both continue working as Freelance Senior Artists in Manhattan and make good money. But when you are working as a freelance artist, it doesn’t feel like you’re quite working towards anything. It felt like we could see the end of the road: we could clock in, clock out, make that money, and that would be our life. But once again, when I looked down this path, it didn’t feel like it would get me where I wanted to go. The answer was not New York. We wanted a healthier work/life balance. We wanted to be around nature. And we wanted to have more dogs. We wanted a new challenge and something that was ours. So on the cusp of a global pandemic smacking the whole planet in the face, and with the help of two other friends, we packed our things, moved across the country to Oregon, and started a remote animation studio called Super Dope. This meant leaving our families, leaving everything we had known most of our lives, and financially stepping into an ocean of uncertainty. I can’t currently tell you how this risk has played out, as it has been less than a year since we moved. But I can tell you this: I’m with my dog 24/7. I’m building something that would not have existed otherwise. And because I am a Co-Founder and lead artist, I have more confidence in myself to stand up for me and my opinions. It’s made me realize how much I lacked that as a freelancer and working for someone else. This change in my self worth, voice, and confidence is a success to me.
Risks are scary. You just have no idea how things are going to play out. But the way I feel that I usually interpret risks are that I’m not willing to not try to change my life for the better. Growth and change don’t just happen to you. You deliberately move forward by doing something different. And I think ultimately that comes from a place of love. I take risks because I believe I deserve more in life. And the more I can grow, the more I can give.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a CG Artist and Director, who specializes in Characters and Look Development. This means I write and create animated content. It’s been a journey to get where I am right now, and it feels like I’ve just opened my eyes. One’s art is supposed to be a form of self expression. But what happens when you live in a society that has taught you to question and erase your identity along with your sense of self. This past year has brought a lot of self reflection and a realization that I didn’t really feel connected to what I was creating. When I looked at my body of work, it was a blob of confusion and people pleasing. And it took a lot of personal work and unpacking to be able to understand how I had gotten there before I could decide to pivot.
My tipping point came at the end of 2020. I had accomplished all these incredible things all at once and in the middle of a pandemic. I had moved across the country, I had created a short film, and I had started my own business. But as I stood on the cusp of these successes, I had this nagging feeling that it still wasn’t enough. I felt completely lost, confused, and utterly alone in my journey. And with the ongoing civil unrest in America, the world screamed at me that I didn’t belong and I wasn’t enough.
I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and then worked mostly within Manhattan in the commercial animation industry. I used to pride myself in my ability to be a chameleon. I could replicate someone else’s style and fill in spaces wherever I needed to. I learned all the things that were popular, and I told stories about white men being heroes of their own stories. But I didn’t realize that by doing this, I was constantly smothering any ounce of who I was or what my story is. So I climbed to this “high” point in my career, I looked around, and I had so few people to share it with and I was living it as a ghost of myself.
It was my friend, Katwo, who I expressed this to and I’m blown away by how incredibly insightful she was at this point. She said to me, I don’t know how to help you, you need to find people like you- which was mixed race people. So I blasted an SOS call across my social media accounts to find mixed race people. And that was hard and scary. It was emotionally really taxing to dive into deep pains and past traumas among everything that was going on. But I started to find virtual circles with people like me for the first time in my life. For those of you who have never experienced this, let me try to simplify my mixed race experience. Imagine no one looks like you. No one looks like your family. And even the few people that aren’t white- you’re still not like them, though they have each other. You’re told you’re not American. You’re told you’re not Chinese. You’re told you’re not Spanish. You’re told you’re too American. You told you’re too Chinese. You told you’re too Spanish. You’re not enough, and too much. Now imagine you’re 30 years old and it’s the first time you’re in a (virtual) room of people who look like you- the first time. It’s like you’ve discovered a different planet. It’s like I finally found my people. I don’t think someone can know what that feels like unless you’ve experienced it. Well, I’ll tell you that it shook me. And it changed me.
When you connect to people like you there’s a remarkable amount you don’t have to explain. You can skip the explaining and even having to prove what you feel is real. You can actually express yourself. I felt validated for the first time in my life. I felt like everything I experienced was real, and I wasn’t crazy. I suddenly had a lifetime of resources on my back as a creator and it was my paint.
So now, here I am, a CG Lead, a Director, a business owner, an award winner and now a community builder. I didn’t know what to do with myself growing up. I was so lost. And now I’m realizing it is my superpower. Animation is a medium- the same as paint or clay. I’ve spent so much time doing what I thought other people wanted to see. And honestly, from my perspective, that’s not my story to tell. I don’t exist in that world. I exist in my world and my reality, and this past year has taught me there’s a lot of people who share in that. What I have achieved at this point is that I’m in a position where I have enough experience and influence to help others. I feel the responsibility to do for others what I wish was shown to me: That I can tell my authentic story. This year has shown us that even if you do not see yourself represented in the world, there is an audience for you. The world is a big place, and no matter what path you’ve walked, you’re not alone.
As a CG Artist, I’ve been extremely frustrated with the perceived constraints that the world has put on animation, aesthetically and as a storytelling vehicle. The kinds of stories one can tell and the style in which it is digested is truly limitless. I believe that up until this past year, I had not been creating art in my own authentic voice. And this is because I didn’t realize how much of myself I had erased and covered up. I am a first generation, American, Chinese and Spanish woman. My art explores the individual struggle and intersectionality of all my experiences. I’m a sucker for collaborations and I’m so excited to create something completely unfiltered and real.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve recently become an official Oregonian transplanted from New York City. With the combination of starting my own business and having been quarantined for the past year, I feel completely inept at recommending anything in the area! So maybe instead, I’ll tell you my plan for figuring this out for myself, and what everything keeps coming back to: Community. I don’t know this place at all, but I’ve been shocked to learn how many friends of friends I’ve found out here- or even just connections I’ve made through my virtual mixed communities. I’m going to hit them up and explore the world with them. Because sometimes the most wonderful experience can just be diving into someone else’s world for a change.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Woo- this one is really hard to write without writing a novel. But my buddy, Katwo Puertollano, definitely deserves quite a bit of recognition when it comes to my own journey. She’s been such a big part of shaping who I am and who I want to become. Specifically, she’s been a big source of inspiration in how I treat others, how I treat myself, and how I run my business- which is really saying she’s affected how I live my life. I think most of this comes from her compassion. She indirectly taught me to be kinder to myself in the way she celebrates herself and shows herself love. She takes care of herself, she pushes herself, she gives herself breaks. She’s also one of the kindest individuals I’ve ever known. This is a person who you can sense really respects and appreciates everyone she meets. I met Katwo straight out of college as I was trying to prove my worth monetarily. As a woman of color in the male dominated animation industry, someone expressing genuine interest in my life and story, felt amazing. She didn’t just make me feel valued and heard- she made me want to do that for other people. Lastly, as a business owner, she’s a community builder. I’ve followed the stories of plenty of entrepreneurs building a ladder to the top. But what always struck me about Katwo is her drive to better the communities she’s a part of. Big brands and clients always come second to the value she can bring to individuals and the larger community.
As a mixed race person, I’ve always felt alone in my experience. Most people straight up don’t know how to respond to something that makes no sense to them: That I’ve existed as a fragmented person. Katwo one day told me I wasn’t half of this or half of that. I was 300%. I had never heard that in my life and it smacked me like a ton of bricks. How did she know to say that to me? I still believe it’s her compassion. She was one of the few that really listened to my story, and therefore understood me and my struggles.
I used to look for acceptance in obvious places, like teachers and bosses- looking for some kind of validation. I saw their titles and their success and I thought, wow that’s inspiring. But monetary success, titles, hierarchy, that feels flat to me now. I think the biggest gift you can give to someone is the inspiration to be a better person- to yourself and to everyone around you. Not a better money maker, a better person. And that’s what Katwo did and continues to do for me. She fills my heart with so much love and compassion, that I feel compelled to be better. I’m not perfect and I’m definitely still learning, but I’m beyond grateful I’m here now and I really don’t know where I would have been without Katwo as a guiding light.

Website: https://elizabethkuherrero.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabutt_poo/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethnku/

Other: https://www.super-dope.tv/

Image Credits
Eric Cunha: Photographer