Fear is a hand-drawn stop-motion animation exploring the emotional transition from fear of death to acceptance and peace. Inspired by my close friend Zefang’s question—“What is life? Are we going to die?”—this work became both a personal and collaborative reflection on loss, memory, and the cyclical nature of existence.
The two-minute animation visualizes the flow of life through natural elements—fire, water, snow, and light—symbolizing transformation and renewal. It suggests that “the end of life is not death,” but rather continuity through memory and emotion. Through dreams and metaphors, the film encourages viewers to face mortality not with fear, but with understanding and gratitude for the present moment.
This was my first large-scale stop-motion project, created entirely in Procreate and Procreate Dream. I drew over 400 individual layers by hand, learning how to manage timing, layering, and transitions to achieve fluid movement. While the animation lasts only two minutes, the process took weeks of daily drawing sessions, often working more than ten hours a day. The experience challenged my patience and endurance but also deepened my appreciation for the meticulous rhythm of animation.
Emotionally, the project became an act of self-healing. Like Zefang, I’ve long carried an anxiety about death and separation. By translating those fears into imagery, I found a sense of calm and reconciliation. The process reminded me that art can be both therapy and communication—a way to confront emotions that words cannot express.
Though the animation is not perfect—its motion still lacks some fluidity—I value it as a milestone in both technical skill and emotional maturity. Fear taught me that the creative process is not about perfection, but about courage: to confront pain, to persist through challenges, and to transform vulnerability into meaning.
I am eager to take on new projects, exploring creativity and innovation at the intersection of design, business, and culture.
