Tag: Animation

FunDay Friday

Supercharged: Fandoms That Fuel My Creative Flame

Mell D'Clute
Comic book–style illustration of SuperMell sitting on a glowing couch, creative energy radiating around her as she watches a cartoon on TV. Beside her, Diana the black cat with golden eyes perches on the couch arm, staring intently at the animated screen. The TV light blends with fiery, magical sparks symbolizing inspiration and creative flame.

🔥 Introduction: My Power Sources

Some heroes draw their strength from the sun, others from magic or training. Me? A lot of my creative energy comes from my fandoms—the worlds, characters, and stories that spark my imagination and keep my inner fire burning.

These aren’t just stories I consume. They’re fuel tanks I keep dipping into whenever I need courage, inspiration, or even just a reminder that creativity thrives on passion.

🚀 Fandoms That Light the Way

Here are a few of the fandoms that keep my fire alive:

  • DC Superheroes (especially Robin & the Bat-Family): Their resilience and teamwork taught me that growth comes through challenge and reinvention. As a kid, I saw Robin not just as Batman’s sidekick but as proof that even the youngest hero could carry their own story. That idea has never left me.
  • The MCU (Captain America’s arc especially): Ordinary people rising to extraordinary leadership, guided not by power but by values. That still makes me think about how to stand by my own principles in everyday work.
  • Star Trek & Star Wars: One shows me the hope of diplomacy and vision, the other reminds me of the pull between light and shadow within us all. Both have taught me about leadership, resilience, and storytelling on a galactic scale.
  • The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit: Courage, friendship, and finding light even in the darkest of places. Tolkien’s stories remind me that creativity often comes from persistence, even when the road feels impossibly long.
  • Animation & Cartoons (from Teen Titans to modern favourites): These are pure celebrations of imagination. Every time I watch or rewatch them, I’m reminded why I fell in love with creativity in the first place.

Each of these fandoms powers me differently—some give me hope, some give me courage, some give me joy. Together, they’re the spark plugs of my creative engine.

🐾 Diana’s Corner: Feline Fandoms

Diana may not binge-watch superhero shows with me, but she does enjoy when I stay still long enough to watch a movie or flip through comics. She curls up nearby, almost like she’s sharing the flame too.

She does, however, seem to have an unexpected affinity for animation. More than once, I’ve caught her perched on the arm of the couch, eyes glued to the screen during an animated movie. Just last night, she was right beside me, watching The Bad Guys with such intensity that I wondered if she had her own favourite characters.

✍️ Final Thought

Fandoms are more than passions—they’re power-ups that keep me energized, hopeful, and ready to face challenges in my own life. They remind me that creativity is fuelled by the things we love most.

👉 What fandom fuels your fire? I’d love to hear in the comments!

FunDay Friday

🎉 The Multiverse of Me: Alternate Career Paths I’d Explore in a Parallel Timeline

Mell D'Clute
A multiverse scene shows five versions of SuperMell stepping through glowing portals, each version represents an alternate career path: animator, writer, performer, instructional designer, and creative strategist. A cat named Diana appears in different variations beside each version, matching the theme of the world.

🌌 Introduction

Some people dream of one perfect career path. Me? I like to imagine a whole multiverse of alternate career paths—parallel versions of me exploring different creative roles, from animation to instructional design. This little thought experiment started as a bit of fun, but it’s also helped me appreciate the common threads that run through everything I do.

So let’s peek through a few dimensional rifts and meet my parallel selves…

🌀 Alternate Career Paths Across My Personal Multiverse

I’ve always loved stories that explore alternate timelines—like Into the Spider-Verse or Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Each version of me brings forward the same strengths in new, creative ways. Here’s what that looks like across timelines…

🌠 Earth-212: Mell, the Animation Storyboard Artist

In this universe, I dove headfirst into animation right after high school. I storyboard action sequences by day, sketch silly side characters by night, and collaborate with a team of artists who speak fluent pop culture. I still drink Diet Pepsi, but now it comes in studio-branded tumblers.

Common thread: Love of storytelling, visual creativity, and making people feel something—whether it’s a laugh or a lump in their throat.

🪐 Earth-604: Mell, the Bookstore Owner and Writer

Here, I own a cozy shop filled with graphic novels, journals, and indie zines. I hold weekly write-ins, sip fizzy water while editing my own fantasy novel, and recommend superhero memoirs to reluctant readers. Diana naps on the front counter.

Common thread: Communication, curation, and turning stories into connection points.

🔧 Earth-717: Mell, the Instructional Designer

I create learning experiences instead of just absorbing them. In this timeline, I’m designing interactive training for arts organizations and creative studios. Each course is a little adventure, packed with clarity, style, and (yes) a few Easter eggs.

Common thread: Helping others grow, paired with a love of structure and storytelling.

🪩 Earth-808: Mell, the Stage Performer

Didn’t expect this one? Neither did I. But somewhere out there, I’m part of a musical comedy troupe—half She-Ra, half Saturday Night Live. I’m bold, expressive, and probably wearing a glitter cape.

Common thread: Performance, creative teamwork, and saying what others are thinking (but with flair).

🐾 Diana’s Take

Diana’s multiverse variants likely include:

  • a royal advisor cat in a space opera,
  • an animation producer’s desk assistant,
  • and a silent but deadly ninja sidekick who knocks coffee cups off starship consoles.

Whichever version of me she’s with, she’s always curled up close, quietly observing the action.

💬 Final Thought

The real power of this exercise isn’t in choosing one perfect path. It’s in recognizing that, across all timelines, my core strengths stay the same: creativity, empathy, structure, and curiosity. No matter the costume or setting, the mission remains constant—and I think that’s pretty heroic.

What alternate career paths live in your multiverse? Drop a comment and let me know—no timeline too wild!

If you enjoy multiverse-style thinking, check out My Dream Team for Job Hunt Survival, where I assemble fictional allies for the journey.

Throwback & Fandom Thursday

Cartoons That Got Me Through

Mell D'Clute
SuperMell, wearing a black bodysuit with a purple 'M' and purple glasses, laughs while lounging on a purple couch. Her black cat, Diana, with golden eyes and a white chest patch, sits beside her. Speech bubbles with a waffle, a music note, and 'HA' float above them as they watch a glowing TV in a cozy, purple-toned living room.

Some cartoons aren’t just shows you watch — they’re lifelines.

At different times in my life, these animated worlds offered exactly what I needed: laughter, hope, courage, and even a little wisdom. When real life felt overwhelming, these stories helped carry me through.

Teen Titans Go!

Sometimes you just need something silly to survive.

Teen Titans Go! gave me exactly that — a break from overthinking, a pocket of joy when things got heavy. Its chaotic humor and ridiculous plots were a reminder that it’s okay to laugh, to be silly, and to take a break from trying to be “serious” all the time. Not everything has to be perfect — sometimes it just needs to be fun.

Young Justice

On the other end of the spectrum was Young Justice — a show that didn’t shy away from complexity.

It captured what it felt like to grow up in a complicated world, wrestling with loyalty, identity, and responsibility. Watching these young heroes struggle and persevere made me feel less alone in my own growing pains. The storytelling was rich, layered, and reminded me that even when things seem confusing or unfair, resilience and teamwork matter.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Batman: The Brave and the Bold was a hidden treasure for me.

It was quirky, colourful, and embraced the full weirdness of DC Comics. Watching Batman team up with heroes from every corner of the DC Universe — some I barely knew — felt like an open invitation to explore, to be curious, and to accept the unexpected. It reminded me that no matter how serious life gets, there’s always room for imagination and a little bit of absurdity.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Then there’s Avatar: The Last Airbender — a masterpiece that wove humor, action, and deep emotion into a story that felt timeless.

The lessons of balance, forgiveness, resilience, and growth stayed with me long after the final episode. Aang’s journey — learning that true strength comes from kindness and understanding — resonated during moments when I needed to believe that compassion could be powerful. Avatar wasn’t just entertainment. It was healing.

Carrying Them Forward

Even now, I carry pieces of these shows with me. A reminder to laugh. A reminder to persevere. A reminder to stay curious. And most importantly, a reminder that kindness and creativity are strengths, not weaknesses.

These cartoons didn’t just get me through — they helped shape who I am.

Turns out, cartoons aren’t just for kids — sometimes they’re survival skills.

–

Mell