About
Video/Animation
Digital Illustration
Exhibition/Installation
Teaching Portfolio
Scatterbrain Screenings
instagram.com/pewlter
pewlter@gmail.com
My main goal for students is for them to develop agency and confidence in both their creative voice and in their process. As such, I encourage them to iterate quickly, and to dive into the practice of seeing projects to completion as soon as possible. Failing fast and often through multiple low stakes projects provides exponentially more insight than diving into the “Big Project.” It is easy to become overly precious with ideas and rob oneself of the opportunity to practice making. Students need to develop trust that the ideas will come, and to let go of the apprehension of using them up. This will give them a solid foundation of experience as they approach their capstone projects. I also place a heavy emphasis on peer interaction, whether through prompting discussion participation, or through pushing students to offer meaningful critique amongst themselves.
It is necessary to address that students come from a multitude of backgrounds and have widely varying needs as creators, artists, and human beings. I will not pretend I can fully understand every individual, but I do everything I can to ensure that I am creating an environment where students can express their needs comfortably and authentically. Students who fall into minority categories should be given space to express themselves on their own terms. Students who appear to be in a majority should be extended the same offer of openness and understanding, partially so as to not make other students feel alienated by special treatment, and partially because not all intersections of identity are visible. It is not my priority to exercise authority over students by doling out grades. It is my priority that each student is able to glean something helpful to their artistic and academic journey. This is a shared goal that can be fostered through candid dialogues.
I am equipped to teach introductory film and animation classes, creative capstones, and special topics seminars in experimental art, Asian American studies, music for film, grant writing and arts portfolio building, and digital ethnography. My approach centers the individual strengths of each student and the demystification of the creative process. I encourage students to name their abilities and their passions and to hone these impulses into a process that amplifies and maximizes their unique skills.
Syllabi
Electronic Superhighway: Identity in the Internet Age
Junior Animation Studio
Student Work