Thursday, June 25, 2015

The Process

I'm almost 2 weeks into creating model sheets for the Saami characters of Badin and the Secret of the Saami. I'm barely finished. There are three characters that need model sheets. I finally got the face for one of them. After going back and forth with various source images and history of Saami clothing, I finally narrowed down some sources.

Fortunately, my story's Siida (Saami term for "community") and characters are fictional. However, maintaining as much realism for their region in Sweden is important. I know I will not satisfy everyone. However, I want to avoid offending anyone. The Saami culture is continuously stereotyped. As a minority group in Sweden, they are also sensitive to offenses to their traditions. This is where the importance of a good story for Badin and the Secret of the Saami comes in to play.

Yet, I will admit to having anxiety about this, as I do not want to end up with negative reviews such as this one about Disney's Frozen. I have never seen Frozen. Nor are my characters cartoon-like. They will be very human and have to deal with some painful and wonderful situations regarding themselves and the world in which they and their enemies live.

Hopefully, the readers will like the story. Moreover, I hope it will inspire Saami youth and other so-called minorities in Sweden and the United States.

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