Ben Juwono is a Supervising Director @ Disney TV Animation. He is an Emmy and Annie Award-winning Storyboard Artist, Director, and Show Creator. But before any of that, Ben was my Physics TA at the University of California, Irvine who got kicked out of grad school — which led him to art.

In this conversation, Ben and I talk about the depression and suicidal ideation that followed this failure, and how a random late-night screening of the movie Hot Fuzz helped him choose to keep going and stay alive. We talk about pursuing a career in art and whether passion alone is enough to make it in the industry. We talk about hitting walls on purpose, grieving your failures, and getting back up again. Ben also shares hard-won lessons on leadership, self-reflection & the importance of really knowing yourself, & the realities of the animation industry.

Web: http://bjwno.net/

IG: e57124575

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction

00:00 – Ben's "bad answer" about inner calling

00:00 – Drawing on the margins of physics homework

00:00 – Passion vs. natural talent

00:00 – Advice for young artists pursuing art as a career

00:00 – The animation industry boom and bust

00:00 – Are you doing it for yourself or chasing someone else?

00:00 – Hitting walls and why you should hit them hard

00:00 – Getting kicked out of grad school

00:00 – Depression, suicidal ideation, and wanting to give up

00:00 – The Hot Fuzz movie that saved his life

00:00 – Finding new joy after failure

00:00 – Following your truth

00:00 – Leadership, ego, and learning to serve

00:00 – Detachment as a shield — and learning to reconnect

00:00 – Finding joy in the small things

00:00 – What Ben would say to his younger self

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988

Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741

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LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/innercalling/id1809177408

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4K2khwqNKgs90Hs8vrQenZ?si=ad3d2dbeceab49c4

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CONNECT

innercalling Podcast Website: www.innercalling.org

Dr. Victoria Ranade: www.victoriaranade.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/drvictoriaranade

Hope+Wellness: Kind, Compassionate, Evidence-Based Mental Health Care where you are genuinely seen and understood: https://www.hope-wellness.com

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WHAT IS INNERCALLING?

innercalling is a podcast dedicated to the belief that there is a light inside you of profound power, beauty, and wisdom that no darkness can ever overcome. It's a space where mental health meets spirituality, and explore timeless questions about existence, mortality, and what it deeply means to be human.

Hosted by Dr. Victoria Ranade, PhD, MBA, ABPP, conversations feature real, organic conversation between two humans, inspired by the field of mental health & clinical psychology, which values what happens simply when two people sit together and talk about life and all its beauty and complications.

WHO IS DR. VICTORIA?

Hi there, I'm Dr. Victoria Ranade. I'm a board certified licensed clinical psychologist, writer, and podcaster deeply passionate about mental health, spirituality, integrative wellness, and honoring the light inside you — the one that no darkness can ever overcome. Fun fact: You're one of my greatest inspirations.✌🏼💛

I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. SEND ME ANY MAIL OR QUESTIONS HERE:

[email protected]

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