Teacher Appreciation Week: Meet Jake Bartlett

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Every year, we use the first week of May to thank those who have taught us so much. At Skillshare, that means an incredible community of creative instructors who have helped us unlock the best of our creative selves, challenged us to go further, and given us the tools to approach our craft in new and exciting ways.

Every day this week, we’ll be highlighting a teacher from our community. Today, meet Jake Bartlett. Jake is a motion designer who has been working in the industry for over ten years. His Staff Pick classes in After Effects, Animation Principles, and more have drawn the attention of over 62,000 students on Skillshare who love his approachable and expert style of teaching.

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Animating with Ease in After Effects | Skillshare Staff Pick

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Meet Jake Bartlett

My name is Jake Bartlett, I live in Denver Colorado with my wife, two kids and our dalmatian, Pixel. I've been working as a motion designer professionally since 2010. I've also been teaching people how to use After Effects on Skillshare since 2014.

How did you start working on your craft?

I first learned how to use After Effects through my oldest brother, who showed me how to add lightsabers to my own videos. I was hooked on Adobe software after that, which brought me to eventually pursuing a career in motion design and animation

Where do you go for inspiration?

I spend a lot of time discovering and following artists on instagram and dribbble. But besides following other motion designers, I draw a lot of inspiration from photography, movies and cartoons.

Finish the sentence: I feel most creative when ______.

I feel most creative when I'm learning! Honestly, that's when I'm most excited; hot off learning a new skill or technique and getting to spend time experimenting and creating things out of it.

What’s your favorite part of teaching?

It is so rewarding when I get to see the amazing projects students create. Getting tagged on instagram or reading reviews on my Skillshare classes and hearing how other motion designers are benefiting from my teachings is just the best.

Can you tell us about an influential teacher in your life, and what you have taken with you from them?

I've learned from so many people that it's hard to single out just one, but Joey Korenman is probably the teacher who has most influenced my career. He taught me the principles of animation I missed out on by not going to a traditional art school. That was so important because it helped me distinguish the difference between knowing how to use a piece of software and knowing how animation actually works.

Anything you’d like to plug?

You can follow me on instagram @jakeinmotion to see what I'm working on, message me directly and get sneak peeks at my Skillshare classes as I'm making them. Also subscribe to my youtube channel because I have a massive After Effects series in the works.

Discover More Classes from Jake Bartlett

Motion Design, Animated GIFs, After Effects, and more!

Explore Jake's Classes