2025: Non-Stop Movement
2025 Ornament by India Barnardo
This year’s ornament is by Director & Animator India Barnardo. India is an animator and filmmaker currently working at Walt Disney Animation Studios with additional experiences at Sony Pictures Imageworks, Bron Studios, and more.
With a lifelong love of drawing, painting, sculpting, and life-drawing, creativity has always been central to her world - much of which she channeled into her own creative project: Cat & Moth (which you can watch here!). She grew up in a small countryside town with her cats, an early bond that would later shape her directorial debut. The playful short reimagines classic animated rivalries (think Tom and Jerry, Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner) through an energetic blend of CG and 2D animation. The project brought together a global crew of over 90 artists and remains a meaningful creative collaboration for those involved - including Emily, who had the opportunity to help produce the short during early phases of its journey.
India Barnardo
This year’s ornament artwork feels especially fitting alongside our update below… Between the personal history of the project and the unexpected arrival of Shader this year, the piece feels like a full-circle reminder of how deeply intertwined creativity and our relationships with animals can be.
An Important Update
Before jumping into our year-in-review, we wanted to share an important update. We recently rescued Shader, a sweet 2-year-old kitty who had been living outside in our backyard since he was a kitten. We had been feeding him twice a day for the last couple years, but he mostly spent his time on his own outside, until one day he showed up with a dislocated, fractured leg and a BB pellet lodged in him. After surgery, Shader is now a tri-pawd and must live indoors full-time.
While he’s adjusted beautifully and remains an affectionate, gentle boy, he’s very afraid of Luna. For his long-term happiness, we’re looking to find him a loving forever home that’s dog-free and without young children - a calm space where he can truly feel safe.
If you or someone you know might be a good fit for Shader, please reach out. He’s been through a lot and deserves the very best next chapter.
A Reflection on 2025
2025 felt like a year of momentum. Not the loud, dramatic kind, but the kind that comes from putting one foot in front of the other and before you know it, you are running at full speed.
There were fewer life shocks than in 2024 (which we definitely won’t complain about). Instead, this year asked for consistency, patience, and showing up, even when tired, jet-lagged, or stuck at an airport. We spent a lot of time balancing work, projects, community, travel, family, friends, and learning (again) that you can’t do everything perfectly, but you can do a lot of meaningful things imperfectly.
Work-wise, Emily continued to grow into her role at Epic Games while also pouring an enormous amount of energy into the Society for Game Cinematics. Austin continued crushing it professionally while also being the steady, grounding force that keeps everything else from tipping over at home and ensuring that Emily stays fed or touches grass every so often. We’re still fully remote, still co-workers at the kitchen island, and enjoying every part of it.
And then there were the furry babies. A full year with Luna and a whole adoptiversary marked with a visit to the brewery where we first met her. Mushu underwent a feline hyperthyroid treatment, complete with radiation and a 12-day stay at a treatment center in Irvine. We also unexpectedly rescued Shader, which felt very on-brand for us at this point. Our house is filled with more fur and pet toys than ever, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We traveled more than we expected, did more than we planned, and said “yes” to things that felt important even when they stretched us thin. There were celebrations, reunions, big industry moments, small family gatherings, and a lot of meals eaten on the go. Through it all, we kept coming back to the same truth: Showing up matters. And life feels better when shared.
May the end of your 2025 be calm, joyful, and restorative. Fingers crossed for us!
Here’s hoping 2026 brings a little more rest, a little more ease, and plenty of moments worth writing down.
Stuff we did this year:
Rang in the year with trips to the Safari Park and Disneyland for Lunar New Year
Went to Disneyland for Round #2 because… best friend and godson, obviously - that’s what we get for living in Anaheim
First-Time San Diego adventures to LEGOLAND and Fox Point Farms
Finally made it to Circle Bar B Ranch after postponing a Santa Barbara trip for literal years
Catamaran ride with friends (rescheduled from almost a year ago!)
Weddings in Dana Point and Mesa, Arizona!
Total SGC & Epic travel & planning domination for Emily: GDC, OC & LA meetups, two Summits at Epic HQ in Cary, Frisco National Videogame Museum, Annecy Festival, SGC Party Pre-Game Awards, and so much more
Prepared backyard patio for future big events… we’ll see how we do with hosting family Christmas for the first time coming up!
