The Creative journey of Morrah lesado

Born in 1993 in Agana, Guam as Timothy Livingston Jr, my childhood was defined by Cartoons and crafting paper dolls, characters of my own imagination. If my life were a movie, this would be the opening scene. The start of everything I'd go on to do in the future started there, drawing characters on paper, cutting them out and enacting 'Episodes' I imagined. 

I've always possessed an active imagination. Sometimes to my own detriment. My thoughts were so vivid and strong that I would often space out, lose myself within my own mind. My teachers thought there was something wrong with me. They'd have me tested by a psychiatrist on the belief that I might have ADHD, but it wasn't the case. 

I spent most of my time in middle school and high school in the music room, marching band, playing concerts and competitions. I learned a lot about music during this time, and it would greatly help me in the future when I began creating my own animations! 

However, my life took a major turning point when a good friend handed me the first book in the Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan. I thought reading and writing was pointless and boring. Looking back, I owe that friend a great deal. I became heavily influenced by the Percy Jackson Books as well as the iconic manga series, Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto. Reading became a great joy in my life. These inspirations are evident in past works, specifically in my approach to Character Design and World Building.

I graduated from Highschool in 2011. Not long after I moved out on my own at the age of 19. I saw and experienced many different people, places and lifestyles seemingly all at once. I had no money, hardly any food, but I had a lot of friends around me. 

I began to dedicate a lot of my private time dreaming up stories and learning how to write them properly.  I wasn't a great drawer at this time, but I would often pick up a pencil and paper to try and design the characters I envisioned. I took drawing much more seriously than I had before, despite doing it all my life for fun. These years would go on to solidify my future goals. I thought up stories that I still believe to this day will become phenomenal. Jackson Harold | The Four Stones | Billy Bold & the Magic Cap ... 

During my residency, I formalized my approach to Graphic Design and Illustration, focusing on the technical intersections of color theory and composition. This period marked the transition from exploratory hobbyist to a disciplined professional practice. 

This is the time when i learned how to use Photoshop and 3D software like Maya & Blender. 

I took special interest in Life Drawing with Live Models, to the point I even continued to do it privately outside of the classroom. 

Towards the end of 2019 I began working with several local bands in my area, collaborating with them by creating Art, Merch & promotional work. For a brief time i was a Music producer, providing funds for Studio & Recording sessions. i even thought about filming music videos. This was an extremely fun time for me, the summer of 2019 was one of the best times in my life. Had it not been for the Pandemic shutting everything down, i may have continued down this road. 

The academic trajectory at the Art Institute was abruptly truncated in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. As physical studios closed, Morrah transitioned into a period of intensive self-directed study. 

-during this time also illustrated by own children's book "Billy Bold and the Magic Cape"