Hi! I’m CJ Applebaum
General Portfolio
About Me
Multidisciplinary Creative
Hello! My name is CJ (she/her). I've been making things and performing since before I knew what those words meant. While I'm not an arts professional, and am very happy that way, this site is a place for me to keep my creative endeavors in one place. I have a day job as a language programmer, which I love. You can find my linkedIn on this website, but please note that this website and all the creative content linked here is NOT a representative of my company or its views.
I consider myself a butch, a jew, disabled, white, mentally ill, college educated, and a trauma survivor. I am a child of diaspora, a child of a terminally ill parent, and a child of large cities. I love language, music, the ocean, and libraries.
​
I'm excited to keep creating and collaborating! If you're interested in my work, please use the Contact form below.
Artistic Philosophy
Understanding, Mutual Respect, and Envisioning a Just World
Technical Skills
I believe all artists should have knowledge of and respect for all the roles in their field, from website designers to painters to janitors. Because of this, I've spent more and more time in theater tech and production. Not only does it let me work with my hands; it also lets me experience art from all angles. The desire to understand each part of the artistic process, even the ones that aren't commonly acknowledged or respected, is very important to me.
Envisioning Something Better
I want to make things that bring me and others happiness. More specifically, I love writing about other realms, as a way to escape the one we live in. I strongly believe that art can help us envision a better, safer, more just world. While I strongly support artists who thoughtfully tackle themes of violence, injustice, and oppression, that's not the kind of art I enjoy making. I want my art to support and envision a world without police violence, xenophobia, fascism, or white supremacy.
Radical Kindness
Artists are primarily people, and deserve to be treated as such. While every creative project will have difficulties: time crunches, financial issues, personal disagreements, and more; no art, no matter how beautiful, is worth the physical, emotional, or financial suffering of its artists. I aim to be transparent, communicative, and caring at every step of the artistic process. Through this, I aim to contribute to projects that treat everyone involved with kindness, compassion, and respect.
Creative Pursuits
My Qualifications
2007-Present
Creative writing
Independent prose, poetry, and playwriter. Published in Sliced Bread magazine 2018, Memoryhouse 2019, play produced in local youth one-act festival 2016. See more of my writing HERE.
2006-Present
Performance
Classically trained choral singer, 14 years. Alto/contralto comfy with many styles. Beginner Ocarina and piano player. Performed spoken word poetry with Memento 2018-19. Voice acting for The Writer's Locke podcast. Various acting roles in student workshops and one-acts.
2018-Present
Sound Mixing/Editing, SFX
Professional live sound tech/mixer at historic concert hall, 2 years. Sound editing, mixing, and SFX for The Writer's Locke podcast. Also familiar with foley.
2014-Present
Visual/Comic Artist
Traditional drawing, inking, and coloring for illustrations and comics. I excel at dynamic poses and inking/black and white art. See my short comic, Kneading, HERE.
2016-Present
TTRPG Player and GM
Experienced player/GM familiar with a wide variety of systems, including but not limited to: D&D5e, Pathfinder 1e&2e, Call of Cthulhu, various PbTA games, and Savage Worlds. Capable of and excited to play on stream.
2018-2020
Lighting Designer
Lighting designer and technician at historic concert hall, 2 years. Mostly worked off of rep plot, but am capable of designing original plots. Experience in orchestra, lecture, ballet, modern dance, variety shows, and more.