The Making of Luna
A Creative Journey from Inspiration
to Animation
They say inspiration can be found almost anywhere...
...in the warmth of the sunshine, the melody of a favorite song, the hum of the wind through the trees, or the quiet moments when imagination is free to wander.
That's where I found Luna.
Or maybe...
she found me.
Meet the Creator
Hi, I'm Kady Cravens.
I've always been a creative at heart. Long before I started studying Digital Media Arts and Photography, I was writing songs, performing, taking photographs, and finding ways to tell stories through whatever creative outlet I had.
In 2014, I released my album Fool For You under the artist name Kady Bow, a journey that earned recognition from the New Mexico Music Awards, including Best Vocal Performer. Music taught me that the most meaningful stories are the ones that make people feel something.
That passion eventually found its way into photography. My camera became a journal, capturing the people, places, and moments I never wanted to forget. Now, as I continue studying Digital Media Arts and Photography, I'm learning new ways to tell those stories through design, illustration, and animation.
Creating Luna felt different from the beginning. She quickly became more than a class assignment. She became a reflection of the things that inspire me most - creativity, curiosity, adventure, and finding beauty in everyday moments. Even the jade heart necklace she wears was inspired by one my grandmother gave me, carrying a small piece of my own story wherever she goes.
Luna reminds me that creativity is about more than making something beautiful. It's about bringing ideas to life, sharing them with others, and having the courage to imagine something that didn't exist before.
After all, every dream begins with a little imagination... and sometimes, with a little stardust, sunshine, and song.
Kady Cravens
Storyteller • Singer-Songwriter • Photographer • Digital Media Artist
Creative Development Timeline
June 28th - June 30th 2026
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Luna Concept 1 -
06/29/2026
1st AI Assisted
Character Concept
Production Model Sheet - 06/29/2026
2nd AI Assisted
Character Concept
Luna Concept 2 -
6/29/2026
Jade Heart Necklace
3rd AI Assisted
Character Concept
Inspiration and Initial Sketch Work
Before using ChatGPT, I created a hand-drawn sketch inspired by one of the Wild Things from Where the Wild Things Are. My goal wasn't to recreate the character but to study the whimsical style, playful proportions, and expressive personality. Creating these sketches helped me identify the artistic direction I wanted to take before beginning my own original character.
I also referenced the following character drawing tutorial while exploring whimsical monster design:
How to Draw a WILD THING
https://youtu.be/EgevqAgEeZ0
Although this tutorial influenced my artistic exploration, Luna was ultimately developed as an original character with her own personality, appearance, and story.
Defining Luna's Creative Direction
Prompt:
"I wanted to create something original inspired by this style—something that reflected me and the things I love."
Outcome:
After reviewing my inspiration sketch, we discussed what made the whimsical style so appealing without copying an existing character. Because I have collaborated with ChatGPT over an extended period of time, I intentionally asked it to build on the creative context from our previous conversations. Together, we began shaping an original character inspired by my love of art, music, storytelling, adventure, and making beautiful things. This became the creative foundation for Luna's personality, appearance, and story.
Developing Luna's Visual Identity
Prompt:
"I want it to be a female and girly."
Outcome:
Luna's visual identity began to take shape. We developed her soft color palette, expressive eyes, oversized bow, fluffy tail, striped sleeves, heart necklace, and crossbody adventure bag. Every design decision was made with the goal of creating a character that was both whimsical and simple enough to animate in Adobe Animate.
Creating Luna's Personality
Prompt:
"We created this character about the things you know about me. My love of art, music, being a creative dreamer myself, adventures, and making beautiful things. I truly feel like Luna came right out of my heart."
Outcome:
Luna evolved beyond being a character design and became a reflection of my own personality. We intentionally developed her around my love of creativity, music, storytelling, adventure, imagination, and creating beautiful things. Rather than simply designing a monster, we created someone with a heart, purpose, and personality.
Building Luna's Story
Prompt:
"Provide me Luna's story. She came from stardust, sunshine, and song."
Outcome:
We developed Luna's origin story and the magical world she lives in. Her story became the foundation for her personality and the overall theme of my portfolio, reinforcing the idea that every dream begins with imagination.
Adding Personal Meaning
Prompt:
"I have a special jade heart necklace from my grandmother that really reminds me of Luna's."
Outcome:
Luna's heart necklace became one of her most meaningful design elements. Inspired by a treasured necklace from my grandmother, this detail connected Luna's story to my own life and made her feel even more personal.
Preparing Luna for Animation
Prompt:
"Lay her out in all the ways I would have to present her for Adobe Animate CC."
Outcome:
Created Luna's character turnaround, model sheets, facial expressions, body references, color palette, and animation-ready design. These references will be used to recreate Luna as a vector illustration before animating her in Adobe Animate.
Developing the Portfolio
Prompt:
"I created a page specifically for Luna. I would like to tell her story."
Outcome:
Designed a dedicated portfolio page documenting Luna's inspiration, concept sketches, development process, model sheets, story, and creative journey. The portfolio will continue to grow as Luna progresses from concept art to a fully animated character.
REFLECTION
Throughout this project, I used ChatGPT as a creative brainstorming and collaboration tool to help organize ideas, refine concepts, and document my creative process. Every major creative decision - including Luna's personality, appearance, story, and the meaningful details that make her unique - came from my own experiences, interests, and artistic vision.
One of the most meaningful moments in Luna's development was realizing she wasn't created from a generic prompt. I intentionally asked ChatGPT to help build her around who I am - my love of art, music, storytelling, adventure, creativity, and making beautiful things. Those personal experiences became the inspiration behind Luna, allowing her to grow into a character that feels authentic, meaningful, and uniquely my own.
Inspirational References
Art Land. (2022, February 8). How to draw a WILD THING [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/EgevqAgEeZ0
OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (GPT-5.5) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/
Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. Harper & Row.
Luna Concept 2-
7/30/2026 - 7/31/2026
Animation 1 "Meet Luna"
Storyboard Creation
Inspirational Reference
Animation 1 "Meet Luna" - Storyboard Creation July 30th - 31st.
OpenAI. (2026, July 30–31). ChatGPT (GPT-5.5) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com. Used as an assistive creative tool during the development of Meet Luna for brainstorming, dialogue refinement, storyboard planning, creative process documentation, and production organization. All final creative decisions, character development, story structure, artwork, storyboard illustrations, and animation direction were created and approved by Kady Cravens.
