I am always interested in testing new techniques to create my handmade figurines. I watched creators on Instagram and YouTube making realistic animals and stop-motion puppets using needle felting techniques. I’ve always wanted to try it on a project, so I commissioned myself to build two characters from the new Pixar animated movie Inside Out 2. I chose Anxiety first because this character frequently appeared on my social media timeline and the emotion is quite familiar to many creators.
I had a collection of wool and tools from my previous ring box project, Rilakkuma. I bought a few kits back then and had a lot of fun testing them. It was a time-consuming process, and punching the wool on top of the plastic mechanism made it even slower. This time, I decided to create a stop-motion puppet with a metal wire armature. It is posable, and I documented the process in this video.
Who is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a character from Pixar’s Inside Out 2, representing the emotion of nervousness and stress. She is a highly energetic and meticulous figure whose primary mission is to prepare Riley for every possible negative outcome, ensuring she fits in with her high school peers. Anxiety meticulously organizes lists and plans to avoid mistakes, often overthinking and projecting worst-case scenarios to protect Riley from potential future issues.
Physically, Anxiety is depicted as an orange emotion with a frog-like face, a volcanic updo, jade green eyes, and an orange and white-striped sweater. Her character embodies the challenges of balancing protection and overprotection, highlighting the importance of letting go and trusting in oneself.
Making Of Envy
I enjoyed the Anxiety project so much I followed it with another character: Envy.
In “Inside Out 2,” Envy is one of the new emotions introduced to represent the complex feelings Riley experiences as she navigates adolescence. Voiced by Ayo Edebiri, Envy embodies Riley’s feelings of jealousy and desire, which are common during teenage years. This character often makes impulsive decisions and is characterized by her small stature and energetic presence. Envy’s eyes sparkle with admiration when she sees something she covets, capturing the essence of this emotion vividly.
The addition of Envy, along with other new emotions like Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Ennui, reflects the broader range of feelings Riley encounters as she grows older, making the sequel’s portrayal of her internal world more nuanced and relatable.
