BALANCING CREATIVITY WITH LIFE: HOW OUR ANIMATION TEAM MAINTAINS WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Have you heard that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”? Have you also heard that “if you want to make it in life you have to give up your sleep”? I bet you have. Now, which of these two is your mantra? Whether or not you like it, finding a balance between these two statements is important for a healthy lifestyle, especially in the fast-paced animation industry. This industry thrives on creativity, tight deadlines and endless inspirations. Nonetheless, sitting for long hours and forgetting to have your me-time are some of its downsides. So, how does one avoid burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance in the animation industry? We asked our team, and their answers were as varying as their creative styles.
If you haven’t met our team of animators, in one of our articles titled AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH OUR ANIMATION TEAM, I introduced them, except for Okoh Desmond, our 2D Animation Colourist. If you missed it, you can catch up here.
Back to asking our team of animators how they separate work from me-time. For some, separating work from personal life is a conscious effort. Desmond makes a point to step away after work hours, reconnect with people, and enjoy nature. According to him, “Animation can be isolating, so I balance it by engaging with friends and family.” Similarly, Tolulope keeps a structured schedule, treating weekdays as work time and weekends as sacred personal time, even admitting, “I love Mondays, lol.” Others find that work and personal life naturally blend. Richard admits, “I don’t really have a strategy, I spend most of my day on the system, but I see it as my ‘me-time.’” Meanwhile, David acknowledges that complete separation is tough but he prioritizes family and rest where he can.
After hours of bringing characters to life, how do our animators reset? Unsurprisingly, anime is a common escape for Phinehas, Clever and David, on the one hand. Phinehas follows Solo Leveling, while Clever turns to anime and manga for fresh ideas. David also watches anime, not just for fun but as a learning tool. He says “It’s relaxing while also letting me study from industry seniors.” On the other hand, beyond screens, some team members prefer outdoor breaks. Richard takes his dog for walks to “see people go about their day,” while Desmond steps outside for fresh air. Others, like Tolu unwind with video games or YouTube, and Phinehas also vibes to lo-fi music to decompress.
When asked about hobbies outside of animation that fuel their creativity, David says he hits the gym, reads graphic novels, and games, while Richard draws motivation from Makoto Shinkai’s vibrant anime worlds. Desmond enjoys gaming, music, and light workouts, because they “often spark new ideas.” Then there’s Tolu, who restores old items and edits videos because they help sharpen his attention to detail. And Phinehas, who finds animation references in everyday life, “like a bird on a stick or someone eating.”
As the saying goes, “To each his own.” Truly, there is no one rule for all in balancing work and life. For some people, they need to structure a schedule to successfully balance work and personal life, while for others, they thrive on flexibility. What works for you? Share your tip, let’s learn from you.