How can animators build resilience and stay motivated when working on a challenging project?

Break it Down: Divide the project into smaller tasks for a more manageable approach. Set Realistic Goals: Establish achievable milestones to maintain motivation. Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate achievements, no matter how minor. Feedback and Collaboration: Seek input from peers or mentors for constructive insights. Take Breaks: Schedule regular breaks to prevent burnout and maintain focus. Embrace Iteration: See challenges as opportunities for improvement and growth. Learn from Challenges: Analyze setbacks as learning experiences to adapt and improve. Stay Inspired: Find inspiration outside the project to fuel creativity. Support System: Build a network of supportive individuals for encouragement.

"Eyes on The Prize" In essence, the journey towards any goal is rarely a linear path. It's fraught with twists, turns, and unexpected challenges. Yet, it's in these moments that the true test of determination emerges. It's about summoning the strength to rise after each fall, to keep the flame of hope burning bright, and to continue marching forward with unyielding determination. However, determination is not merely a force of nature. It's a mindset. It requires discipline, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to the end goal. It's about setting small achievable milestones, celebrating each step forward, and staying focused on the prize.

- Define your financial goals for each individual project. (In the end, skipping Monday's should be part of your goals if you have drive and passion within art in general.

I initially panic when taking on a challenging project. But then I break down the animation into scene by scene, create an excel (or notion, whatever fills your heart) with tasks that need to be done. Then, think about how much I can work off in a day with breaks, have the deadline in mind so I know. If things seem too tight I talk to my client. If you get daily tasks assigned by a producer, talk things over with them and give them updates so they know where you're at. This way you know how much you can handle and your stakeholders know where you're at. Things can get quite time consuming with animation, especially if something goes wrong, so plan in at least another 100% of time on your estimate so when things take longer, you're safe.

Feedback only makes things better. So ask producers and clients for feedback, when possible have another animator take a look to see if something can be improved. Even friends and family can help, those are great as they usually aren't from your field and might see something you didn't even think about. Usually those changes elevate the project, so take feedback as a way to improve your project. BUT, also beware of unreasonable changes – clients sometimes ask for changes when giving feedback that may have an impact on the animation deadline and budget without realising it. For that type of feedback, talk over the implications the changes will have, especially if those were not part of the project before.

Overworking often leads to diminished productivity and even burnout, so it's important to set boundaries and manage time effectively. Taking regular breaks is not just about passive relaxation; engaging in different, restorative activities can refresh the mind and enhance problem-solving abilities. If faced with a creative block, shifting focus to other tasks and returning later can be beneficial. Incorporating play and even hobbies that are similar yet different from work can help with this balance.

We live in a culture that makes us feel guilty when we are resting. It seems like we always have to be doing something, producing something, showing something. But this is harmful to our health and well-being. Anyone who works a lot, whether by necessity or choice, needs to rest a lot too. A place that does not value the rest of its employees is unhealthy and inhumane. A rested mind and body are able to think more clearly, make better decisions and make fewer mistakes. You don't need to charge yourself so much, nor compare yourself to others. I always like to remember that leisure is also a form of creativity, leisure, pleasure. And work gets better when we have a balanced life, which allows us to enjoy other things besides work.

It is very important to have a clear contract in place at the beginning of every project. + project milestones + number of revisions (if any) + how much you will charge if they need more revisions + limit the ways clients can contact you This will keep clients from crossing a lot of boundaries that will ultimately lead to burnout. As you do more projects, keep a list of boundaries you need to add to that list.

Let's say something goes wrong. And as a freelancer there's always a project that doesn't go as planned - take those moments to reflect on what went wrong, was is something in your control or was is on another stakeholder? Was there something you hadn't considered that consumed a lot of time/resources? Technical issues like a hard drive or computer failing? Write down a game plan, so the next time something similar happens you know exactly what to do. With hardware think about how you can have redundancies so in case there is a failure you have a backup plan. This can be a pdf, a notebook or word document that you can always refer back to to know what to do in a similar situation.

Trust the procces not always the end goal. We need to train our mind to learn from the process especially if it's hard and painfull