Aaron Mitchell

Being a commercial artist requires the highest level of artistic output which often leaves little time for artistic expression. This is counter intuitive but is a big reason why animation professionals burnout even when they are working the ridiculous hours often required. I didn’t understand this fully when I started working in Animation. It was the wisdom of my colleagues in Artist Management and L&D that helped me connect the dots. They advocated for life drawing classes and other non-work related artistic endeavors which made a big difference in the health of the community. Then I read “Your Brain on Art” (a must read) which really showed how different forms of artistic expression have a positive impact on mental health.

I recently listened to the Audible Original Mastering the Skill of Reinvention by @Pamela Mitchell. I highly recommend this for anyone who is stuck as a way to do a holistic assessment. Often times we are pursuing things that don’t serve us or are waiting for things to happen for us. I love how Pamela focuses on the skill building required to make these changes no matter your job or your predicament. If you can commit to learning the skill of reinvention, you’re less likely to fall into the trap of focusing on your job and job change as a means for getting unstuck. I wish I’d read this book before I pivoted from Corporate to Entrepreneurship. It would have been much smoother without the growing pains.

No matter how you connect with people, always try and make genuine connection and don't stop. Often times people approach networking trying to speak to the decision makers. Instead, I always encourage people to build relationships with the people you are most likely to get along with. In other words, approach networking like making friends. Genuine connections mean so much more than superficial connections with "important" people. You never know which connection is going to be the one that makes the difference so at the very least, you spend time getting to know people who you like. Don't stop. Treat networking like it's your full-time job and just keep going. Start enjoying the process and the results are inevitable.

Promotions in animation are interesting because animation is so non-linear. Instead of thinking about the skills that will get you promoted, think about the skills that allow you to get the most meaningful experiences. As such, it is important to cultivate learning agility and curiosity because when opportunities present themselves, this is what allows some to gain important skills through experience. I saw this happen time and time again. There are some folks who would turn down the opportunities to do something new because they didn't think the experience was relevant to what they wanted to do. Given how much the industry twists and turns, this is a self inflicted wound. Curiosity and Learning Agility. Vey underrated.

I spent 2 years leading HR for Netflix Animation and encountered conflicts on a regular basis. I believe that it is important to remember that all conflict resolution starts with one's ability to settle conflict within themselves. I believe focusing on ones own mindfulness is where most of the work happens. Animation is a stressful profession for all involved and depending on the role, the project and the leadership, can devolve into toxicity. This is an unfortunate feature of many of the creative industries. Many people entering the industry are unaware and thus unprepared. Focusing on ones mindfulness and cultivating an awareness that we have agency over our feelings is work you can take with you everywhere.

I recently hosted a LinkedIn Live session on Navigating a Career Pivot with my good friend Yoo Lee. Yoo transitioned from being a successful fashion designer to stop-motion animation in her late 40's. SHe spoke about how hard it was to be taken seriously and how she devoted her time and energy to learning and doing every part of the production. Once she did that she had finished products that she could use to seek feedback, connect with studios, etc. The desire to just do it was born from the idea that if she were to be taken seriously, she has to produce something undeniably amazing. That shows in the work and becomes a critical part of the conversation when looking to meet other people.