The balancing act

Finding the perfect work-life balance remains an issue for many women working in the animation and visual effects industries. Negotiating the difficulties of balancing work with the demands of personal lives and the need for rest, relaxation and recharging is something many women can struggle with. Despite women working as much as men, women are often still expected to perform the brunt of emotional labour and housework at home, which means that even when they leave work they come home to more work of a different kind. Add to that the often demanding nature of working in animation and visual effects and the fact that smartphones allow us to take our work with us 24/7, and it’s no wonder we sometimes find ourselves exhausted, struggling to manage it all, spending our valuable time and energy on everyone and everything but ourselves

We spoke to four women from Animated Women UK (AWUK) who have each faced unique