Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this episode, we sit down with animation supervisor and indie creator Lee Bird to talk honestly about layoffs, long gaps between contracts, raising kids in an unstable industry, and why making personal projects can be the thing that keeps you going.
If you’re working in animation, trying to break in, or questioning whether you can survive long-term in this industry, this conversation is for you. No hype. No grindset nonsense. Just real talk from people who’ve been there.
We cover what it’s really like working in animation right now:
Long layoffs and contract gaps, balancing studio work, personal projects, and family
Pitching cartoons vs just making them independently
learning new skills during downtime (storyboarding, rigging, backgrounds, moho vs harmony)
how personal projects help protect an artist's mental health
Our crew includes:
Special guest / Animation supervisor Lee Bird:
youtube.com/@UCV2vS962rKg_IpQr00Mb3_g
https://bsky.app/profile/derbloggy.bsky.social
Brian: Art school educated producer who prefers a camera to a pencil.
Josh: Artist and story teller, likes to keep things weird. instagram.com/thecaptainmushface
Tracy: 2DAnimation generalist with poorly hidden anxiety.
https://bsky.app/profile/stylusrumble.bsky.social
Buy the crew a Kofi: ko-fi.com/stylusrumble
Check out our growing reference doc for more learn to draw resources!
https://t.co/DGlt4c5sGM
music:
freesound.org/people/mickleness
In this episode, we sit down with animation supervisor and indie creator Lee Bird to talk honestly about layoffs, long gaps between contracts, raising kids in an unstable industry, and why making personal projects can be the thing that keeps you going.
If you’re working in animation, trying to break in, or questioning whether you can survive long-term in this industry, this conversation is for you. No hype. No grindset nonsense. Just real talk from people who’ve been there.
We cover what it’s really like working in animation right now:
Long layoffs and contract gaps, balancing studio work, personal projects, and family
Pitching cartoons vs just making them independently
learning new skills during downtime (storyboarding, rigging, backgrounds, moho vs harmony)
how personal projects help protect an artist's mental health
Our crew includes:
Special guest / Animation supervisor Lee Bird:
youtube.com/@UCV2vS962rKg_IpQr00Mb3_g
https://bsky.app/profile/derbloggy.bsky.social
Brian: Art school educated producer who prefers a camera to a pencil.
Josh: Artist and story teller, likes to keep things weird. instagram.com/thecaptainmushface
Tracy: 2DAnimation generalist with poorly hidden anxiety.
https://bsky.app/profile/stylusrumble.bsky.social
Buy the crew a Kofi: ko-fi.com/stylusrumble
Check out our growing reference doc for more learn to draw resources!
https://t.co/DGlt4c5sGM
music:
freesound.org/people/mickleness
