Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you:
I am Lindsay Rollins.
Your current job:
I am a designer and lead character artist at the small animation company Rocket Adrift. The company is run by myself and two of my colleagues Patrick Smith and Titus McNally. Rocket Adrift releases humorous animated series every month and Saturday, April 22nd is the series premiere of our new superhero series The Infringers!
In which city are you located?
Toronto, Ontario
A word to define what kind of worker you are:
Diligent. I tend to take my work very seriously which is often hard to do when you produce silly animations! But I’m the kind of worker that strives to get all the work done quickly and efficiently.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Adobe Photoshop, Anime Studio Pro, Reaper, WordPress, my Wacom Tablet and my printer/scanner. And of course, I wouldn’t be able to work at all without my desktop I-Mac.
What does your office space look like?
Usually fairly organized, my workspace changes depending on what aspect of a project I will be working on. Sometimes during a shoot, you will find my Canon 70D camera along with The Scarlett 18i8 recording interface for mics. Other times you will find my sketchbook, pencils and felt-tip pens for when I am designing characters.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working?
Anything from my soul & Funk playlist to Death Grips! I love music and I find listening to it while working helps me stay productive. Lately listening to Mac Demarco from my summer playlist.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work?
Yes, I usually have to start off my day by not looking at a screen. Those are usually the best days. If I can I’ll get up and do some Yoga or Pilates or even go for a jog. It helps to clear my head and go about my day more calmly. Then after breakfast I can sit down and look at the work I have ahead of me. Because I have a home office, sometimes it can be hard to separate work from relaxing so I have a rule – no work after dinner.
What tips would you give to improve productivity?
Definitely exercise, nothing has helped more. Also eat well and often, that works wonders. And listen to some good music while working – it keeps your energy levels up. Lastly, coffee.
You’re better than your colleagues to:
I wouldn’t consider myself better than my colleagues because we are all somewhat evenly skilled and experienced. But to play devil’s advocate I am generally better at analyzing the details surrounding our business and taking charge of new projects and marketing. They hate marketing!
What is the best advice anyone has given you?
K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stupid. Don’t overthink everything. Most often the best solution is the easiest. Also, remember to celebrate the little things and don’t sweat the small stuff. Learning to drop some of the little annoying problems has really helped me over the years.
What is your best tip for saving time?
What I like to do is deal with things immediately. If there is a problem, find a solution for it as soon as possible. If there is an idea that you have in mind, get it down right away. If there is a point in which you foresee something becoming a problem and you can take action now, always take action now. See, now it’s out of the way and you have time to do what you actually want to be doing! Also, hotkeys.
What is your routine start and end of the day?
As I said before, I like to exercise at the beginning of the day before I do anything. By the time I make dinner (which is usually around 8:00 pm) all work has stopped for the day. Save your projects, clean off your desk and put on some Netflix.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
My Playstation 4. It basically holds all my source of entertainment.
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