day 30 : work life balance
on a normal day, in a normal week, when we aren't obligated to abide by rules of social distancing and my work schedule is not the long days wednesday-sunday that it currently is, i have a really nice work-life balance.
i spend the majority of my mornings planning projects and sketching ideas and doing research on social media. i'll usually head to work for a few hours and when i come home, it's back to the craft castle to make the magic happen. weekends are full of crafting and when the weather breaks, events and shows to sell my cards in person.
because i work in a restaurant full time, i have some flexibility in my schedule which is great for the artist mindset. as most creatives know, it's not always as cut and dry as sit and make, make, make. sometimes the struggle is all too real and not being forced to create in a 9-5 atmosphere is perfect for me. there are definitely a lot of late nights in the w2 house.
one benefit that i have is that my creative space is inside my house. the craft castle at the top of the stairs is very convenient when i have an extra ten minutes - compared to having to head to a studio or office to get work done.
part of my cdo-ness that comes in handy is the way that i make lists and plans. i try really hard to schedule creative time so that it doesn't get away from me, but also so that i get that time. house projects, rest and relaxation and work can all get in the way if i let them. i often hear people say that "they don't have time" or that they can't imagine how i get things done. it's really quite simple.
i make the time. it's important to me so i make it happen. those people who like to run? i wouldn't have time for that. because i'm not passionate about it. but art time and creative time? i'm a miserable shrew without it.
the past few weeks have been a little tougher. my normal schedule involves work days that are typically 6-7 hours long, and i rarely work five consecutive days in a row. we are entering the third week of me working five days in a row, 9+ hour shifts each day. and they are much more emotionally and mentally taxing days. [i'm so, so grateful to be able to continue making money during this time, so i'm not complaining.] it's just a huge challenge to adapt to. on the days i'm off, i'm spending them trying to catch up on housework and sleep. the creative ideas don't stop but making the time is a little harder these days.
as this month of the instagram-based challenge comes almost to a close, i'm already looking forward to the next one with the 100-day challenge. i'm planning and scheming and hoping it'll help bring some normalcy to my creative mind until things get back to the real normal.
and also? i need to make my own version of this clock. add that to the list.