A host of factors, developments, and dynamics have made most industries more competitive than ever. As a result so many of us wonder whether there is still such a thing as work-life balance. We reached out to the community to hear perspectives on finding the right balance.

Tiffany Le | Photographer, Videographer & Editor

There was a time in my life where I felt like I was a piece of metal thrown into a microwave, rapidly combusting into flames. An unpleasant thought, I know! But balancing what the world was throwing at me felt like pure chaos. At the time, I was in my final year of college, studying Visual Arts Media at UCSD while dancing on a competitive dance team. My mother unexpectedly moved, and had left the family karate business for me to take over. I was working on building my portfolio for my photo and video business, Tiffany Le Visuals. To top it all off, I was trying to maintain healthy relationships with my friends and family. With all of these commitments, I felt like I was moving 1000 miles per hour all the time, and was just exhausted. At times, I could imagine hearing the voices of every Shark Tank investor shouting at me to quit everything and focus 200% of my time into the business. Read more>>

Monica Morones | Artist

I went from almost a full time artist to a professional. Finding the time to create has been extremely difficult. I think it’s most artists goal to find a job that they can incorporate their art into and get paid for it. I went into the Cannabis industry and became a General Manager for retail and have over time been able to incorporate photography and Digital Design into my job description as well as marketing. I still take photography jobs on the side because I learned that the more money I make as a single, unmarried woman with no children, the more taxes the government takes. So I work my 40 plus hours a week and then I spend about 5 hours at home every night editing, making designs, learning new techniques. Read more>>

Andrew Cortez | Artist & Art Teacher

Before the pandemic, I was working roughly 35hrs a week, making enough to stay afloat, while on the side doing commission artwork for reasonable prices. During the week, I would draw/paint before work so I can still feed my creative desires, so I didn’t feel unproductive. I’m a team-player. I will help out and take extra shifts if asked of me, putting my art on the side, thinking “there will always be time to paint on my days off.” Days off are usually are just one day, and that day is devoured by chores, errands and surprises. Needless to say, I didn’t leave much time for creating. Not only that, but allowing myself to step into the unknown in my process and mind, and experimenting, because I felt every art piece needed to count, that my subjects should be appealing to any audience. Living blissfully unaware of the hamster wheel I was in, a weird, great, terrible thing called COVID-19 happened. Read more>>