The Coronavirus has given many us an opportunity to pause and think about life, our purpose, and even the right work life balance. What’s your perspective and has it changed over time?

Kelsey Irvin | Artist & Gallerist

It has changed a lot. It is a very hard balance, that lesson I continue to learn even today. In the very early years of working as a full-time artist I could sense that I was building a career step by step. I knew that every hour in the studio mattered towards the outcome of that career and I didn’t want to miss any of those hours. So I found myself passing up social invitations for studio time. I missed out on meeting up with friends in order to paint longer hours. Not all of the time, but enough to notice. Looking back I’d call it a sacrifice for my career. No regrets, but the balance was skewed because I was reaching. Later on after my career had developed that much further I still pulled crazy hours in the studio but at that point I wasn’t sacrificing anything, it was just normal studio hours. Read more>>

Raegen Knight | Raegen Knight Jewelry

Balancing work with all of the other priorities in life – parenting, household responsibilities, leisure, and self-care is definitely a challenge, but I think I’ve been better able to manage it all as I age. The perspective that comes in mid-life has been so helpful in building an internal system that sorts out what task is most important when, and somehow it all seems to just get done. Recently, I’ve also been able to naturally start finding more joy in the work that I do, as well as a greater appreciation for downtime. The key to all this has been is self-care – being healthy and centered enough to be able too function well and enjoy daily life. Read more>>

Michaela Jean Upp | Fine Artist

I feel I am still learning how to balance “life and work” as an independent artist. I used to feel that if my work wasn’t on my mind at all times that I wasn’t working hard enough or that I would fall behind. Over the years I learned that constantly combining my personal life and my art career leads to added stress and lack of enjoyment in both realms. I now see the benefit of being present in each moment no matter what I am doing. If I am feeding my baby a bottle or deep in a painting, enjoying and being with each act at each moment is imperative for my personal idea of balance. Read more>>

Hais Lindeman | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Practice Owner

In the beginning of my career, especially after graduate school, my entire focus was about building my clinical expertise. Being single and with a new profound motivation to explore the possibilities, I put all my time and energy toward working and furthering therapeutic skills. Working 10-12 hour days was the norm and I never questioned it. As I became licensed and after over a decade of working, that model was no longer sustainable. In that span of time, I became engaged and married and was preparing to start a family. Working a 10-12 hour day came with less satisfaction and more stress which lead to many burnout symptoms. I began feeling dread and anxious before going into work, distracted while at work, and chronic fatigue after work. Activities that recharged me before became less enjoyable and tedious. Read more>>