Our community is filled with hard-working, high achieving entrepreneurs and creatives and so work-life balance is a complicated, but highly relevant topic. We’ve shared some responses from the community about work life balance and how their views have evolved over time below.

Janita Mestre | Photographer/ Creative

Work life balance has been one of my top priorities this year. When I first started my business I would work every hour and take on every project with the mindset of “hustling”. The last year has challenged me to apply balance to my work life. My priorities and value system has changed and because of it, I am adjusting my work life to it. Simple things like turning off all work devices by 7pm and spending time taking care of myself and my family has been my top priority in work life balance.  Work life balance has been one of my top priorities this year. When I first started my business I would work every hour and take on every project with the mindset of “hustling”. The last year has challenged me to apply balance to my work life. My priorities and value system has changed and because of it, I am adjusting my work life to it. Simple things like turning off all work devices by 7pm and spending time taking care of myself and my family has been my top priority in work life balance. Read more>>

Jason and Staci Martin | Tattoo artist, DermalGrafix Owners

Owning a business has definitely blurred the work/life balance. They’re pretty much intertwined. Read more>>

Sarah Lemke | Cosmetic Tattoo Artist and Educator

This is an tough question! For me, I’ve found that balance is in continuous fluctuation. I have to make a conscience effort to keep a healthy work/life balance and flow. It is easy when you love what you do for work to put an overflow of attention, energy and time in that direction. I’ve learned though falling off of the balance train many of times that REST is key. REST is active. We need rest from work and from life as well to keep a healthy ebb and flow of the two. Rest is a reset and a recharge. I can’t give to my business, clients, or personal life if I’m running on empty. Let alone balance the two. Balance for me I rarely perfect, it’s work and I find it easier when I allow myself some grace. Read more>>

Chelsea Leopold | Artist

Balancing work and life has always been a struggle with me. I used to go through periods of high productivity with no downtime. I was really hard on myself last year with my art and my work schedule, that I needed a mental break. I didn’t practice art for a few months, and focused on my other hobbies like playing guitar and cooking. One of my goals this year was to stress less and avoid the work periods of all or nothing. Through reading books, I have been able to find more patience and lower stress levels by focusing on the story at hand, rather than the things on my to-do-list. I’m now more patient with myself and my work. If I don’t draw or paint one night, then I read or find inspiration, knowing I will get to draw tomorrow or the next day. Read more>>

Phé | Artist, Songwriter, Creator

This is definitely something I am still putting into practice and integrating, but the idea of work-life balance honestly didn’t really exist for me as an actual practice till the end of last year. But, since then I’ve grown to form an understanding that is more about cultivating an overall balanced and fulfilling life, and understanding that my work is A PART of my life, not a separate entity that moves alongside my life. So for me that looks like giving it an appropriate amount of mental and emotional space/energy, inviting play, and creating boundaries, in the same way I would with any of my relationships or other aspects of my life. So, while this practice will look different for everyone, I think the most important aspect for me in truly understanding and bringing about balance in the role my work has within my life has been this shift in perspective. Read more>>

Colette Carlson | Professional Speaker, Author & Coach

Work-life balance is dead! That statement often perks up the ears of my audience during speaking engagements, and let me explain. When most individuals visualize balance, the judicial scales often come to mind with both sides equal. Unless you are independently wealthy or retired, I find that no one’s life represents this scale. The goal is balance over time, so I believe we should call it work-life integration or simply life! A marathon represents a more accurate depiction, as some days you are going to have to run hard. Other days rest, rehydrate and eat a power bar. Only you know the pace you have to maintain to stay in the race based on your own goals, values and priorities. Dare not to compare others running faster than you as they may be running a different race. Read more>>

Steve Gibson | Artist

My artistic practice has always been balanced with my family life. Without a good partner I’m sure my life as an artist would have fizzled out and fallen by the way side. I have been married for 50 years to a wonderful woman who believed in me and supported my efforts through grad schools, geographical moves and the raising of two sons. My early life in the art world was teaching in colleges or art schools. The early 70’s, as is the period we find ourselves in now, tenured positions were hard to find. So, I decided to find work else where and returned to San Diego my childhood home. I was fortunate to rekindle my relationship with the printing industry where I worked as a younger man as a press tender for a large printing company. That relationship brought me to the paper industry where I worked for 18 years as. a sales representative, marketing manager, and liaison to the graphic arts community at large. Read more>>

Kris Kezar | Tattoo Artist

When I was younger, I would work much longer hours, and take a lot less time for myself. As I get older, I’ve realized that the time I take on my own, whether it’s spending time with my family watching movies and tv shows, or being by myself, drawing for myself, or just playing videogames and reading books, is vital to being a creative person. I get a lot of my inspiration from the quit time I spend alone, from reading, listening to music, and sketching nothing in particular. I think if you are focused on work all of the time, you tend to just keep repeating the same patterns over and over again, and that’s a death spiral for a business, especially for creatives. In order to keep things fresh and new and get new ideas, you need to go experience and try new things. It’s hard to do that if you are working all of the time. Read more>>