Dec
01
Work-life
Sometimes when people talk about ‘jobs’ they say they prefer to do work that they don’t have to take home, they say ‘just give me something I can stop thinking about at 5 pm’. I don’t know that I could live that way, only because I live to work on something that I’m obsessed with, or passionate about. Like one thing I just love to work on, leather jackets, or motorcycle jackets..I mean I just could not imagine doing anything else. But I can understand the comfort in having that clear separation between work and going home, like when you go home you just don’t think about anything else, right? You can compartmentalize your life into two sections, which could be comforting in a way..
For me, it’s the other way around. I don’t know what to do when I’m not at the studio. Of course there was that phase in my life during college when I was very social, going out all the time, but now I’m definitely not interested in ‘going out – out’ in that way…When I’m at the studio I feel so much happier than being anywhere else, it’s definitely like ‘home’ to me..if I have some kind of problem with a sleeve, or there is some technical issue with what I’m designing and I haven’t got the solution yet, I really can’t just leave it and go out with friends after, because I’ll just be obsessing over it all night..like about how to find the solution…and so if my day doesn’t work out the way I expect it to, I don’t even like to go out after..Don’t necessarily think this is a good thing, I mean there should be a line between your work and your personal life..I don’t know, but then I can also say work is so personal for me. There is no divide, which is not always so good.
How do you guys prefer your work? Do you prefer to have a job where you don’t have to take your work home at the end of the day, or do you like to be fully immersed so that your work permeates every aspect of your life? Or are you just one of those perfect people that have it both ways?
I think it depends on the place I am in life…right now I’m about to graduate college & I would love to have a job that I’m passionate about & obsessed with. If I had a relationship or kids to think about, maybe I wouldn’t feel the same way.
I think when you’re in a creative field, the line is definitely blurred between what is done for work and what’s a natural production of your mind. I’m an illustrator, and I find that I always want to develop my skills/concepts and produce them, and it feels addictive, the pay off is great when things go as envisioned, but on the other side, if something doesn’t look or feel right, there’s a definite moment where you feel you failed as a person in executing your vision, not just that the one project didn’t work out. However, I wouldn’t want this any other way. Getting stressed about producing something and taking great pains to make sure i’m doing my best work, even if i’m not getting paid for the contemplation time, pays off in the personal growth and fufillment I think one gets when they see their own creation. If I was a tradesperson, my view would probably be different, but I think that’s the difference between being passionate about what you do, and just doing something because you should.
I know this all too well. It’s my goal to find stable work in the arts, but for the time being I’m just developing a portfolio and balancing that with jobs that pay the bills. I work in fitness at the moment, which is an interest, but not a passion. It’s far better than the mindless jobs I’ve had in the past, but it is still just a job. My social life is non-existent, and I often prefer to be at home working on projects. I too get so fully immersed that I can’t think about anything else. I know it’s probably not the most balanced way to live, but there’s definitely a comfort in it. I feel my best when I’m doing something creative.
See, I don’t think there is anything unnormal about being immersed in your work.
Quite the opposite!
I don’t understand why you would want to work for something you wouldn’t bother to do, if you weren’t to get money for it.
Is that really worth it in the end?
Is the money what enables you to go about your passios in your “free” time? Most people take the money to go to eat. But rather than being passionate about food its about comfort and spending most money in fast-food stores. Then some go out to the movies. But again not because they’re passionate about movies and every aspects of their making, but because there’s that new movie with Jennifer Aniston.
So in the end the time between work, which is supposed to be the important divition in your life just ends up to be an attempt to distract yourself from the boredom that inhabitates your life.
And even if you have kids like Valerie before me pointed out, I believe that then you would be passionate about kids or something you hold dear in your life and can pursue that.
So in the end you may feel at unease because you didn’t complete your zipper yet, but looking back you’ll never regret all the things you could have done with your life.
Because you did.
I think it’s a design field thing. I feel the same in architecture. Just as Sab does with illustrating.
I can’t switch it off, call it being a workaholic or whatever you like, but I take pride in stuff I do and I’d rather be obsessed and stressed than bored and miserable.
YOUR STUDIO SPACE LOOKS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!
I had your mindset when I worked in buying. I loved it and would work 80 hours a week to find new products and analyze sales. It was a true passion. However, I got burnt out and fast. It was too rough to even find to go out with my friends. That’s when I switched to a 9-5 job. It’s true, I can stop thinking at 5 PM. It leaves me more time to blog, have meaningful conversations, and keep up relationships.
This kind of devotion is not only found in creative jobs. More often, yes, but not exclusively. However, I have to agree with Lindsay that one can burn out pretty quickly. You have to take some play time, if for nothing else, then at least to recharge those batteries and gather some inspiration. Different people require different amounts (and forms) of play time, so just because you do not want to “go out”, it does not mean you are not getting your rest from work.
I personally like to be immersed in my work, whatever the project may be. I feel like I operate better if I can fully focus and complete a project before moving onto the next one. Even if the next thing on the agenda is “fun”. I do have a child now and while it has not changed my preferences about working with total abandonment, it certainly has changed my ability to do so. So, I would say that until you have the drive, inspiration and time, carry on.
Fortunately, I happen to work in arts/culture field, so my work is my passion and pleasure, and eventually ends up home with me.
That’s because people find it comforting to work for others. It’s easier to work for a company that’s already established. than to have to strike out on you own and depend on your won wits. I know it seems easy for you, but not everyone thinks the way you do. How did you begin working on your own?
So sorry this Christmas isn’t so enjoyable or relaxing for you. But know that we love you, and don’t get too neurotic on us, Luxirare! You’re talented and beautiful and young, and there will be many more Christmases. You’ll enjoy them so much more after this one.
It is blogs like yours that make me so grateful for the internet! Being able to watch your designs evolve over the last few years has inspired me over and over again, both as an apparel design student, and as someone who struggles with discipline. I expect that my first expensive ‘designer’ type purchase will be from your shop, if I ever manage to save up that much! Thank you for doing what you do so well, and for sharing it with those of us who aspire to create beauty.
Also – where do you source your hardware? Do you design it?