A Return to Moonlighting

2009 September 29
tags: ,
by Kim Werker

Dear Betsy,

I’ve gone and done what I had no intention of doing: I’m nearly two weeks into a new full-time job (which I blogged about here).

It’s a major and exciting adjustment – I haven’t worked away from my home in over eight years. For now I’m focusing on getting to the office on time every day, and today I even managed to bag my lunch. Eventually, I imagine I’ll be able to figure out how to write and craft just like everyone else does when they work full-time. For now, I’m squeezing in a few minutes here and there and have developed a tremendous new respect for people who have always done it this way.

xo
Kim

PS Maybe all you full-time-working folks would drop some advice into the comments? I’m sure we all have tips to share about balancing work and life – for me, at least, the kind of balance I need to strike has just totally changed!

PPS I’ve never really moonighted. I just sort of liked the implication, even if it’s not accurate. Whatever.

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  • NatalieServant
    Balance? I don't think I've got balance down yet, but compartmentalization is something that tends to make sure I get most of the important stuff done. Sometimes when I'm in different roles, though, I forget about commitments the "other" roles have made. When I get a crunch time I do what has to be done. If I resent a take or a role taking up too much time, I know it's time to drop or scale back that role.

    Natalie
    (mother, worker bee, adoptee rights activist, knitter, designer, political something-or-other ...)
  • I've been a loyal reader of the Creative Life from the very beginning, but this is my first comment. So, here goes:

    Well, the full-time job VS the creative freelance job is a really old issue with creative people.. On one hand, I love making jewelry and making jewelry is the kind of job that makes me happy and fulfilled. However, making jewelry doesn't pay the bills...YET. So meanwhile we all have to take on day jobs to sustain ourselves.

    I had this period early on this year where I worked, went to university AND tried to make jewelry meanwhile. I felt like a wreck. Completely exhausted, and completely uninspired. To feel inspired and creative one has to be relaxed first. The more stressed you are, the less creative you become (personal experience speaking).
    So, my advice would be:yes, make the most of your weekends. Don't answer the phone, don't answer to friends' invites, don't go out, don't watch tv....take a long bath, read a book you love, concentrate, imagine, daydream, draw (doesn't matter if you're skillful or not, the activity is relaxing and unleashes a myriad of new ideas!), drink coffee (not too much!)... One thing I like doing is riffling through some old odds and ends around the house, figuring out what stays in and what goes to the garbage bin, and trying to imagine how to re-purpose the rest...

    The best advice there is on how to balance between your you-time and the need to go to work 5 days a week is : when your work day is over, it IS over. Don't take work home with you, don't talk about work at home, don't even THINK about work at home! Just relax.
    Also, don't force yourself to come up with something new to write/craft. Inspiration comes and goes on its own, we all know that. Don't stress yourself if you feel uninspired. That, personally, gets me down SO MUCH. Over time I've learned that inspiration is not something that is fully within our control, and it shouldn't be.
    Well, enough rambling, I hope you're feeling fine on your day job. :-) Let us know what's up.
    I wish all of you folks here mountains of Inspiration!
  • A treasure trove of amazing advice! Thank you!
  • (blushes) thank you so much, Kim! :)
  • honeybee33
    I have great sympathy for you! I'll be returning to full-time work soon and will have to relearn some of this, myself. Personally, I don't have a large reservoir of boundless energy and find I need chunks of whole hours of "daydreaming" to function creatively and intellectually, which is really tough when burning the candle at both ends. So, my skills at self-monitoring and self-care have had to improve.

    I have figured out that I really need two days off from "regular jobbing" - right next to each other - every seven days to be at optimum in both of my "worlds." My husband (an Eveready bunny!) has learned that at least one day out of every seven for me must be what I call a "pajama day" - I spend the whole day in jammies hanging around the house, maybe puttering, maybe surfing, maybe creating, but very few "demands" - and it helps with the recharging.

    I think it's very individual as to need and what works, so my advice to others is always to focus on learning about yourself, your energy patterns, your needs, your symptoms that things aren't working right, and what works to "fix" it.

    ~ hb33 ~
  • That's such good advice! I've been monitoring my me-time, too, and trying to
    make sure I get an evening or two a week that I can spend in pajamas not
    doing much of anything, including answering the phone (I hate the phone most
    days). I fought hard for it over the last fifteen years, and my
    self-awareness is something I value almost any other thing. It's certainly
    making this massive transition less painful than it could be. That and
    talking lots with my partner about it, since it's a big change for him, too.
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